Monday, August 9, 2010
Contact: Dan Silver
Mark Bardack or Caitlin Merrill
mbardack@edlewi.com or cmerrill@edlewi.com
WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEK AT SARATOGA
WHAT: Week #4 at Saratoga Race Course
WHEN: Tuesday, August 10 – Tuesday, August 17
WHERE: Saratoga Race Course and other locations in Saratoga Springs
TUESDAY, AUGUST 10
· Travers Reserved Picnic Tables: Racing fans will have the opportunity to register at no cost for the right to purchase a reserved picnic table in the backyard at Saratoga Race Course on Travers Day, Saturday, August 28. Fifty (50) registrants will be randomly selected from all eligible entries for the option to purchase one of the designated picnic tables, which will be located in a special reserved premium section adjacent to the Paddock and Big Red Spring. The reserved tables will be available for purchase for $100. All proceeds benefit the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.
Fans can sign up at www.nyra.com through Saturday, August 14 at 6 p.m. Contest winners will be randomly selected and will be notified via email on Sunday, August 15. Those selected will have until Thursday, August 19 at noon to exercise the right to purchase a reserved picnic table on Travers Day. Reserved tables can be claimed on Travers Day from 7 a.m. until noon at the Reserved Seating Office, located at Gate A, on Union Avenue.
Tables are strictly limited to a maximum of six people. No additional chairs, tables or pop-up tents will be permitted in the reserved area. Table price does not include the cost of general admission. Tables cannot be transferred or resold. Limit one entry per household. For more information about the "Travers Tables" advance online reservation initiative and a complete set of rules and regulations, please visit www.nyra.com.
· Vision: A Look at Life Behind the Scenes: See horse racing from a different perspective at a special art exhibit showcasing new photographs in the collection Estamos Aqui. The collection, which documents the lives of Latino immigrants living and working in Saratoga Springs, will be on display at Saratoga Race Course during a reception held in conjunction with the Saratoga Economic Opportunity Council from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The evening will feature light fare, drinks and entertainment. Tickets are available for $45 with proceeds to benefit the Saratoga Economic Opportunity Council's Latino Community Advocacy Program. To purchase tickets or for more information, please call 518-587-3158.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 12
· $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.
· Thoroughbred Thursdays at The Post: Thoroughbred enthusiasts can enjoy drinks after racing alongside some of the industry's most popular figures with weekly celebrity meet-ups Thursday evenings at The Post, Saratoga's newest hospitality area that includes The Paddock Bar. Saratoga staple Sammy the Bugler will kick-off Thoroughbred Thursdays on Thursday evening after racing.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 13
· Friday the 13th Festivities: Halloween comes early as Saratoga Race Course celebrates Friday the 13th with a number of frightfully fun activities and entertainment for track guests. The highlight of the Halloween-themed day will be a special trackside children's costume parade. Children are encouraged to don their favorite costume and show off their Halloween-best in the procession. Participants will gather at the Big Red Spring at 12:15 p.m. before making their way through the backyard and then down the track apron from the top of the stretch to the winner's circle. Prizes will be awarded to the best costume.
Children are also invited to trick-or-treat during the afternoon at some of the track's most famous landmarks, including the Big Red Spring, Jockey Silks Room, the Bandstand, and at the Spa's newest culinary hot spot, The Post.
Track patrons will receive a ghoulish dose of entertainment with a special reenactment of the iconic dance routine featured in Michael Jackson's 1980s hit music video Thriller. Performed by a group of dancers organized by local choreographer Abby Todd, the routine will be staged after the day's second race on the track apron.
Families and children are also invited to visit the Ballston Spa National Bank Family Fun Zone, which will feature a number of family-friendly activities, including spirited hair and makeup designs from SNIPITS, face painting and arts and crafts from the Children's Museum of Saratoga, inflatable bounce houses from Maui PlayCare, and meet and greets with some of the Capital Region's most beloved sports mascots and costumed characters.
· The National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes: Saratoga's feature race is the Grade 2, $150,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame for 3-year-olds on the turf at nine furlongs. The stakes will follow the induction ceremony for the class of 2010 into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame. This year's inductees are jockey Randy Romero and horses Azeri, Best Pal and Point Given.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 14
· The Sword Dancer Invitational: The sport's top older turf horses do battle in the Grade 1, $500,000 Sword Dancer for 3-year-olds and up on the turf at 1 ½ miles.
· 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 15
· The Adirondack: The day's feature race is the Grade 2, $150,000 Adirondack for 2-year-old fillies at 6 ½ furlongs.
MONDAY, AUGUST 16
· 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. Additionally, each Monday three Post Parade program books sold on track will feature a commemorative Dunkin' Donuts 60th birthday sticker on the Dunkin' Donuts advertisement. The lucky program book recipients will each receive a Dunkin' Donuts gift card worth $60 in honor of Dunkin's 60th birthday.
· 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. This year's book features the top 12 jockeys from 2009, eight additional jockeys representing the NYRA colony and fan-favorite Sam the Bugler with photos, graphics, statistics and room for autographs. Sponsored by Price Chopper, the autograph books will be available each Monday (excluding Labor Day).
· The Saratoga Special: The day's feature race is the Grade 2, $150,000 Saratoga Special for 2-year-olds at 6 ½ furlongs.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 17
· "Golf with the Jockeys" Saratoga Golf Tournament: The Saratoga Lake Golf Club will be host to the second annual "Golf with the Jockeys" Saratoga Golf Tournament, which benefits The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. The day begins with registration and a continental breakfast at 9:30 a.m. followed by a shotgun start and scramble format tournament and lunch on the course. Following the golf outing, participants are invited to attend a buffet dinner and awards banquet. Jockey Richard Migliore will receive a special honor during the awards ceremony. For more information, please contact John J. Steve at 518-379-6251.
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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
