Whitney, Travers Anchor Historic 148th Meet at Saratoga

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The historic 148th meet at Saratoga Race Course will again be highlighted by the Grade 1, $1.25 million Whitney and the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers, the centerpieces of two of the biggest days in North American racing.

The 40-day meet, which includes 69 stakes worth $18.725 million in purses, will run from Friday, July 22, through Labor Day, Monday, September 5. After opening weekend, racing will be conducted six days a week, Wednesdays through Mondays.

On Saturday, August 6, the prestigious 1 1/8-mile Whitney will pair with the Grade 1, $500,000 Test for 3-year-old fillies, with the Grade 3, $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya for turf fillies and mares going 1 1/2 miles rounding out the graded stakes offerings on the first “must-see” card of the meet. Also on August 6 are two additional turf stakes for fillies and mares: the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure at 1 1/16 miles and the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose at a mile.

Joining the 147th running of the Mid-Summer Derby for 3-year-olds on Saturday, August 27 will be five other Grade 1 stakes: the $1 million Longines Sword Dancer Invitational at 1 ½ miles on the turf, the $500,000 Ballerina for filly and mare sprinters, the $700,000 Priority One Jets Forego at seven furlongs, the $750,000 Ketel One King’s Bishop and the $750,000 Personal Ensign for fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles. Rounding out the blockbuster card is the Grade 2, $400,000 Woodford Reserve Ballston Sa for turf fillies and mares.

The traditional local prep for the Travers, the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy, will be held on Saturday, July 30, joined by the Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap, the Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam and the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green Handicap.

Travers Eve, Friday, August 26, will again feature the popular New York Breeders’ Showcase Day, highlighted by the $250,000 Albany for 3-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles and the $150,000 West Point presented by Trustco Bank at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

Opening Day, Friday, July 22 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 at the Spa are the Grade 3, $150,000 Sanford on Saturday, July 23; the Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special on Sunday, August 14 and the Grade 1, $350,000 Hopeful on Monday, September 5, along with their sister races: the Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack on Saturday, August 13 and the Grade 1, $350,000 Spinaway on Saturday, September 3.

Grade 1 action commences with the $500,000 Diana for turf fillies and mares on Saturday, July 23, and the $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies on Sunday, July 24. Continuing the world-class offerings are the aforementioned Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap, Whitney and Test; the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap at a mile on the turf on Saturday, August 13; Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama on Saturday, August 20, and the Travers, Sword Dancer, Personal Ensign, Forego, Ballerina and King’s Bishop on Saturday, August 27.

Closing weekend features the Grade 1, $600,000 Woodward on Saturday, September 3, with the Grade 2, $300,000 for 3-year-old fillies taking the spotlight on Sunday, September 4.

The stakes schedule for the 148th meet at Saratoga Race Course:

Friday July 22	G2 Lake George	$200,000	F3YO	1 1/16 (Turf)
	G3 Schuylerville	$150,000	F2YO	6 Furlongs (Dirt)
Saturday July 23	G3 Sanford	$150,000	2YO	6 Furlongs (Dirt)
	G1 Diana	$500,000	F&M 3&UP	1 1/8 (Turf)
Sunday July 24	G1 Coaching Club American Oaks	$300,000	F3YO	1 1/8 (Dirt)
Monday July 25	Lucky Coin	$100,000	4&UP	5 1/2 (Turf)
Wed. July 27	G2 Honorable Miss H.	$200,000	F&M 3&UP	6 Furlongs (Dirt)
Thursday July 28	John Morrissey (NYB)	$100,000	3&UP	6 1/2 (Dirt)
Friday July 29	Curlin	$100,000	3YO	1 1/8 (Dirt)
Saturday July 30	G1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt H.	$350,000	3&UP	6 Furlongs (Dirt)
	G2 Amsterdam	$200,000	3YO	6 Furlongs (Dirt)
	G2 Jim Dandy	$600,000	3YO	1 1/8 (Dirt)
	G2 Bowling Green H.	$250,000	4&UP	1 3/8 (Turf)
Sunday July 31	G3 Shuvee H.	$200,000	F&M 3&UP	1 1/8 (Dirt)
	Caress	$100,000	F&M 4&UP	5 1/2 (Turf)
Monday August 1	Coronation Cup	$100,000	F3YO	5 1/2 (Turf)
Wed. August 3	Shine Again	$100,000	F&M 3&UP	7 Furlongs (Dirt)
Thursday August 4	G1 A. P. Smithwick ‘Chase	$125,000	4&UP	2 1/16 (Turf)
	Quick Call	$100,000	3YO	5 1/2 (Turf)
Friday August 5	G2 Hall of Fame	$200,000	3YO	1 1/16 (Turf)
Saturday August 6	Fasig-Tipton De La Rose	$100,000	F&M 4&UP	1 mile (T)
	Fasig-Tipton Lure	$100,000	4&UP	1 1/16 (Turf)
	G3 Fasig-Tipton Waya	$200,000	F&M 3&UP	1 1/2 (Turf)
	G1 Whitney	$1,250,000	3&UP	1 1/8 (Dirt)
	G1 Test	$500,000	F3YO	7 Furlongs (Dirt)
Sunday August 7	Alydar	$100,000	4&UP	1 1/8 (Dirt)
Monday August 8	NYSS Cab Calloway	$100,000	3YO	1 Mile (Turf)
Wed. August 10	Birdstone	$100,000	3&UP	1 3/4 (Dirt)
Thursday August 11	NYSS Statue of Liberty	$100,000	F3YO	1 Mile (Turf)
Friday August 12	Tale of the Cat	$100,000	3&UP	6 Furlongs (Dirt)
Saturday August 13	G1 Fourstardave H.	$500,000	3&UP	1 Mile (Turf)
	G2 Adirondack	$200,000	F2YO	6 1/2 (Dirt)
Sunday August 14	G2 Saratoga Special	$200,000	2YO	6 1/2 (Dirt)
Monday August 15	Saratoga Dew (NYB)	$100,000	F&M 3&UP	1 1/8 (Dirt)
Wed. August 17	Bolton Landing	$100,000	F2YO	5 1/2 (Turf)
Thursday August 18	Union Avenue (NYB)	$100,000	F&M 3&UP	6 1/2 (Dirt)
Friday August 19	Skidmore	$100,000	2YO	5 1/2 (Turf)
Saturday August 20	Troy	$100,000	3&UP	5 1/2 (Turf)
	G1 Alabama	$600,000	F3YO	1 1/4 (Dirt)
Sunday August 21	G2 Lake Placid	$300,000	F3YO	1 1/8 (Turf)
Monday August 22	Summer Colony	$100,000	F&M 3&UP	1 1/8 (Dirt)
Wed. August 24	John’s Call	$100,000	3&UP	1 5/8 (Turf)
Thursday August 25	G1 NY Turf Writers ‘Chase	$150,000	4&UP	2 3/8 (Turf)
	Riskaverse	$100,000	F3YO	1 Mile (Turf)
Friday August 26	Albany (NYB)	$250,000	3YO	1 1/8 (Dirt)
	Fleet Indian (NYB)	$200,000	F3YO	1 1/8 (Dirt)
	Funny Cide (NYB)	$200,000	2YO	6 1/2 (Dirt)
	Seeking the Ante (NYB)	$200,000	F2YO	6 1/2 (Dirt)
	Yaddo (NYB)	$150,000	F&M 3&UP	1 1/16 (Turf)
	West Point presented by Trustco Bank	$150,000	3&UP	1 1/16 (Turf)

Saturday August 27	G1 Longines Sword Dancer	$1,000,000	3&UP	1 1/2 (Turf)
	G1 Travers	$1,250,000	3YO	1 1/4 (Dirt)
	G1 Ballerina	$500,000	F&M 3&UP	7 Furlongs (Dirt)
	G2 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa	$400,000	F&M 3&UP	1 1/16 (Turf)
	G1 Priority One Jets Forego	$700,000	3&UP	7 Furlongs (Dirt)
	G1 Personal Ensign	$750,000	F&M 3&UP	1 1/8 (Dirt)
	G1 Ketel One King’s Bishop	$500,000	3YO	7 Furlongs (Dirt)
Sunday August 28	Smart N Fancy	$100,000	F&M 3&UP	5 1/2 (Turf)
Monday August 29	Better Talk Now	$100,000	3YO	1 Mile (Turf)
Wed. August 31	G2 With Anticipation	$200,000	2YO	1 1/16 (Turf)
Thursday Sept. 1	P. G. Johnson	$100,000	F2YO	1 1/16 (Turf)
Friday Sept. 2	Evan Shipman (NYB)	$100,000	3&UP	1 1/8 (Dirt)
Saturday Sept. 3	G3 Glens Falls	$200,000	F&M 3&UP	1 3/8 (Turf)
	G3 Saranac	$300,000	3YO	1 1/8 (Turf)
	G1 Woodward	$600,000	3&UP	1 1/8 (Dirt)
	G1 Spinaway	$350,000	F2YO	7 Furlongs (Dirt)
Sunday Sept. 4	G2 Prioress	$300,000	F3YO	6 Furlongs (Dirt)
Monday Sept. 5	G1 Hopeful	$350,000	2YO	7 Furlongs (Dirt)
	G2 Bernard Baruch H.	$250,000	3&UP	1 1/16 (Turf)