Saratoga Horse Racing Betting Guide

From mid-July to early September, Saratoga Race Course has Grade 1 horse racing events such as the Diana Stakes in July, the Whitney Stakes and Travers Stakes in August and the Jockey Gold Cup in September. Saratoga Race Course is located in Saratoga Springs off of Interstate 87 in upstate New York.

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Saratoga has a full race card Wednesday to Sunday in the summer with a thoroughbred race course and a harness track. It has live racing along with dining, casino gaming and giveaways at the horse track. The following Grade 1 stakes races at Saratoga are listed and the most popular races are featured with the length, prize purse and interesting facts about the event.

Grade 1 Horse Racing at Saratoga Race Course

July

Diana Stakes

AP Smithwick Memorial

Coaching Club American Oaks

Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap

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August

Test Stakes

Whitney Stakes

Saratoga Derby Invitational

Fourstardave Handicap

Alabama Stakes

Jonathan Sheppard Stakes

Personal Ensign Stakes

Ballerina Stakes

Forego Stakes

H. Allen Jerkens Memorial

Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Stakes

Travers Stakes

September

Jockey Gold Cup

Spinaway Stakes

Hopeful Stakes

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The Diana Stakes is the first Saratoga Grade 1 race in July and it is run on a Saturday race card. The stakes race is open to fillies and mares four years old and above. The event is run 1 1/8 miles on turf and the prize purse is $500,000. At the end of July, the Coaching Club American Oaks is open to fillies three years old and the prize purse is also $500,000. The stakes race is run 1 1/8 miles on dirt.

The Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga is run on the first Saturday in August as the feature event of the weekend. There are seven graded stakes (Grade 1, 2 and 3) races from Thursday to Sunday. Open to thoroughbred horses four and up, the Whitney covers 1 1/8 miles on dirt and the prize purse is $1 million. The Whitney Stakes is an automatic qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday in early November.

At the end of August on Saturday, the Grade 1 Travers Stakes is open to three years old thoroughbred horses. This stakes race is run 1¼ on dirt and the prize purse is $1.25 million. The Travers Stakes is part of five major graded events at Saratoga in Saturday’s race card.

The summer season at Saratoga closes down with the Grade 1 Jockey Gold Cup as the highlight event of the first weekend in September. There are seven graded stakes races from Friday until Monday on Labor Day Weekend. The Jockey Gold Cup is open to thoroughbred horses three and up and the prize purse is $1 million. This stakes race covers 1¼ miles on dirt and it is also a qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

From mid-July to early September, Saratoga Race Course is one of the most popular race tracks for horse racing bettors all across the country.