Saratoga Race Course facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Saratoga Race Course

Gate A entrance to the race course
Location	Saratoga Springs, New York, U.S.
Coordinates	43°04′18″N 73°46′07″W / 43.07167°N 73.76861°W / 43.07167; -73.76861
Owned by	State of New York
Operated by	New York Racing Association
Date opened	August 3, 1863 (161 years ago) (1863-08-03)
Screened on	MSG Plus (restricted to cable systems in New York City, Northern/Central New Jersey, Fairfield County, Connecticut and Northeastern Pennsylvania) Capital OTB via WXXA Channel 23.2) NYRA.com/NYRA Now app (Internet) Altitude Sports (Rocky Mountains) Fox Sports 2 Fox Sports Ohio Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket (Southern California) Fox Sports San Diego NBC Sports Network NBC Television
Course type	Flat/Thoroughbred
Notable races	Travers Stakes (G1) Whitney Handicap (G1) Alabama Stakes (G1) Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1)

Saratoga Race Course is a famous place in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It's a special track where thoroughbred horse racing happens. The track first opened in 1863. Many people think it's the oldest major sports place in the country. However, it's actually the fourth oldest horse racing track in the U.S.

When it first started, the races at Saratoga only lasted for four days. Over time, the racing season got longer. Today, the races happen for 40 days. They run five days a week, usually from mid-July until Labor Day in early September.

History of the Race Course

The main track in 1907

Dawn on the main track in 1963

Horse racing began in Saratoga Springs way back in 1847. On August 3, 1863, a man named John Morrissey organized the first thoroughbred horse race. This race took place on a track that was used for harness racing. The track we know today opened the very next year, in 1864.

Many important people helped create Saratoga Race Course. These included John Hunter, William R. Travers, John Morrissey, and Leonard Jerome. The track has been used almost every year since 1864. There were a few times it closed. For example, it closed in 1896 because of too much competition from other tracks. Also, in 1911 and 1912, racing stopped in New York because of new laws.

In 1940, the track got its first machines for betting on races. From 1943 to 1945, races were limited because of World War II. During those years, big races usually held at Saratoga moved to Belmont Park.

The late 1800s were a tough time for the Race Course. But in 1901, a group of investors led by William Collins Whitney bought it. They made big improvements and helped the track become famous again. In the 1960s, the main seating area was made bigger. This doubled the number of people who could watch the races.

In 1999, Sports Illustrated magazine called Saratoga Race Course one of the top 10 sports venues of the 20th Century.

The Graveyard of Champions

Saratoga Race Course has some fun nicknames. It's called The Spa because of the nearby mineral springs. It's also known as the House of Upsets or the Graveyard of Champions. This is because many famous racehorses have lost races here!

Here are some of the legendary horses who were defeated at Saratoga:

• Man o' War: This horse only lost one race out of 21 starts. That loss happened at Saratoga in 1919, when he was beaten by a horse named Upset.
• Gallant Fox: This horse won the Triple Crown in 1930. But he lost at Saratoga to a horse named Jim Dandy, who was a huge underdog!
• Secretariat: The 1973 Triple Crown winner was defeated by Onion in 1973.
• Rachel Alexandra: This amazing horse was named Horse of the Year in 2009. She lost at Saratoga in 2010.
• American Pharoah: This horse won the Triple Crown in 2015. He was expected to win easily at Saratoga, but he was upset by Keen Ice in 2015.

Tracks and Special Features

Race course from Union Avenue

Saratoga Race Course has three different tracks, just like other tracks run by the New York Racing Association.

• There's a main dirt track. It's about 1 and 1/8 miles (1,811 meters) around.
• There's a grass track, called the Mellon Turf Course. It's 1 mile (8 furlongs) long.
• There's also an inner grass track, which is 7 furlongs (1,408 meters) around.
• Steeplechase races, where horses jump over obstacles, also happen on the inner grass track.

Across the street from the main course is the Oklahoma Training Track. This track is used for horses to warm up and practice. There's a special viewing stand there called the Whitney Viewing Stand. It opened in 2013 and lets people watch the horses train.

Saratoga Race Course has some unique traditions. Before each race, a bell is rung by hand exactly 17 minutes before the race starts. This bell calls the jockeys to the paddock. Visitors can get close to the horses as they walk from the stables to the paddock.

There's also a natural mineral spring called the Big Red Spring in the picnic area. People can taste the special water that made Saratoga Springs famous. You'll also see a gazebo in the middle of the track. A picture of this gazebo is part of the Saratoga Race Course logo!

Important Races at Saratoga

Saratoga Race Course hosts some of the most important horse races in North America.

• Since 1864, the track has held the Travers Stakes. This is the oldest major thoroughbred horse race in the United States. It's for three-year-old horses and has a big prize of $1,250,000.
• Other big races include the Alabama Stakes (for three-year-old female horses), the Hopeful Stakes (for two-year-olds), and the Whitney Handicap (for all horses).

In recent years, they've added "twilight racing." This means some races start later in the afternoon, around 2:30 PM.

Types of Races

Many different kinds of races are held at Saratoga. They are grouped into different levels of importance, called "Grade I," "Grade II," and "Grade III" stakes races.

Grade I Stakes Races:

Grade II Stakes Races:

Grade III Stakes Races:

Ungraded Stakes Races:

Steeplechase Races:

• New York Turf Writers Cup Handicap (Grade I)
• A. P. Smithwick Memorial Handicap (Grade I)

Famous Horses Buried Here

Some famous horses are buried at the Clare Court Jogging Track at Saratoga. These include Fourstardave, Mourjane (IRE), Quick Call, and A Phenomenon. A champion female horse named Go For Wand is also buried in the middle of the Saratoga Race Course. She had a serious injury during a race in 1990.