The wonderful horse racing experience at the historic Saratoga Race Course
The Saratoga Race Course has become the most favourite of all the race tracks used for horse racing in the whole of America. It has earned the most popular title, The Spa.
Man o’ War, the great racehorse only lost one race at the Saratoga Race Course, almost a hundred years ago. Jim Dandy won the Travers at 100-1 odds and thus helped the racecourse to win this title. The invincible colt, Secretariat lost the race which also took place here following the Triple Crown of 1973.
The race course at Saratoga is one of the oldest and seasoned sports venues of America in general and New York in particular. The track was opened in the year 1863. The British racing colt Gen. John Burgoyne was defeated by The Continental Army and is considered one of the biggest setbacks for the British.
The race course at Saratoga is a place where one would not have to look for traditions, as the sports venue speaks for itself. Constructed in 1909, the grand stand at the race course was laid under the slate roof. The grand stand and the club house are both dominated by woodwork. There are hardly any steel girders there.
Racing at the racecourse is an out of the world experience. Before the race starts, the jockeys enter paddock en route the picnic grounds with their horses. Fans are seated just at arm’s length from the procession of the horses and the jockeys. After the race ends, the jockeys move out of the race course with a security escort backing them. The jockeys do stop at the jockey room entrance to sign autographs for the fans who cheer them up during the race.
The young spectators patiently wait for their favourite jockeys to come to the jockey room with pens and papers in their hands. The race course has been visited by families over the years. Some of the families, however, do not come to the trackside and just picnic at the backyard. They enjoy watching the races sitting at home on their television screens.
Those who have witnessed the races at the Saratoga Race Course describe the scene as being beyond elegant. The thickly forested Adirondack hills provide a scenic backdrop to the race course. The dominant colour of the race track is green due to the presence of two turf courses inside the main track. Many people call the race track their favourite, rightly because of these attributes. The Saratoga race course is visited millions of visitors every year.
Houstonians Don and Linda Weinmann are one of the most frequent visitors of the Saratoga racecourse. Weinmann is the choir singer of the church and calls the visit of the race course a very harmonious experience. Talking to the correspondents, he said that he is a horse person but Linda is not. However, Saratoga race track is one place she loves to come back to every summer. The environment is very impressive, he added. Moreover, he said that Philadelphia Orchestra has always been a speciality of Saratoga and watching Rachael Alexandria in the morning and listening to the Orchestra in the evening is just an outclass experience.
The Grade I Stake races that take place here at the famous Saratoga Race Course include the Alabama Stakes, Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap, Ballerina Handicap, Diana Handicap, Forego Handicap, Go for Wand Handicap, Hopeful Stakes, King Bishop’s Stakes, Personal Ensign Stakes, Spinaway Stakes, Sword Dancer Handicap, Test Stakes, Tracers Stakes, Whitney Handicap and the Woodward Stakes.
The Grade II Stake races are the Adirondack Stakes, Amsterdam Stakes, Ballston Spa Handicap, Bernard Baruch Handicap, Fourstardave Handicap, Honourable Miss Handicap, Jim Dandy Stakes, Lake George Stakes, Lake Placid Handicap, National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes, Sanford Stakes and the Saratoga Special Stakes.
The Grade III Stake races at the Saratoga race course are the Glens Fall Handicap, Saranac Stakes, Schuylerville Stakes, Victory Ride Stakes and With Anticipation Stakes.
De La Rose Stakes, Saratoga Dew Stakes, Union Avenue Stakes, Funny Cide Stakes and Curlin Stakes are the ungraded races run at the famous Saratoga Race course.
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