Monday, August 6, 2012
Contact: Dan Silver
Mark Bardack or Caitlin Merrill
mbardack@edlewi.com or cmerrill@edlewi.com
WHAT'S HAPPENING: WEEK #4 AT SARATOGA RACE COURSE
WHAT: Week #4 of Saratoga Race Course
WHEN: Wednesday, August 8 – Monday, August 13
WHERE: Saratoga Race Course and various locations in Saratoga Springs
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8
· Battle of Saratoga Handicapping Challenge: The highly successful Battle of Saratoga Handicapping Challenge will return on Wednesday, August 8 and Thursday, August 9. One hundred and fifty players will be invited to compete in the handicapping contest in the At the Rail Tent for the chance to win $100,000 and a trip to the Daily Racing Form/NTRA Las Vegas National Handicapping Tournament. Registration is closed; no walk-in reservations will be taken.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 9
· 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. At a minimum, 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, the Times Union Trackside Breakfast features the new à la carte menu and the customary breakfast buffet.
· "An Evening with Mo" at Siro's Trattoria at the Lodge: Siro's Trattoria at the Lodge will welcome Mariano Rivera for a special fundraising event to support the Mariano Rivera Foundation at 6:30 p.m. The exclusive evening will include a plated dinner and a casual conversation with Rivera. Attendees will also receive a signed baseball and have their photograph taken with the 12-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion. The event will benefit the Mariano Rivera Foundation, which addresses children's needs through programs that focus on education, health and wellness. Tickets are available for $500 per person. To purchase tickets, call 516-355-4514.
· "At the Post Live: Serling on Saratoga": NYRA broadcast analyst and nationally recognized thoroughbred racing personality Andy Serling will host his live weekly broadcast on ESPN Radio 104.5 "The Team" at Hattie's Restaurant in downtown Saratoga Springs from 9 to 10 p.m. Serling will offer 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 10
· Mariano Rivera at Saratoga Race Course: Saratoga Race Course will host arguably the greatest closer in baseball history when Mariano Rivera visits the Spa for a series of events. NYRA will name the third race "The Spa Welcomes Mo!" in honor of Rivera, who will appear in the winner's circle to address the crowd and present the trophy for his eponymous race. The race will go to post shortly after 2 p.m. Rivera will also meet Saratoga's top jockeys in the paddock for a photo opportunity during the day and will spend the afternoon watching the races from the venerable Spa.
· National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame: Saratoga's feature race is the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame for 3-year-olds on the turf. It will follow the induction ceremony for the class of 2012 into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame. This year's inductees are jockey John Velazquez; trainers Roger Attfield and Robert Wheeler; and thoroughbred Ghostzapper. The ceremony will be held at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion at 10:30 a.m. The ceremony is free and open to the public.
· Hall of Fame Autograph Signing: Saratoga Race Course will host an autograph session with various Hall of Fame personalities on-track next to the Jockey Silks Room from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Racing fans will have the opportunity to get autographs from a number of Hall of Fame jockeys and trainers, including Chris McCarron, Janet Elliot, Carl Nafzger, Randy Romero, Ron Turcotte, Eddie Maple, Roger Attfield and Jose Santos.
· Family Fun Friday: Friday marks the meet's fourth Family Fun Friday – an all-new attraction for the 2012 season. The family festivals are 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 Let's Make Bubbles interactive exhibit from the Scotia-Glenville Traveling Children's Museum, which includes a variety of bubble-makers and everything it takes to fill the air with shimmering spheres of all imaginable sizes.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 11
· Ron Turcotte Autograph Signing: Hall of Fame jockey Ron Turcotte, the famed rider of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, will host an autograph signing in front of the Jockey Silks Room on both Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Memorabilia will be available for Turcotte to sign. All proceeds will benefit The Secretariat Foundation, which provides grant funding to thoroughbred retirement programs as well as the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. NYRA will also name a race in honor of The Secretariat Foundation on Saturday.
· Fourstardave: The day's feature race is the Grade 2 Fourstardave for 3-year-olds and up at a mile on the turf.
· 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 12
· Saratoga Picnic Mat Giveaway: Saratoga Race Course patrons can pick up the second giveaway of the season: a free Saratoga picnic mat, with paid admission, while supplies last.
· The Saratoga Special and Adirondack: The day belongs to the 2-year-olds with a pair of graded stakes: the Grade 2 Saratoga Special for 2-year-olds and Grade 2 Adirondack for 2-year-old fillies.
MONDAY, AUGUST 13
· 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 8 and 13 will receive two tickets for lunch in the Carousel Restaurant at Saratoga Race Course.
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