Saratoga Race Course is a famous horse-racing track in
Saratoga SpringsSaratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,186 at the 2000 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American place name, authorities disagree on what...
,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States.
John Hunter, who became the first chairman of
The Jockey ClubThe Jockey Club, formed on February 9, 1894, is the keeper of the North American Stud Book. It came into existence after James R. Keene spearheaded a drive in support of racehorse trainers who had complained about the Board of Control that governed racing in New York State.-History:On its...
, and
William R. TraversWilliam Riggin Travers was an American lawyer who made a fortune on Wall Street. Along with John Hunter, in 1863 he founded Saratoga Race Course and served as its first president. Saratoga's Travers Stakes is named in his honor and is the oldest major Thoroughbred horse race in the United States...
built Saratoga Race Course. The original track was built across Union Avenue from the present Saratoga Race Course, which opened the following year.
Saratoga Race Course is a famous horse-racing track in
Saratoga SpringsSaratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,186 at the 2000 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American place name, authorities disagree on what...
,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States.
History
John Hunter, who became the first chairman of
The Jockey ClubThe Jockey Club, formed on February 9, 1894, is the keeper of the North American Stud Book. It came into existence after James R. Keene spearheaded a drive in support of racehorse trainers who had complained about the Board of Control that governed racing in New York State.-History:On its...
, and
William R. TraversWilliam Riggin Travers was an American lawyer who made a fortune on Wall Street. Along with John Hunter, in 1863 he founded Saratoga Race Course and served as its first president. Saratoga's Travers Stakes is named in his honor and is the oldest major Thoroughbred horse race in the United States...
built Saratoga Race Course. The original track was built across Union Avenue from the present Saratoga Race Course, which opened the following year. Since 1864 the track has been the site of the
Travers StakesThe Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.First held in 1864, it was named for William R. Travers, the president of the old Saratoga Racing Association. His horse, Kentucky, won the first running of the Travers...
, the oldest major
thoroughbred horse raceThoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: flat racing and jump racing...
in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, which is the main draw of the annual summer race meeting. The Saratoga meet originally consisted of only four days, but over time was lengthened, and for many years, the meet lasted for four weeks. In the 1890s/1990s it was lengthened to five weeks, and today a six-week meeting is observed, with
Labor DayLabor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September .The holiday originated in Canada out of labor disputes first in Hamilton, then in Toronto, Canada in the 1870s, which resulted in a Trade Union Act which legalized and protected union activity in 1872 in Canada...
now being the last day of racing. From 1943 to 1945, racing was not held at Saratoga due to travel restrictions brought on by
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
; in those years, the stakes races that would have been run at Saratoga were contested at
Belmont ParkBelmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in the hamlet of Elmont, New York, in Nassau County, Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead...
instead.
Saratoga Race Course has two well-known nicknames --
The Spa (for the nearby mineral springs), and the
Graveyard of Favorites (for the upsets that have occurred there).
Man o' War- Places :* Man-O-War Cay, an island in the Bahamas* Man o' War Boulevard, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.* Man O'War, Dublin, Ireland- Animals :*Portuguese man o' war or Portuguese man of war, a floating marine "jellyfish" armed with many dangerous stinging cells*Man o' War - a champion thoroughbred...
suffered his only defeat in 21 starts while racing at Saratoga;
SecretariatSecretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, who in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in twenty-five years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series – the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes – records that still stand today.Secretariat was the...
was defeated at Saratoga by Onion after winning the Triple Crown; and
Gallant FoxGallant Fox was a United States Thoroughbred horseracing champion.Born at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky by Sir Gallahad III out of the mare Marguerite, Gallant Fox was a bay colt who became the second horse to win the U.S...
was beaten by 100-1 longshot Jim Dandy in the 1930 Travers Stakes.
The track was closed on August 2, 2006 due to a heat wave which had hit the Eastern Seaboard. This was only the fourth time in the history of the track that it closed, Previously it closed for three entire seasons during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and in 1911 and 1912 when it was not economically viable following New York State legislation enacted by the administration of Governor
Charles Evans HughesCharles Evans Hughes Sr. was a lawyer and Republican politician from the State of New York. He served as Governor of New York , United States Secretary of State , Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and Chief Justice of the United States...
which outlawed all forms of wagering on horse racing.
Physical attributes
As is the case with the other two tracks operated by the
New York Racing AssociationThe New York Racing Association, Inc. is the not-for-profit corporation that runs the three largest thoroughbred horse-racing tracks in the state of New York. It runs Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens, Belmont Park in Elmont, Long Island , and Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York...
-
AqueductAqueduct Racetrack, known as the Big A, is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in the neighborhood of Ozone Park in the New York City borough of Queens.-History:...
and
Belmont ParkBelmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in the hamlet of Elmont, New York, in Nassau County, Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead...
- there are three separate tracks in the main course at Saratoga: a main (dirt) track, which, like that at Aqueduct, has a 1 1/8 mile (1,811 m) circumference; a 1 mile plus 98 feet long outer
turfGrasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns...
track known officially as the Mellon Turf Course, in honor of the Mellon family, whose members include prominent Thoroughbred owner/breeder
Paul MellonPaul Mellon KBE was an American philanthropist, thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder. He is one of only five people ever designated an "Exemplar of Racing" by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame...
and his father Andrew Mellon, a former
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Treasury Secretary, and an inner turf track, the circumference of which is 26 feet (7.9 m) shorter than 7½
furlongA furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units. It is equal to one-eighth of a mile, 220 yards, 660 feet, 201.168 meters, or 10 chains.Five furlongs are approximately 1 kilometer...
s (1,509 m).
SteeplechaseThe steeplechase is a form of horse racing and derives its name from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple, jumping fences and ditches and generally traversing the many intervening obstacles in the countryside...
races are also run at Saratoga and may take place on either of the aforementioned turf courses, depending on the distance of the race. Additionally, there is the Oklahoma Track, which is about 1/3 mile from the main course, and is used for warmups and training. Oklahoma Track was the original track used for racing from 1863 until 1909, when the currently-used grandstand track was opened.
A former distinctive feature of Saratoga's dirt track was the Wilson Mile
chuteIn horse racing, the term chute refers to an extended path increasing the length of a straight portion of a racecourse, particularly an oval-shaped one, allowing races of a specified distance to start at a location other than on one of the turns....
, which branched off from the clubhouse (first) turn at a 90 degree angle. After the 1971 meeting, its use was suspended; following a brief resumption during the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was dismantled, leaving no distance available for dirt races at one mile. A similarly-designed chute is still in use at Ellis Park Racecourse, a racetrack in
KentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. Kentucky is a Southern state situated in the Upland South, although the state is infrequently placed, geographically and culturally, in the Midwest. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a...
, and is the only such chute of its kind that can be found at any North American track today.
Saratoga Race Course is rich with tradition. A lake in the middle of the track contains a canoe that is painted annually in the colors of the winning stable for that year's Travers Stakes winner. Also, prior to each race a bell is hand rung at exactly 17 minutes prior to scheduled post time for each race.
A new addition in recent years has been "twilight racing", where the first race post time is at 2:45 PM. After its introduction in 2006, it was expanded to the first and last Friday of the meet.
Racing
The following are Graded stakes raceA graded stakes race is a term applied by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
s run at Saratoga:
Grade I Stakes races:
- Alabama Stakes
The Alabama Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies. Inaugurated in 1872, the Grade I race is run over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the dirt track at Saratoga Race Course. Held in mid August, it currently offers a purse of $600,000.The Alabama...
- Ballerina Handicap
The Ballerina Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race. The Grade I event is contested each year during the last week of August at Saratoga Race Course and is open to fillies and mares, ages three and up...
- Diana Handicap
The Diana Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race. Named for the mythological goddess Diana, the race is run each year at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Inaugurated in 1939, it is open to fillies and mares age three and up willing to race the one and one-eighth miles on...
- Forego Handicap
The Forego Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to horses three years old and up, it is run at a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt...
- Go For Wand Handicap
The Go For Wand Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race established in 1954 for fillies and mares age three and up. Raced at the end of July/early August, it is a Grade I race on dirt at a distance of one and one-eighth miles ....
- Hopeful Stakes
The Hopeful Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old horses, the Hopeful is the first Grade I stakes for two-year-olds each season and historically has been a showcase for some of the top East Coast horses...
- King's Bishop Stakes
The King's Bishop Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is open to three-year-olds willing to sprint seven furlongs on dirt. The race is a Grade I event and carries a purse of $250,000...
- Personal Ensign Handicap
The Personal Ensign Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the third week of August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to fillies and Mares age three and older, it is contested at a distance of one and one-quarter miles on dirt .Since...
- Spinaway Stakes
The Spinaway Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old fillies, it is a Grade I event contested at a distance of seven furlongs on dirt...
- Sword Dancer Handicap
- Test Stakes
The Test Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies and run each summer at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is contested at a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt and is an influential race in shaping the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint...
- Travers Stakes
The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.First held in 1864, it was named for William R. Travers, the president of the old Saratoga Racing Association. His horse, Kentucky, won the first running of the Travers...
- Whitney Handicap
The Whitney Handicap is an American Grade 1 handicap race for Thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and older run at a distance of 1 1/8 miles. In 2007, the Breeders' Cup Ltd...
- Woodward Stakes
The Woodward Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race and is one of the premier races for older thoroughbred horses in the United States. Named for prominent racehorse owner, William Woodward, Sr., it is run at 1⅛ miles on the dirt for a purse of $750,000.The Woodward was run as a handicap in...
Grade II Stakes races:
- Adirondack Breeders' Cup Stakes
- Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap
The Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually near the end of July at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. A Grade II event open to horses age three and older, it is a six furlong sprint raced on dirt....
- Amsterdam Stakes
The Amsterdam Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the end of July at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to three-year-old horses, it is a sprint race competed over a distance of 6½ furlongs...
- Ballston Spa Handicap
- Bernard Baruch Handicap
The Bernard Baruch Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early to mid August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is for three year olds and up willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the turf and carries a purse of $200,000...
- Fourstardave Handicap
The Fourstardave Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Grade II race is open to horses, age three and up, willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the turf...
- Honorable Miss Handicap
The Honorable Miss Handicapis an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Grade II event is open to fillies and mares, age three and up, willing to race six furlongs on the dirt....
- Jim Dandy Stakes
The Jim Dandy Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race. The Grade II race has been held annually since 1964 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is open to horses age three, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. It carries a purse of $500,000. Prior...
- Lake George Stakes
The Lake George Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is open to three-year-old fillies and run at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the turf...
- Lake Placid Handicap
The Lake Placid Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is run at a distance of one and one-eighths miles on the turf and is open to three-year-old fillies and carries a purse of $150,000...
- National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Handicap
The National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race set at a distance of one and one-eighths miles on the turf at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. A Grade II event, it's open to three-year-olds of either gender, and carries a purse of...
- Sanford Stakes
The Sanford Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the third week of July at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. A six furlong sprint race, the Grade II event is open to two-year-old horses....
- Saratoga Special Stakes
The Saratoga Special Stakes is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is for two-year-olds willing to race six and a half furlongs on the dirt....
Grade III Stakes races:
- Glens Falls Handicap
The Glens Falls Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to fillies and mares age three and older, it is run at a distance of one and three-eighths miles on the turf. A Grade III event, it offers a purse of $100,000...
- Saranac Stakes
- Schuylerville Stakes
The Schuylerville Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old fillies, it is contested at a distance of six furlongs on dirt. A Grade III event, it offers a purse of $100,000...
- Victory Ride Stakes
The Victory Ride Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year old fillies run at a distance of six furlongs on the dirt at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York...
- With Anticipation Stakes
The With Anticipation Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually near the end of August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. A Grade III event raced on turf at a distance of one mile, it is open to two-year-old horses....
Ungraded stakes
- De La Rose Stakes
The De La Rose Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late July/early August since 2004 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. A ungraded stakes race, it is open to fillies and mares, 4-years-old and up...
- The Saratoga Dew
The Saratoga Dew Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at the end of August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York...
- Union Avenue Stakes
The Union Avenue is an American ungraded Thoroughbred horse race race run annually at Saratoga Race Course. The race is restricted to fillies and mares 3-years-old and up who were bred in the State of New York...
- Funny Cide Stakes
The Funny Cide Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for horses three-years-old and up bred in New York, approved by the New York State-Bred Registry, and run at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York...
Steeplechase:
- New York Turf Writers Cup Handicap (Grade I)
- A. P. Smithwick Memorial Handicap (Grade II)
Burials
Buried at Claire Court are
FourstardaveFourstardave was an American Thoroughbred racehorse.Fans called him "The Sultan of Saratoga" because he'd won at least one race at Saratoga Race Course each year from 1987 to 1994. He died of a heart attack in October of 2002 at the age of 17 on the Belmont Park track yet is buried in Claire Court...
, Mourjane (IRE) and A Phenomenon. Champion filly
Go For WandGo For Wand was a champion American thoroughbred racehorse.Sired by Canadian Hall of Famer Deputy Minister, out of Obeah . Go For Wand was foaled and raised at Christiana Stables. She was a rising star of racehorses, particularly fillies...
, who suffered a fatal injury during the stretch run of the 1990 Breeders Cup Distaff, is buried in the Saratoga infield.
TV Personalites
- Harvey Pack (1995-1999)
- Paul Corman (1995-1999)
- John Veitch
John Veitch , Scottish poet, philosopher, and historian, son of a Peninsular veteran, was born at Peebles, and educated at Edinburgh University....
(1995-1999)
- John Imbriale (1995-2005)
- Jan Rushton (1995-2009)
- Jason Blewitt (2006-present)
- Eric Donovan (2006-present)
- Andy Serling (2008-present)
- Rich McCarthy (1995-1999)
- Mike Watchmaker (1995-1999)
- Michael Sherack (1997-2000)
- Kelly Gecewicz (2000-2005)
- Mary Ryan
Mary Ryan may refer to:* Mary Ryan , Irish Fianna Fáil TD for Tipperary 1944–1961* Mary Ryan , a character from both the Fatal Fury and King of Fighters series of computer games...
(1995-1999)
External links
Other reading
- Heller, Bill
Dr. Harold William "Bill" Heller is a Florida educator and Democratic politician who serves as the state representative for District 52 in Pinellas County Florida. He was first elected to the Legislature in 2006 and was re-elected in 2008. Before entering politics, he had a long history of...
. Saratoga Tales: Great Horses, Fearless Jockeys, Shocking Upsets and Incredible Blunders at America's Legendary Race Track (2004) Whitston Publishing Company ISBN 978-0878755516