Saratoga Race Course on track today without fans
SARATOGASPRINGS, N.Y. » Racing fans now have a new way to bet on their favorite horses with the introduction of NYRA Bets gift cards available at Stewart’s Shops.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Saratoga Race Course will begin its first- ever meet with no spectators on site on Thursday, July 16.
On the eve of this historic Opening Day, wagering platform NYRA Bets and local company Stewart’s Shops officials announced a new initiative designed to make it easy for fans to stay connected to The Spa this summer during an unprecedented season.
The new NYRA Bets gift cards are available for purchase at more than 150 Stewart’s Shops throughout Saratoga Springs and the greater Capital Region.
The cards, which come in $50 denominations, can be used to deposit funds automatically into a NYRA Bets account. Users can then bet these funds on horse races throughout the 40- day season in Saratoga Springs including the 151st renewal of the Grade 1, $1 million Runhappy Travers on Saturday, Aug. 8 and the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney on Saturday, Aug. 1.
Fans can also use the gift cards to bet on racing at other tracks nationwide, including the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, Sept. 5, and the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, Oct. 3.
NYRA Bets gift cards can be used to fund both active and new NYRA Bets accounts.
Available to horseplayers nationwide, fans who open a new NYRA Bets account with a NYRA Bets gift card will be eligible for a deposit match on their initial deposit of as much as $200.
“While this season at The Spa will look different from others, one thing that remains the same is the quality world class
thoroughbred racing that we’ll experience all summer,” NYRA Bets president Tony Allevato said during a press conference on Wednesday at Stewart’s Shops on Broadway in Saratoga Springs. “What also remains the same is NYRA’s commitment to make it as easy and convenient as possible for fans to engage and enjoy all the racing action, even if they can’t join us at the racetrack.”
The new venture is an extension of the long-time partnership between NYRA and Stewart’s Shops.
Since 2014, Stewart’s Shops has served as the exclusive retailer of Saratoga Race Course season admission passes. Since that is not possible this year, the two entities started a new type of fan engagement initiative.
“This year we’re going to be doing something a little different than what we’ve done in the past,” Stewart’s Shops president Gary Dake said at Wednesday’s event. “We’re very excited to be here, the day before Opening Day of Saratoga race track, a very different opening day than we’re accustomed to, but we remain very excited as a company and a family that has very deep roots in Saratoga Springs, albeit our background is certainly much more bovine athan equine - we’re so very excited to be working with NYRA again this year.”
AsaNYRABetsuserhimself, Dake said it is simple to use the program’s state- ofthe-art technology to place bets, and hopes others will enjoy getting in on the racing action too with the gift cards available at Stewart’s. “We’re proud to be the first retailer to carry these cards, which make it easier than ever for new and experienced fans alike to wager on racing this summer,” he said in a press release.
This is a critical time for horseracing, according to Allevato, which is why the company is aiming to make betting easy and convenient for fans. “We’ve entered an era in horseracing where essentially all of the wagering right now is coming from online or via mobile, with racetracks all over the country closed down, and OTBs as well,” he said. “What’s great about NYRA Bets is when a fan bets with NYRA Bets, it’s the same thing as betting at the racetrack, and all that money is going right into the racetrack pools, and it really does the most to support horseracing.”
On the local partnership, “Stewart’s Shops proved to be an outstanding partner in selling Saratoga season passes and we are confident our fans will likewise embrace and enjoy the convenience and affordability of purchasing NYRA Bets Gift Cards at their local Stewart’s,” Allevato said in the release, noting that fans can purchase the cards for themselves or to give as gifts.
NYRA Bets Gift Cards are available for purchase by cash only; credit cards are not accepted.
A complete list of participating Stewart’s Shops locations is available online
at www. stewartsshops. com/ participating- nyrashops.
Registering for a NYRA Bets account is free. There are no processing fees or premiums applied when purchasing or using a NYRA Bets Gift Card.
Each card comes with step-by- step instructions, and includes a unique fourdigit PIN. After purchasing the gift card, fans enter the PIN into their new or existing NYRA Bets account.
Beginning Thursday, the 2020 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course will continue through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7. Following the four- day opening weekend, live racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sun
days.
Saratoga Race Course races can be viewed on the NYRA Bets app, on Youtube or on Saratoga Live, which will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks.
Many local businesses will also offer the opportunity to watch the races live this season on large screens at their establishments.
They include The Adelphi Hotel, Prime at Saratoga National, Racing City Brewing Co., Saratoga Casino Hotel’s Jackpot Deli and Mezzanine Bar, 15 Church, Bookmakers at the Holiday Inn, BurgerFi, Diamond Club Restaurant at the Embassy Suites, Horseshoe Inn Bar & Grill, Kings
Tavern, Mouzon House, the Pavilion Grand Hotel, Peabody’s Sports Bar, Pint Sized, PJ’s Bar-B- QSA, Putnam Place, Saratoga City Tavern, Saratoga Strike Zone, Sperry’s Restaurant, Solevo Kitchen + Social, Taverna Novo, The Brook Tavern, The Night Owl, The Parting Glass, The Wine Bar and West Side Sports Bar & Grill. A detailed list of businesses offering live racing viewing is available on the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce website at www.saratoga. org/2020/07/06/some-saratoga- summer- racing- op
tions/.
NYRA announced that daily Post Parade programs - which include each day’s entries, past performances, and additional racing information - will be available at off-track retailers throughout the Capital Region, as well as downstate, including Stewart’s Shops, Price
Chopper, Hannaford, Cumberland Farms, Xtra Mart and 7-Eleven on race days throughout the 2020 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course.
More information about Saratoga Race Course and its 2020 meet is available online at NYRA.com/Saratoga.