The Very Best of Saratoga Racing

Saratoga Race Course in New York is one of America’s oldest horse racing venues. Having been around for over 150 years, Saratoga came into existence after the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, which saw Union and Confederate forces battle during the American Civil War. A month after the war, a horse racing meet was held at Saratoga over four days, and thus was the beginning of the Saratoga Race Course.

The course holds live racing six days a week over the course of 40 days. It’s immensely popular, with thousands of people turning out to watch over the summer season. With the course capable of holding 70,000 people, there is always a great atmosphere, especially for big races such as the Travers Stakes. The Travers is the main pull, a thoroughbred race for 3-year-olds. The track is highly regarded around the world, with many fans marking it down as a must-visit. This view is underlined by all of the major online sports betting operators like Sportingbet that often cover races from this track.

The racing schedule is currently well underway, with the $1.25 Million Travers approaching next weekend, and this will draw in huge crowds, as it does every year. The Travers Day, or Travers Festival, as it’s also sometimes known, is the most popular day during the entire racing schedule at Saratoga, with the Travers Stakes dating back as far as 1864. Also known as the “Mid-Summer Derby,” the Travers Stakes is a Grade 1 event held on the last Saturday in August every year.

There have been some very popular winners at Saratoga. In 1941, Whirlaway became the only horse to ever win both the Triple Crown and the Travers. In 1962, Jaipur won a fiercely-fought race by a nose against Ridan, setting a new course record at the time. We saw Triple Crown winner American Pharoah upset by Keen Ice in 2015, and just last year, we saw the greatest performance ever in the Travers when the mighty Arrogate won, setting a new record time in the process.

Saratoga Race Course is certainly one to put on your bucket list. A great summer schedule of racing combined with a historic, family friendly atmosphere is not to be missed.