We’re approaching the halfway point of the meet, and we couldn’t have asked for more: terrific weather, huge increases in handle, and memorable racing, topped by a Whitney for the ages.

Lots more where that came from (in the case of the weather, we can hope), along with fundraisers, education seminars, a photography class, book signings, and lots of yearlings for sale.

I’ll update frequently, as new events are announced. Click on the links in each entry for more information.

Have an event you’d like publicized? E-mail me if it fits into one of those categories; no commercial events, though feel free to get in touch if you’d like to talk about advertising.

Coming to Saratoga for the first time? Check out my guide to the track at Hello Race Fans.

Visiting later in the meet? Here’s everything going on this summer, opening day to closing day.

Check them out and enjoy Saratoga, week 4…

(photo credit NYRA/Adam Coglianese)

Tuesday, August 11

Book signing:  A Brush With Greatness. Author Edward L. Bowen and artist Robert Clark will sign copies from 10 am to 1 pm in the lobby of the Racing Museum.  Books will be available for purchase.

Book signing: James Goes to Hippotherapy. Author Carolyn Huston will sign copies of her children’s book from 10 am. to 3 pm in the lobby of the Racing Museum. Books will be available for purchase.

Presentation: Editor Field Horne and several authors included in “Saratoga Springs: A Centennial History” will discuss the history of this resort town at 10 am at Northshire Bookstore on Broadway.  More details about the book here.

Fasig-Tipton yearling sale at the sales grounds on East Avenue. The sale begins at 7 pm, but people will gather earlier to socialize and gawk at pricey equine babies. Open to the public, but the pavilion is reserved for the people who will be doing the bidding, with others hanging out behind the pavilion near the walking ring and bar. The sale continues Tuesday night.

Wednesday,  August 12

Thoroughbred Ownership Seminar presented by Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.  In this two-day program, watch morning workouts at Saratoga Race Course and engage in panel discussions on topics such as the owner/trainer dynamic, acquiring horses, business topics, and Thoroughbred retirement, followed by an afternoon of racing. Ron Anderson, Jeffrey Cannizzo, Erin Crady, Ramón Dominguez, Jeremiah Englehart, Donna Freyer, Jamie Hill, Allen Katz, Bruce Levine, Robb Levinsky, Michael Levy, Mike Ryan, Anna Seitz and Carrie Asalon.

TOBA and New York Thoroughbred Breeders members:  $125, non-members: $175. Agenda and more information.

Saratoga Season Pass and Season Ticket Holder Appreciation Day: All Saratoga season pass and season-long reserved seat ticket holders will receive a 15 percent discount at the NYRA Store each Wednesday of the meet. The discount is available to season pass holders who present their season pass and to season ticket holders who show their new season ticket holder perks card at participating on-track locations. Season ticket holders may pick up their new perks card at the NYRA Box Office at Saratoga Race Course. 

 

Irish-American Heritage Day. Find Irish music, dance, entertainment, and food in the Saratoga Pavilion from 11 am to 5 pm and traditional Irish food and drink at various concession stands throughout the track. Click the link for details.

The feature is the $100,000 Birdstone for three-year-olds and up (1 3/4 miles, dirt).

Sip and Shop at Encounter in downtown Saratoga to benefit the Belmont Child Care Assocation.  From 4-8pm, enjoy wine and hors d’oeuvres and shop for a hat at Encounter, 482 Broadway. 10% of proceeds will benefit the BCCA.

Thursday, August 13

Thoroughbred Ownership Seminar continues. See listing for Tuesday, August 11 for details.

Fabulous Fillies Day. A variety of pink-focused initiatives will raise awareness of and funds for breast cancer research. A luncheon honoring Stonestreet Stables’ Barbara Banke, herself a breast cancer survivor, will be held in the At The Rail Pavilion beginning with an 11:30 a.m. champagne reception.

All proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  Click for more information on the day’s events.

In the Community Outreach booth near the jockeys’ silks room: Floydwarriors.com, which supports people who have been diagnosed with cancer and their families.

The feature is the $100,000 New York Stallion Series Statue of Liberty Division for three-year-old fillies (one mile, turf).

The weekly Taste NY wine/cider/spirits tastings in the Saratoga Pavilion continue. Noon to 5 pm, with a sampling fee.

Saratoga Season Pass and Season Ticket Holder Appreciation Day: All Saratoga season pass and season-long reserved seat ticket holders will receive a 10 percent discount at Shake Shack each Thursday of the meet. 

At The Post with Andy Serling returns to the Parting Glass this summer, every Thursday from 8-9 pm. Also broadcast on 104.5 ESPN radio, which can be streamed. (In the event of a conflict with a Yankees game, as is the case this week, At The Post will be broadcast in its entirety after the game and replayed over the weekend.) Past shows are archived as podcasts. This week’s guests: trainers David Donk and John Terranova and jockey Eric Cancel.

An Equine Evening with Equitas Realty to benefit Backstretch Employees Service Team. At the Equitas Gallery, 38 High Rock Avenue, featuring the work of equine artist Frankie Flores. The artists of the backstretch and Saratoga jockeys are expected to attend, and the evening will include live music, a raffle, a silent auction, wine, and hors d’oeuvres. 5-8 pm.

More information is available at 518 584 9990 or staff@equitasNY.com.

Friday, August 14

The feature is the $300,000 Grade II Maker’s Mark Lake Placid for three-year-old fillies (1 1/8 miles, turf).

The regular Friday Taste NY beer tasting takes place in the Saratoga Pavilion from noon to 5 pm. This week: Saranac and Brooklyn Brewery. Sampling fee applies.

In the Community Outreach booth near the jockeys’ silks rooms: Ladies of Charity Saratoga.

Saratoga Season Pass and Season Ticket Holder Appreciation Day: All Saratoga season pass and season-long reserved seat ticket holders will receive a 10 percent discount at participating vendors in the Artist’s Village each Friday of the meet.

Saturday, August 15

Golf Tournament to benefit Code Blue of Saratoga Springs, at Airway Meadows Golf Club.

Registration is at 11:30, followed by a shotgun start. A live and silent auction will benefit Code Blue, and golf is followed by a BBQ picnic.  Cost is $89 per player for non-members, with discounts for gold, platinum, and diamond members. $35 tickets are available for the BBQ only.

Click for more information.

Code Blue provides emergency shelters to those who need it during Saratoga’s winters, opening when temperatures fall to below 20 degrees at night or when more than a foot of snow falls.

The Saturday stakes races are the $500,000 Grade II Fourstardave Handicap for three-year-olds and up (one mile, turf) and the $200,000 Grade II Adirondack for two-year-old fillies (6 1/2 furlongs, dirt).

H. Allen Jerkens Day: NYRA  honors the Chief, who died in March. The day will include a named race in honor of Jerkens and video tributes throughout the afternoon. Concession stands will offer a 10 percent discount on Coors Light, which the Chief was known to enjoy on the backstretch after afternoon feeding.

Fashion Saturdays continue, with prizes for the best dressed man and woman, including participation in a trophy presentation for the Fashion Saturday race. Participating shops on-track include Bumble Beads Boutique, Good Shot Design, Lifestyles of Saratoga, The National and Rumors Salon & Spa. Lifestyles will donate a portion of its sales to Backstretch Employees Service Team (BEST).

In the Community Outreach booth near the jockeys’ silks rooms: Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.

New York Thoroughbred Breeders pre-sale cocktail party. Enjoy “culinary selections” and complimentary cocktails in the Buyers’ Lounge and Balcony at the Fasig-Tipton Humphrey S. Finney sales pavilion from 6-9 pm.  Tickets are $75 and be purchased here. Please RSVP by August 10 to 518 587 0777.

Fasig-Tipton New York Bred Yearling Sale. Similar to the sales earlier this week (see listing for Monday, August 10), though less crowded.  The sale continues on Sunday night.

Sunday, August 16

Photo finish tour/photography class with Saratoga Special’s Tod Marks. This 90-minute equine photography class will take place at the Oklahoma training facility at 7 am. $25 for Museum members, $35 for non-members; registration/payment required in advance. Call 518 584 0400 ext. 120 to reserve your spot.

Summer Stroll: Saratoga and the Civil War at Greenridge. Join the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation for a tour of Greenridge Cemetery commemorating the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War.  Meet at 10:30 am at the Civil War Monument inside Sackett Gates.

Reservations are suggested but not required; $5 for SSPF members, $8 for non-members.  Contact Nicole Totaro at 518 587 5030 or ntotaro@saratogapreservation.org to register.

The feature race is the Grade II $200,000 Toyota Saratoga Special for two-year olds (6 1/2 furlongs, dirt).

Low Rollers Handicapping Contest for $40 buy-in ($30 going towards live money and $10 to the prize pool). Participants must place live $2 win, place and show wagers on five different horses in five different races. Only Saratoga races are accepted for contest play.  Register on the first floor of the grandstand by the lower Carousel before post time for the day’s fifth race. The tournament will be held each Sunday and Monday of the meet.

Taste NY: Food and Artisans will be in the Saratoga Pavilion from 10:30 am to 5 pm, offering products such as jams, honey, baked goods and hand-crafted soap.

 

New York Thoroughbred Breeders pre-sale cocktail party. See Saturday’s listing for more details.

In the Community Outreach booth near the jockeys’ silks room:  St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

 

Fasig-Tipton New York Bred Yearling Sale. See Saturday’s listing for more details.

Monday, August 17

The Monday feature is the $100,000 Saratoga Dew for New York-bred fillies and mares, three years old and up (1 1/8 miles, dirt).

Low Rollers Handicapping Contest for $40 buy-in ($30 going towards live money and $10 to the prize pool). Participants must place live $2 win, place and show wagers on five different horses in five different races. Only Saratoga races are accepted for contest play.  Register on the first floor of the grandstand by the lower Carousel before post time for the day’s fifth race. The tournament will be held each Sunday and Monday of the meet.

In the Community Outreach booth near the jockeys’ silks room: Old Friends at Cabin Creek.

Saratoga Season Pass and Season Ticket Holder Appreciation Day: All Saratoga season pass and season-long reserved seat ticket holders will receive a 15 percent discount at select concession stands each Monday of the meet. More info here. 

Family Monday in the Saratoga Pavilion from 11 am to 4 pm offers a variety of activities for children, including the opportunity to pet a retired Thoroughbred.

Tuesday, August 18

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Horse Racing but Were Afraid to Ask.  This fan education seminar with Gary Contessa will include basic terminology as well as more detailed aspects of the sports, and will be driven by questions from the audience. It takes place in the Hall of Fame at the Racing Museum at 11 am and is included with paid Museum admission.

ReRun Thoroughbred Adoption hosts “An Evening for the Equines” at Upstate Equine Medical Center, 362 Rugg Road in nearby Schuylerville at 4 pm.  Moneighs for ReRun will be available for purchase, and the evening will include food, wine tastings, vendors, music, and a silent auction.

Also present will be some of ReRun’s off-track Thoroughbreds, some available for adoption and some that have been adopted through ReRun’s program.

Tickets are $40 for those 21 and over and $20 for those under 21.

Contact Amanda at 518 441 5959 or northcountryhorse@yahoo.com for additional information and sponsorship opportunities.

Free showing of 50-1, the movie about Mine That Bird, at historic Sanford Stud Farm in nearby Amsterdam, NY. The movie, which is PG-13, will begin at dusk. Refreshments will be available, and attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs. No alcohol or glass bottles.

The event will move to the farm’s barn in the event of inclement weather. Donations to Friends of Sanford Stud Farm, which is working to preserve what is left of the 19th century farm so important to Saratoga’s racing history, are encouraged.

Coming to town later in the meet? Here you go! All the events, all the way to Labor Day…