SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Two of the biggest days in North American racing will highlight the historic 147th meet at Saratoga Race Course, with the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers the centerpiece of a supercharged Travers Day and the Grade 1, $1.25 million Whitney anchoring five stakes on Whitney Festival Day, Saturday, August 8.
The 40-day meet, which includes 69 stakes worth a record $18.7 million in purses, will run from Friday, July 24, through Labor Day, Monday, September 7. After opening weekend, racing will be conducted six days a week, Wednesdays through Mondays.
Joining the 146th running of the Mid-Summer Derby for 3-year-olds on Travers Day, Saturday, August 29 will be five other Grade 1 stakes, including the 1 ½-mile Sword Dancer Invitational on the turf, whose purse has been enhanced to $1 million. Also added to the card and receiving purse hikes are the $750,000, 1 1/8-mile Personal Ensign for fillies and mares and the $700,000 Forego at seven furlongs. Rounding out the stellar card are the $500,000 Ballerina for fillies and mares and the $500,000 King's Bishop, both at seven furlongs, and the Grade 2, $400,000 Ballston Spa for turf fillies and mares.
"We have made improvements to Travers Day to keep in line with the creation of our 'must-see' events," said Martin Panza, Senior Vice President of Racing Operations for the New York Racing Association. "We are developing Travers Day into a national event - a mini Breeders' Cup - by increasing the purses for the Personal Ensign and the Forego. By including the Sword Dancer and raising the purse to $1 million we hope to create international involvement in that race."
The traditional local prep for the Travers, the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy, will be held on Saturday, August 1.
The prestigious 1 1/8-mile Whitney will pair with the Grade 1, $500,000 Test for 3-year-old fillies atop the festival card, which also offers the Grade 3, $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya for turf fillies and mares going 1 1/2 miles. Also on August 8 are two additional turf stakes: the $100,000 Lure at 1 1/16 miles and the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose at a mile for fillies and mares.
Additions to the Spa stakes schedule include the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green at 1 3/8 miles on the turf on Saturday, August 1, which will serve as a prep for the Sword Dancer, and two new juvenile turf stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs: the $100,000 Bolton Landing for fillies on Wednesday, August 19, and the $100,000 Schenectady on Friday, August 21.
"Both of these 2-year-old turf stakes were created with a look ahead to the Breeders' Cup," said Panza.
A prelude to the Travers will be New York Breeders' Showcase Day, which will be moved to Friday, August 28, instead of on Sunday. The popular state-bred card will include six stakes, highlighted by the $250,000 Albany for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles.
Opening Day, Friday, July 24 will kick off with a pair of graded stakes: the Grade 3, $150,000 Schuylerville for 2-year-old fillies and the Grade 3, $200,000 Lake George for 3-year-old turf fillies. Continuing the traditional juvenile dirt stakes are the Grade 3, $150,000 Sanford on Saturday, July 25; the Grade 2, $200,000 Toyota Saratoga Special on Sunday, August 16 and the Grade 1, $350,000 Hopeful on Monday, September 7, along with their sister races: the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack on Saturday, August 15 and the Grade 1, $350,000 Spinaway on Saturday, September 5.
Grade 1 action commences with the $500,000 TVG Diana for turf fillies and mares on Saturday, July 25, and the $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies on Sunday, July 26. Continuing the world-class Grade 1 offerings are the $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap for sprinters on Saturday, August 1; the aforementioned Whitney and Test on August 8; the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama on Saturday, August 22, and the Travers, Sword Dancer, Personal Ensign, Forego, Ballerina and King's Bishop on Saturday, August 29.
Closing weekend Grade 1 features include the $600,000 Woodward for 3-year-olds and up and the Spinaway on Saturday, September 5, along with the Hopeful on Monday, September 7.
2015 Saratoga Stakes Schedule
Friday, July 24th
Schuylerville (Grade III) $150,000
Lake George (Grade II) $200,000 Fillies, Three Years Old One Mile & One-Sixteenth (Turf)
Saturday, July 25th TVG Diana (Grade I) $500,000 Fillies & Mares, Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One-Eighth (Turf)
Sanford (Grade III) $150,000 Two Year Olds Six Furlongs
Sunday, July 26th Coaching Club American Oaks (Grade I) $300,000 Fillies, Three Years Old One Mile & One-Eighth
Monday, July 27th Lucky Coin $100,000 Four Year Olds & Upward Five & One-Half Furlongs (Turf)
Wednesday, July 29th Honorable Miss (Hdcp.) (Grade II) $200,000 Fillies & Mares, Three Year Olds & Upward Six Furlongs
A.P. Smithwick Memorial (S'Chase, Grade 1) $100,000 Four Year Olds & Upward Two Miles & One Sixteenth (Turf)
Thursday July 30th John Morrissey (NYB) $100,000 Three Year Olds & Upward Six and One-Half Furlongs
Friday, July 31st Curlin $100,000 Three Year Olds One Mile & One-Eighth
Saturday, August 1st Jim Dandy (Grade II) $600,000 Three Year Olds One Mile & One Eighth
Alfred G. Vanderbilt (Hdcp.) (Grade 1) $350,000 Three Year Olds & Upward Six Furlongs
Bowling Green (Grade II) $250,000 Four Year Olds & Upward One Mile & Three Eighths (Turf)
Amsterdam (Grade II) $200,000 Three Year Olds Six Furlongs
Sunday August 2nd Shuvee Hdcp $200,000 Fillies & Mares, Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One Eighth
Caress $100,000 Fillies & Mares, Four Year Olds & Upward Five & One-Half Furlongs (Turf)
Monday August 3rd Coronation Cup $100,000 Fillies, Three Years Old Five & One-Half Furlongs (Turf)
Wednesday, August 5th Shine Again $100,000 Fillies & Mares, Three Years Old & Upward Seven Furlongs
Thursday, August 6th Quick Call $100,000 Three Year Olds Five & One-Half Furlongs (Turf)
Friday, August 7th Hall Of Fame (Grade III) $200,000 Three Year Olds One Mile & One-Sixteenth (Turf)
Whitney Festival Saturday, August 8th Whitney (Grade I) $1,250,000 Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One-Eighth
Test (Grade I) $500,000 Fillies, Three Years Old Seven Furlongs
Fasig-Tipton Waya (Grade III) $200,000 Filliese & Mares, Three Year Olds & Upwards One Mile & One-Half (Turf)
Lure $100,000 Four Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One Sixteenth (Turf)
Fasig-Tipton De La Rose $100,000 Fillies & Mares, Four Year Olds & Upward One Mile (Turf)
Sunday, August 9th Alydar $100,000 Four Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One-Eighth
Monday, August 10th Cab Calloway Division - NY Stallion Series $100,000 Three Year Olds One Mile (Turf)
Wednesday, August 12th Birdstone $100,000 Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & Three Quarters
Thursday, August 13th Statue of Liberty Division - NY Stallion Series $100,000 Fillies, Three Years Old One Mile (Turf)
Friday, August 14th Knob Creek Lake Placid (Grade II) $300,000 Fillies, Three Years Old One Mile & One Eighth (Turf)
Saturday, August 15th Fourstardave (Hdcp.) (Grade II) $500,000 Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile (Turf)
Adirondack (Grade II) $200,000 Fillies, Two Years Old Six & One-Half Furlongs
Sunday, August 16th Toyota Saratoga Special (Grade II) $200,000 Two Year Olds Six & One-Half Furlongs
Monday, August 17th Saratoga Dew (NYB) $100,000 Fillies & Mares, Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One Eighth
Wednesday, August 19th Bolton Landing $100,000 Fillies, Two Years Old Five & One-Half Furlongs (Turf)
Thursday, August 20th New York Turf Writers Cup (Grade I) $150,000 Four Year Olds & Upward Two Miles & Three-Eighths (Turf)
Union Avenue (NYB) $100,000 Fillies & Mares, Three Year Olds & Upward Six & One-Half Furlongs
Friday, August 21st Schenectady $100,000 Two Year Olds Five & One-Half Furlongs (Turf)
Saturday, August 22nd Alabama (Grade 1) $600,000 Fillies, Three Years Old One Mile & One-Quarter
Troy $100,000 Three Year Olds & Upward Five & One-Half Furlongs (Turf)
Sunday, August 23rd Lord & Taylor Tale of the Cat $100,000 Three Year Olds & Upward Six Furlongs
Monday, August 24th Summer Colony $100,000 Fillies & Mares, Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One-Eighth
Wednesday, August 26th John's Call $100,000 Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & Five-Eighths (Turf)
Thursday,August 27th Riskaverse $100,000 Fillies, Three Year Olds One Mile (Turf)
New York Breeders Showcase Day Friday, August 28th Albany (NYB) $250,000 Three Year Olds One Mile & One-Eighth
Fleet Indian (NYB) $200,000 Fillies, Three Year Olds One Mile & One-Eighth
Funny Cide (NYB) $200,000 Two Year Olds Six & One-Half Furlongs
Seeking the Ante (NYB) $200,000 Fillies, Two Years Old Six & One-Half Furlongs
West Point (NYB) $150,000 Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One-Sixteenth (Turf)
Yaddo (NYB) $150,000 Fillies & Mares, Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One-Sixteenth (Turf)
Travers Day Saturday, August 29th Travers (Grade I) $1,250,000 Three Year Olds One Mile & One-Quarter
Sword Dancer Invitational (Grade I) $1,000,000 Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One-Half (Turf)
Personal Ensign (Grade I) $750,000 Fillies & Mares, Thee Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One-Eighth
Forego (Grade I) $700,000 Three Year Olds & Upward Seven Furlongs
Ballerina (Grade I) $500,000 Fillies & Mares, Three Year Olds & Upward Seven Furlongs
King's Bishop (Grade I) $500,000 Three Year Olds Seven Furlongs
Ballston Spa (Grade II) $400,000 Fillies & Mares, Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One-Sixteenth (Turf)
Sunday, August 30th Smart N Fancy $100,000 Fillies & Mares, Three Year Olds & Upward Five Furlongs & One-Half (Turf)
Monday, August 31st Better Talk Now $100,000 Three Year Olds One Mile (Turf)
Wednesday, September 2nd With Anticipation (Grade II) $200,000 Two Year Olds One Mile & One-Sixteenth (Turf)
Thursday, September 3rd P.G. Johnson $100,000 Fillies, Two Year Olds One Mile & One-Sixteenth (Turf)
Friday, September 4th Evan Shipman (NYB) $100,000 Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One-Eighth
Saturday, September 5th The Woodward (Grade I) $600,000 Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One-Eighth
Prioress (Grade II) $300,000 Fillies, Three Years Old Six Furlongs
Saranac (Grade III) $300,000 Three Year Olds One Mile & One-Eighth (Turf)
Glens Falls (Grade III) $200,000 Fillies & Mares, Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & Three-Eighths (Turf)
Spinaway (Grade I) $350,000 Fillies, Two Year Olds Seven Furlongs
Monday September 7th Hopeful (Grade I) $350,000 Two Year Olds Seven Furlongs
Bernard Baruch (Grade II) $250,000 Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One Sixteenth (Turf)
