Tens of thousands visit Saratoga Race Course for Travers Day
SARATOGA SPRINGS>> Though Travers Day 2016 didn’t have the excitement as when Triple Crown winner American Pharoah came to town last year, thousands still flocked to the track on Saturday to see the big annual race.
A large crowd of nearly 50,000 attendees were at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday afternoon to see the 147th Travers Stakes, a Grade 1, $1.25 million race, the most anticipated event of the season for track-goers.
An historic event, this Travers Day featured the first full field for the Travers since 1977.
“Last year’s Travers was historic with the presence of Triple Crown champion American Pharoah and this year’s Travers is historic in its own right with a full field of 14 starters anticipated for the first time in nearly 40 years,” said NYRA CEO and president Chris Kay in a press release.
For many horseracing enthusiasts, the Travers is a can’tmiss annual summer tradition.
Kevin King and Steve McDonoagh of the Bronx try to come every year.
“We love the town. We love the track. We love the atmo-
sphere,” said King, who was especially rooting for Exaggerator in Saturday’s big race.
Unfortunately for King, the Travers Stakes was won by Arrogate.
This year’s Travers Day also included five other Grade 1 stakes: the $1 million Longines Sword Dancer Invitational at 1 ½ miles on the turf, the $500,000 Ballerina for filly and mare sprinters, the $700,000 Priority One Jets Forego at seven furlongs, the $750,000 Ketel One King’s Bishop and the $750,000 Personal Ensign for fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles. Rounding out the card was the Grade 2, $400,000 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa for turf fillies and mares.
Some came in with a game plan for betting, while others like Nancy Melius of New York City learned on the spot at the new NYRA Bets Lounge, which is open on Saturdays this season in the Saratoga Pavilion.
This was Melius’ first Travers Day in Saratoga Springs, and she appreciated the available betting advice.
Saturday was hot and sunny, but high temperatures didn’t stop the masses from coming out, or from wearing their best track attire for the special occasion. Men sported polo shirts, suit jackets and fedoras, while most women wore dresses and sun hats.
Melius and her two friends, Monica Diaz and Heather Beirne, also from New York City, all wore fancy color coordinating hats and dresses on Saturday.
This was the entire group’s first time seeing a live Travers Stakes race and Diaz’ first time ever visiting Saratoga Race Course.
“It’s so much fun,” she said after placing a couple bets. “I’m hoping to win something.”
No one in that party spent too much money on gambling this Travers Day, they said. Instead, Beirne said, “We invested in the hats.”
Out-of-state visitors Colleen Brophy and Phillip Emma also witnessed their first Travers Stakes on Saturday. The New Jersey couple usually get to Saratoga Race Course once a summer, earlier in the season around Emma’s birthday, but this year they made it for Travers Day.
“It was a fun day,” Brophy said, noting that the event was a different experience than their usual day at the track.
The 2016 season at Saratoga Race Course continues through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 5.
For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit NYRA.com.