Monday, July 30, 2012
Contact: Dan Silver
Mark Bardack or Caitlin Merrill
mbardack@edlewi.com or cmerrill@edlewi.com
WHAT'S HAPPENING: WEEK #3 AT SARATOGA RACE COURSE
WHAT: Week #3 of Saratoga Race Course
WHEN: Thursday, August 2 – Monday, August 6
WHERE: Saratoga Race Course and various locations in Saratoga Springs
THURSDAY, AUGUST 2
· Times Union Trackside Breakfast with the Jockeys: Fans are invited to share a special morning with their favorite jockeys at the Times Union Trackside Breakfast each Thursday between 8 and 9 a.m. One Saratoga jockey will appear at breakfast on the porch at Saratoga Race Course to greet fans, take photos and sign autographs. Served on the porch of the Clubhouse overlooking the morning workouts of the thoroughbreds on the main track, the Times Union Trackside Breakfast features the new à la carte menu and the customary breakfast buffet.
· Mid-Summer St. Patrick's Day: Saratoga Race Course will bring horse racing fans a little extra luck during the fourth annual Mid-Summer St. Patrick's Day. All fans who wear green will receive free grandstand admission. The day-long celebration of Irish culture and heritage will feature traditional food and drink as well as Irish music, dance and entertainment. Fans will be encouraged to dress up their picnic displays in the backyard with Saint Patrick's Day-themed décor for the chance to win a number of prizes, courtesy of Celtic Treasures. Patrons will also have a chance to win a six-night trip to Ireland, courtesy of Celtic Tours and Aer Lingus. Local Irish favorite The McKrells will perform live in the bandstand from noon to 4 p.m. Additional Irish music will include the band Celtic Sessions in the backyard and the Fergus Begley Band at the Saratoga Beer Garden from noon to 4 p.m.
· "At the Post Live: Serling on Saratoga": NYRA broadcast analyst and nationally recognized thoroughbred racing personality Andy Serling will host the second in a series of weekly live broadcasts on ESPN Radio 104.5 "The Team" at Hattie's Restaurant in downtown Saratoga Springs from 9 to 10 p.m. Serling will offer weekly tips, discuss behind the scenes information about Saratoga Race Course and interact with special guests including Hall of Fame trainers and jockeys, leading racing personalities, notable industry figures and celebrity horse racing fans. The weekly broadcasts are free and open to the public.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 3
· Family Fun Friday: Friday marks the meet's third Family Fun Friday – an all-new attraction that will stretch the length of the 2012 season. The family festivals will be held each Friday in the backyard playground area from noon to 4 p.m. The event features a variety of free family-friendly activities for all ages, including a bounce inflatable and the Tiny Tots Tea Room arts and crafts table. The week's featured activity is the Leaping Lizards and Rocking Reptiles exhibit from Children's Museum of Science and Technology (CMOST). Kids and families will have a chance to meet the cold-blooded creatures while learning about their behaviors, habitats and lifestyles.
· 2012 Travers Stakes Crown Jewel Experience: Northeastern Fine Jewelry and Keeler Motor Car Company will be on track at the Clubhouse entrance offering racing fans the chance to experience the Travers Stakes in style with the all-new 2012 Travers Stakes Crown Jewel Experience. The luxury prize package includes: Clubhouse box seating and luncheon for two on Travers Day, August 25; two-night accommodations at The Saratoga Hilton on August 24 and 25; a prepaid two-year lease of a Mercedes C250 coupe from Keeler Motor Car Company; an 18 karat pendant from the Simon G Embrace collection with a retail value of $2,200 from Northeastern Fine Jewelry; and a $100 gift card to Saratoga Springs restaurant Maestro's at the Van Dam. Individuals can enter to win by liking the Northeastern Fine Jewelry and Keeler Motor Car Company Facebook pages. Participants can then register for the contest on either of the Facebook pages through August 20. The winner will be notified in the days leading up to the Travers Stakes. No purchase is necessary; must be 18 years or older to enter.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4
· Fasig-Tipton Festival of Racing: The fourth annual Fasig-Tipton Festival of Racing will return to celebrate the rich partnership between racing and yearling sales with a variety of special events. The Festival of Racing is part of the lead up to Fasig-Tipton's pair of yearling auctions at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs. The annual festival includes the return of the "Best Turned Out Filly" contest, during which representatives from Saratoga Polo will select the most fabulously dressed lady at the track. Women may register at the Saratoga Style tent between noon and 2 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. One winner each day will receive a $100 gift certificate to the U.S. Polo Association apparel line and have the opportunity to present a trophy for a filly race. Families will also have the chance to take part in the Fasig-Tipton Graduate Trail Scavenger Hunt to locate photos of six famous Fasig-Tipton sale grads throughout the track and complete a word puzzle for the chance to win an outing at the Carousel. Entry forms will be available in the Post Parade program and at the Grandstand and Clubhouse customer service desks. Completed entries must be submitted by the fifth race. The winner will be determined through a random drawing of all correctly completed entries.
· Whitney Day: The nation's top older horses face off in Saratoga's 85th running of the Grade 1 Whitney Invitational Handicap. The blockbuster day of racing will also include the Grade 1 Prioress for three-year-old fillies. Both races will be shown on MSG+ from 5 to 6 p.m. EST.
· Guaranteed Saturday Pick 4: NYRA will offer a $500,000 Guaranteed Late Pick 4 each Saturday of the Saratoga meet -- a $1 minimum wager in which the bettor must correctly pick the winners of four consecutive races.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5
· Galloping Grapes: A New York Wine Event: Wine aficionados and thoroughbred fans will come together for the third annual "Galloping Grapes: A New York Wine Event" at Saratoga Race Course from noon to 5 p.m. The event will showcase wineries from across New York State. Guests are invited to take in a day of first-class wine and racing as they sip and sample their way around a designated section of the backyard. The first 500 guests will receive a commemorative Saratoga Race Course wine glass with their paid admission. Advance tickets are available for $20; tickets will be available day of the event on track for $25. Advance tickets may be purchased at http://gallopinggrapes.eventbrite.com/. Tickets to the Galloping Grapes wine festival are purchased separately from the cost of admission to Saratoga Race Course. All proceeds benefit the Times Union Hope Fund and the Times Union Classroom Enrichment Program.
· Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes: The Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt for older sprinters celebrates its 27th running at Saratoga Race Course. 2011 Preakness and 2012 Met Mile winner Shackleford is expected to race in the Vanderbilt
MONDAY, AUGUST 6
· Seventh Annual New York Race Track Chaplaincy Breakfast: The New York Race Track Chaplaincy will honor Anne Campbell of Dogwood Stable for her efforts in making the backstretch a great place to work and live at its Seventh Annual Breakfast at the Gideon Putnam Resort & Spa at 9:30 a.m. The event is co-hosted by Sharon Dominguez, wife of Eclipse-award winning jockey Ramon Dominguez, and Barbara Stevenson, a well-known local philanthropist. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Nancy Kelly at 518-226-0609 or via email at nkelly@jockeyclub.com.
· Dunkin' Donuts Mondays and the Dunkin' Donuts Daily Double: Throughout the 2012 meet, Dunkin' Donuts customers and racing fans will receive an extra perk 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. For the third year in a row, Dunkin' Donuts will guide racing fans as the title sponsor of the time-honored Daily Double wagering tradition. The Dunkin' Donuts Daily Double will be offered on both the early and late doubles each day at Saratoga Race Course and will be featured during the popular Talking Horses broadcast on NYRA TV.
· Times Union Track Pics Photo Contest: Racing fans will have the opportunity to capture the spirit of Saratoga Race Course on camera for a chance to win prizes through the Times Union Track Pics Photo Contest. Each week of the meet, participants can submit their original photos taken at Saratoga to compete for one of several prizes. Participants may submit their photos online at www.timesunion.com/trackpics. A gallery of the best submissions will be featured online at www.timesunion.com. The photographer of the winning photo submitted between August 1 and 6 will receive two tickets to the Times Union Trackside Breakfast and a $25 Dunkin' Donuts gift card.
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