High quality racing, customer service, and history were the subjects of a New York Racing Association media event June 24 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., at which the organization’s executives detailed plans for this summer’s race meet.

While this summer’s meet will be the 145th in Saratoga, both the town and the track are celebrating the sesquicentennial of racing in Saratoga Springs, commemorating the first meet in 1863. That meet took place on the grounds of what is now the Oklahoma training track; racing moved across the street to the current site in 1864.

Many of NYRA’s summer initiatives will offer a historical spin on familiar themes. This summer’s giveaway T-shirt, on Sunday, July 28, will sport the official Saratoga 150 logo; on Sunday, Aug. 18, the track will give away replica models of Saratoga Race Course. Other giveaways include a Fourstardave bobblehead on Sunday, Aug. 11, honoring the horse who won a race at Saratoga annually from 1987 to 1994, and on Sunday, Sept. 1, the giveaway is a Saratoga beer stein emblazoned with some of the most popular horses ever to have raced at Saratoga.  Giveaways are free with paid admission while supplies last.

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