Saratoga Horse Racing

Saratoga was the first official venue for horse racing in the United States, and according to many, is still the best. Whatever your opinion about the relative merits of the Saratoga Springs racing track, there is no denying that all other thoroughbred horse racing tracks owe their existence to it. Founded in 1864, it recently marked its 135th season of racing, a nearly uninterrupted string of thrilling meets and satisfied fans.

Nicknamed the Spa, the Saratoga facility is a 350-acre space with room for up to 18,000 spectators. It shares many design features with its sister tracks, Belmont and Aqueduct, which are both also operated by the New York Racing Association. There are three parts to the track: a 1 1/8-mile main track, an outer turf course just over a mile long, and a shorter, inner turf course.

The premier race at Saratoga is the Travers Stakes, the oldest thoroughbred race of them all. The highlight of the summer, this is a Grade 1 Stakes race, limited to three-year-olds. The purse is substantial, and now exceeds a half million dollars. As such, the competition is intense, and spectators are privileged to see the best horses give it their all before a frenzied crowd.

Among the many interesting quirks of the Saratoga horse racing track is its reputation as the “Graveyard of Favorites.” This colorful moniker stems from some stunning upsets that have taken place there. The famed Man O’ War saw his only defeat in 21 starts at Saratoga, and equally surprising was the loss of Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox to a 100-1 underdog called “Jim Dandy” in the 1930 Travers Stakes.

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