Enhanced Travers Day, Whitney Festival top Saratoga race schedule (with Post Times)

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.

Saratoga 2015 Post Times

2015 Saratoga Stakes Schedule
Friday, Schuylerville (Grade III) $150,000
July 24th Fillies, Two Years Old Six Furlongs
 
  Lake George (Grade II) $200,000
  Fillies, Three Years Old One Mile & One-Sixteenth (Turf)
Saturday, TVG Diana (Grade I) $500,000
July 25th Fillies & Mares, Three Year Olds & Upward    One Mile & One-Eighth (Turf)
 
  Sanford (Grade III) $150,000
  Two Year Olds Six Furlongs
Sunday, Coaching Club American Oaks (Grade I) $300,000
July 26th Fillies, Three Years Old One Mile & One-Eighth
Monday, Lucky Coin $100,000
July 27th Four Year Olds & Upward Five & One-Half Furlongs (Turf)
Wednesday, Honorable Miss (Hdcp.) (Grade II) $200,000
July 29th 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 John Morrissey (NYB) $100,000
July 30th Three Year Olds & Upward Six and One-Half Furlongs
Friday, Curlin $100,000
July 31st Three Year Olds One Mile & One-Eighth
Saturday, Jim Dandy (Grade II) $600,000
August 1st 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 Shuvee Hdcp $200,000
August 2nd 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 Coronation Cup $100,000
August 3rd Fillies, Three Years Old Five & One-Half Furlongs (Turf)
Wednesday, Shine Again $100,000
August 5th Fillies & Mares, Three Years Old & Upward Seven Furlongs
Thursday, Quick Call $100,000
August 6th Three Year Olds Five & One-Half Furlongs (Turf)
Friday, Hall Of Fame (Grade III) $200,000
August 7th Three Year Olds One Mile & One-Sixteenth (Turf)
Whitney Festival
Saturday, Whitney (Grade I) $1,250,000
August 8th 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, Alydar $100,000
August 9th Four Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One-Eighth
Monday, Cab Calloway Division – NY Stallion Series $100,000
August 10th Three Year Olds One Mile (Turf)
Wednesday, Birdstone $100,000
August 12th Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & Three Quarters
Thursday, Statue of Liberty Division – NY Stallion Series $100,000
August 13th Fillies, Three Years Old One Mile (Turf)
Friday, Knob Creek Lake Placid (Grade II) $300,000
August 14th Fillies, Three Years Old One Mile & One Eighth (Turf)
Saturday, Fourstardave (Hdcp.) (Grade II) $500,000
August 15th Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile (Turf)
 
  Adirondack (Grade II) $200,000
  Fillies, Two Years Old Six & One-Half Furlongs
Sunday, Toyota Saratoga Special (Grade II) $200,000
August 16th Two Year Olds Six & One-Half Furlongs
Monday, Saratoga Dew (NYB) $100,000
August 17th Fillies & Mares, Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One Eighth
Wednesday, Bolton Landing $100,000
August 19th Fillies, Two Years Old Five & One-Half Furlongs (Turf)
Thursday, New York Turf Writers Cup (Grade I) $150,000
August 20th 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, Schenectady $100,000
August 21st Two Year Olds Five & One-Half Furlongs (Turf)
Saturday, Alabama (Grade 1) $600,000
August 22nd Fillies, Three Years Old One Mile & One-Quarter
 
  Troy $100,000
  Three Year Olds & Upward Five & One-Half Furlongs (Turf)
Sunday, Lord & Taylor Tale of the Cat $100,000
August 23rd Three Year Olds & Upward Six Furlongs
Monday, Summer Colony $100,000
August 24th Fillies & Mares, Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One-Eighth
Wednesday, John’s Call $100,000
August 26th Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & Five-Eighths (Turf)
Thursday, Riskaverse $100,000
August 27th Fillies, Three Year Olds One Mile (Turf)
New York Breeders Showcase Day
Friday, Albany (NYB) $250,000
August 28th 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, Travers (Grade I) $1,250,000
August 29th 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, Smart N Fancy $100,000
August 30th Fillies & Mares, Three Year Olds & Upward Five Furlongs & One-Half (Turf)
Monday, Better Talk Now $100,000
August 31sst Three Year Olds One Mile (Turf)
Wednesday, With Anticipation (Grade II) $200,000
September 2nd Two Year Olds One Mile & One-Sixteenth (Turf)
Thursday, P.G. Johnson $100,000
September 3rd Fillies, Two Year Olds One Mile & One-Sixteenth (Turf)
Friday, Evan Shipman (NYB) $100,000
September 4th Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One-Eighth
Saturday, The Woodward (Grade I) $600,000
September 5th 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, Hopeful (Grade I) $350,000
September 7th Two Year Olds Seven Furlongs
 
  Bernard Baruch (Grade II) $250,000
  Three Year Olds & Upward One Mile & One Sixteenth (Turf)

 

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