5/19/2009
Saratoga Preview: Spa Opens July 25
(Saratoga opens on Wednesday, July 25 for a 36-day meeting. First race post time is 1 p.m. Wednesday through Monday except on Sunset Racing Days (Friday, July 27 and Friday, August 31) when post time will be 2:45 p.m.
There is a post time of 12:45 p.m. on Travers Stakes Day, which is Saturday, August 25.
Purses for the Saratoga meeting will be in excess of $770,000 per day. That is an increase of 13% over last year's totals.
The opening day feature is the Grade 3 $100,000 Schuylerville Stakes for two-year-old fillies going six furlongs. Trainer Todd Pletcher has won three of last four runnings of the race including last year's winner Cotton Blossom.
Two-year-old colts and geldings take center stage on the second day of the meeting in the Grade 2 $150,000 Sanford Stakes. Pletcher has won three of the last seven runnings of the race. Last year's winner was Pletcher's Scat Daddy.
The highlight of the meeting will be the 138th running of the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Travers Stakes, presented by New York Lottery. The "Mid-Summer Derby" is for three-year-olds at a mile and a quarter
On Saturday, July 28, ABC-TV will televise the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney Handicap for three-year-olds and up at nine furlongs; the Grade 1, $250,000 Go for Wand for fillies and mares at nine furlongs; the Grade 1, $500,000 Diana Handicap for fillies and mares at nine furlongs on the turf and the Grade 2, $200,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt for three-year-olds and up at six furlongs during its two-hour live telecast that will begin at 4 p.m. Eastern.
The winners of those races will automatically qualify, respectively, for the Breeders' Cup Classic, Breeders' Cup Distaff, Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and Breeders' Cup Sprint.
Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches is being pointed toward the Grade 1 $600,000 Alabama Stakes, which will be run on Saturday, August 18. The race is for three-year-old fillies and contested at a mile and a quarter.
Travers Day is August 25. In addition to the "Mid Summer Derby", there are three other graded stakes on the card: the Grade 3 $100,000 Victory Ride, the Grade 1 $250,000 Kings Bishop, and the Grade 2 $200,000 Bernard Baruch.
On Saturday, September 1, the Grade 1 $500,000 Woodward and the Grade 1 $250,000 Forego Handicaps will be featured at Saratoga as the meet winds down to closing day of the meet, which is Labor Day, Monday, September 3.
Todd Pletcher led the trainer standings at the meeting last summer. The three-time Eclipse Award winning trainer won 24 races and his horses earned $2,596,696. Pletcher won 10 stakes. Richard Dutrow was second with 12 wins.
Edgar Prado won the jockey title with 46 wins from 216 mounts. Garrett Gomez was second with 42 wins and led all jockeys in money earned, his mounts earning $2,581,866. Gomez won nine stakes at the meeting last summer.
found at www.turfnsport.com/
Saratoga Preview: Spa Opens July 25
(Saratoga opens on Wednesday, July 25 for a 36-day meeting. First race post time is 1 p.m. Wednesday through Monday except on Sunset Racing Days (Friday, July 27 and Friday, August 31) when post time will be 2:45 p.m.
There is a post time of 12:45 p.m. on Travers Stakes Day, which is Saturday, August 25.
Purses for the Saratoga meeting will be in excess of $770,000 per day. That is an increase of 13% over last year's totals.
The opening day feature is the Grade 3 $100,000 Schuylerville Stakes for two-year-old fillies going six furlongs. Trainer Todd Pletcher has won three of last four runnings of the race including last year's winner Cotton Blossom.
Two-year-old colts and geldings take center stage on the second day of the meeting in the Grade 2 $150,000 Sanford Stakes. Pletcher has won three of the last seven runnings of the race. Last year's winner was Pletcher's Scat Daddy.
The highlight of the meeting will be the 138th running of the Grade 1, $1,000,000 Travers Stakes, presented by New York Lottery. The "Mid-Summer Derby" is for three-year-olds at a mile and a quarter
On Saturday, July 28, ABC-TV will televise the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney Handicap for three-year-olds and up at nine furlongs; the Grade 1, $250,000 Go for Wand for fillies and mares at nine furlongs; the Grade 1, $500,000 Diana Handicap for fillies and mares at nine furlongs on the turf and the Grade 2, $200,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt for three-year-olds and up at six furlongs during its two-hour live telecast that will begin at 4 p.m. Eastern.
The winners of those races will automatically qualify, respectively, for the Breeders' Cup Classic, Breeders' Cup Distaff, Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and Breeders' Cup Sprint.
Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches is being pointed toward the Grade 1 $600,000 Alabama Stakes, which will be run on Saturday, August 18. The race is for three-year-old fillies and contested at a mile and a quarter.
Travers Day is August 25. In addition to the "Mid Summer Derby", there are three other graded stakes on the card: the Grade 3 $100,000 Victory Ride, the Grade 1 $250,000 Kings Bishop, and the Grade 2 $200,000 Bernard Baruch.
On Saturday, September 1, the Grade 1 $500,000 Woodward and the Grade 1 $250,000 Forego Handicaps will be featured at Saratoga as the meet winds down to closing day of the meet, which is Labor Day, Monday, September 3.
Todd Pletcher led the trainer standings at the meeting last summer. The three-time Eclipse Award winning trainer won 24 races and his horses earned $2,596,696. Pletcher won 10 stakes. Richard Dutrow was second with 12 wins.
Edgar Prado won the jockey title with 46 wins from 216 mounts. Garrett Gomez was second with 42 wins and led all jockeys in money earned, his mounts earning $2,581,866. Gomez won nine stakes at the meeting last summer.
found at www.turfnsport.com/
