WHAT'S HAPPENING AT SARATOGA, AUGUST 18-24

**Please see attached photo of Sunday’s giveaway, the Saratoga umbrella**

 

Monday, August 16, 2010

 

Contact: Dan Silver

dsilver@nyrainc.com

 

Mark Bardack or Caitlin Merrill

mbardack@edlewi.com or cmerrill@edlewi.com

 

                                                                                       

WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK AT SARATOGA

 

 

WHEN:           Wednesday, August 18 – Tuesday, August 24

 

WHERE:        Saratoga Race Course and other locations in Saratoga Springs

 

 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18

·        Thoroughbred Retirement Awareness Day: The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is hosting a day dedicated to the equine stars, which will feature an on-track dressage routine by ESPN’s Jeannine Edwards and donations to horse retirement and rescue organizations. Edwards will team up with her dressage horse Ashkal Way to perform for the crowd at 12:35 p.m. Ashkal Way, an 8-year-old gelding, won the Grade 2 Bernard Baruch at Saratoga in 2006. In addition to the on-track activities, NYRA will donate $5,000 to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF), Old Friends, and the Exceller Fund. To raise awareness of horse retirement, various rescue organizations will be handing out informational flyers and collecting donations in the community outreach booth in front of the jockey silks room.

 

THURSDAY, AUGUST 19

·        $100,000 Guaranteed Thursday Pick 6: As part of a series of three different guaranteed wagers for the 2010 meet, NYRA will offer a $100,000 Guaranteed Thursday Pick 6. This is a $2 minimum wager in which the bettor must correctly select the winners of six consecutive races.

 

·        The Serling Syndicate: Four lucky horseplayers will get a chance to partner with professional handicapper Andy Serling in a $2,000 Pick 6 at Saratoga Race Course. Limited to the first 10,000 entries, the four syndicate players will be selected by drawing to earn a share of Serling’s Pick 6 play that afternoon. Entry tickets will be distributed at the turnstiles on Thursday and must be deposited at one of three locations – The Post, home to Blue Smoke, Shake Shack, and the Paddock Bar; the Grandstand Information Booth; and the Clubhouse Information Booth – by 1:30 p.m. Contestants must be 21 or older and must be present to play the Serling Syndicate Contest, with any winnings to be split four ways. Serling, the popular TV analyst for NYRA, also tweets his selections to more than 2,200 followers on his Twitter feed, Twitter.com/andyserling, part of a vast library of online offerings by NYRA.

 

·        A Tribute to John Salerno - The Singing Waiter: The third race of the day will pay tribute to Saratoga Race Course fixture John Salerno, who passed away at the age of 87 in November 2009. Known as “The Singing Waiter”, Salerno spent more than two decades bringing joy to Saratoga patrons by performing surprise impromptu songs and accompanying Saratoga Race Course’s favorite jazz band Reggie’s Red Hot Feetwarmers. Following the race, Salerno’s family members will be presented with a commemorative plaque in honor of his dedication to Saratoga Race Course.

 

·        The West Point Stakes: The running of the day’s $100,000 stakes race for three-year olds and up will be accompanied by a special appearance on-track by cadets from the U.S. Military Academy, who will perform the national anthem in the winner’s circle before the day’s first race. The cadets will join Friends of Ulysses S. Grant Cottage President Lance Ingmire to present the trophy for the West Point Stakes. President Grant graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and spent the last six weeks of his life writing his memoires at Grant Cottage in nearby Wilton on Mount McGregor.

 

·        Thoroughbred Thursdays at The Post: Thoroughbred enthusiasts can enjoy drinks alongside some of the industry’s most popular figures with weekly celebrity meet-ups Thursday evenings at The Post. Talking Horses host and expert handicapper Andy Serling will meet fans on Thursday, August 19 after racing.  

 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20

·        Fabulous Fillies Day: Celebrate women and the glamour they bring to Saratoga Race Course with a special day dedicated to the ladies. The day will feature a number of special events and activities designed to honor women of the thoroughbred industry while raising funds to support The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). 

 

The first 25,000 fans through the admission gates will each receive a pink breast cancer support bracelet, courtesy of BCRF.

 

The day will begin when breast cancer survivors and supporters are invited to gather in the Paddock for a Pink Parade at 11 a.m. Last year’s leading trainer at Saratoga, Linda Rice, will be honored for her achievement in becoming the first woman to win the title at a major race meet.

 

The day’s card will feature a complete lineup of filly and mare overnight races in concert with the day’s theme. In each race, the horses will wear pink saddle towels and grooms will be outfitted in pink jackets. Participating horsemen and jockeys have pledged to donate a portion of their purse earnings from the day to support BCRF.

 

The recently crowned Miss New York will collect donations to support BCRF, while fans can bid on various silent auctions items, including a Judith Ripka set of earrings from Northeastern Fine Jewelry, to support the country’s leading organization dedicated to breast cancer research.

 

Saratoga Race Course will also host the annual B95.5 Women’s Expo in the backyard, while the day’s sponsors, Betfair TVG, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NYTHA), and NYRA will present BCRF with a combined donation of $25,000.

 

·        The Gift of Life Foundation Benefit Reception: The Rotary Clubs of District 7190 welcome Capital Region residents and visitors to enjoy a special evening while supporting international medical philanthropy efforts during a first-time fundraiser to benefit The Gift of Life Foundation. The cocktail reception and silent auction will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Man O’ War Terrace at the newly renovated Fasig-Tipton Humphrey S. Finney Sales Pavilion in Saratoga Springs. The Rotary International-affiliated Gift of Life Foundation was founded in an effort to raise funds to provide life-sustaining medical treatment to children across the globe suffering from congenital heart defects and other similar or allied illnesses. Tickets to the cocktail reception and silent auction are $200 for individuals; $350 for couples and may be purchased by contacting Audrey Harding at 516-642-5295.

 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21

·        The Travers Festival: For the 15^th consecutive year, the Travers Festival returns to Saratoga and the Greater Capital Region in anticipation of one of the highlights of the summer: the Grade 1, $1 million Travers Stakes, the oldest major stakes race in the country for 3-year olds. Presented by the New York Lottery, the Travers Festival kicks off on Saturday, August 21 and continues through Sunday, August 29. For a complete listing of Travers Festival events visit www.nyra.com/saratogaevents.

 

·        The Betfair TVG Alabama: The Travers Festival gets underway at Saratoga Race Course with the Grade 1, $500,000 Betfair TVG Alabama for three-year-old fillies. The Betfair TVG Alabama is expected to feature a showdown between Grade 1 Mother Goose and Betfair TVG Coaching Club American Oaks winner Devil May Care and Kentucky Oaks winner Blind Luck in a defining battle for supremacy in the 3-year-old filly division.

 

·        Guaranteed Saturday Pick 4: NYRA will offer the second of three guaranteed wagers during the 2010 Saratoga Meet on Saturday: a $500,000 Guaranteed Late Pick 4. This is a $1 minimum wager in which the bettor must correctly pick the winners of four consecutive races.

 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22

·        Saratoga Umbrella Giveaway: The perfect way to stay stylish during a summer rain shower, fans can pick up a black Saratoga umbrella, free with paid admission, while supplies last.

 

·        Travers 1864 Restaurant Week: Nearly 40 area restaurants and eateries will offer special pricing and menus in celebration of the Travers Stakes through participation in the first-ever “Travers 1864 Restaurant Week”. During the five-day event from Sunday, August 22 through Thursday, August 26, diners have the opportunity to indulge in a three-course meal for the prix-fixe cost of $18.64, the year of the inaugural running of the Travers -- the oldest major stakes race in the country for 3-year-olds. For a complete list of participating restaurants and to view the prix-fixe menus, please visit http://www.nyra.com/Saratoga/RestaurantWeek.shtml.

 

·        The Woodford Reserve Lake Placid: The day’s feature race is the Grade 2, $150,000 Woodford Reserve Lake Placid for 3-year-old fillies at nine furlongs on the turf.

 

MONDAY, AUGUST 23

·        Dunkin’ Donuts Mondays: Dunkin’ Donuts will guide racing fans throughout the 40-day meet as the title sponsor of the time-honored Daily Double wagering tradition. The new Dunkin’ Donuts Daily Double will be offered on both the early and late doubles each day at Saratoga Race Course. Dunkin’ Donuts customers and racing fans will also receive a number of extra perks on Mondays. All fans who present their Dunkin’ Donuts rechargeable card at the track admission gates on Mondays will receive $2 off the price of grandstand admission.

 

·        Jockey Autograph Book Mondays: Racing fans will have their pen ready for the meet’s popular Jockey Autograph Book giveaway. The first 3,500 patrons through the gates with paid admission will receive the collector’s book, in which fans can gather the signatures of their favorite jockeys. Sponsored by Price Chopper, the autograph books will be available each Monday (excluding Labor Day).

 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 24

·        10^th Annual New York Racing Association Charity Golf Tournament: While the track goes dark, visitors can pick up their clubs and tee off at the annual NYRA Charity Golf Tournament to benefit the Grayson Jockey Club Research Foundation at Saratoga National Golf Club. Registration and lunch begin at noon. The afternoon of golf will conclude with a cocktail reception, buffet dinner and awards presentation for the top performing foursomes and individuals. For more information, contact Jenifer van Delnse at 518-226-0609.

 

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Mark Bardack or Caitlin Merrill

Ed Lewi Associates • 6 Chelsea Place • Clifton Park, NY 12065

ELA Main Office: (518) 383-6183 • FAX (518) 383-6755 (Mon. – Fri., 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.)

Saratoga Race Course Office: (518) 584-6200, x 4233, or 4739 (Wed. – Mon., 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.)

Weekend Numbers: M. Bardack Cell (518) 867-7943, or C. Merrill Cell (518) 867-2440