NYRA and harness racing to offer Toga, Toga Daily Double
NYRA SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is partnering with Saratoga Casino Hotel on Saturday, July 21 to offer a special day/night, cross-breed daily double comprised of the Grade 1, $500,000 Diana and the $260,000 Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial Pace, the premier race for standardbreds at Saratoga Harness.
The Toga, Toga Daily Double, hosted by NYRA, includes a $1 minimum wager and will be available on-track at both Saratoga Race Course and Saratoga Harness, as well as through NYRA Bets, ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country.
“NYRA is proud to partner with Saratoga Harness to offer this unique thoroughbred and harness wagering opportunity to NYRA Bets customers and race fans throughout the country,” said Will Alempijevic, Director of Business Development at NYRA. “Horseplayers have long appreciated the top quality of racing at Saratoga Race Course and Saratoga Harness and with the Toga, Toga Double they now have the chance to capitalize on the premier standardbred race at Saratoga Harness and the first Grade 1 of the season at Saratoga.”
The Diana will feature a competitive field of seven headlined by A Raving Beauty, who captured the Grade 1 Just A Game on June 9 at Belmont Park, and will face graded stakes winners New Money Honey, Sistercharlie, Proctor’s Ledge, Ultra Brat and Hawksmoor.
The Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial Pace includes a field of eight headlined by New Zealand-import Bit Of A Legend, owned by Vonknoblauch Stable. The 5-2 morning-line favorite starts from post 2 for driver Jordan Stratton. The consistent 9-year-old son of Bettor’s Delight has been on the board in 9-of-11 starts this year, earning $338,255 in the process. Trained by Peter Tritton, Bit Of A Legend took his career mark this year with a 1:49.4 victory in the $200,000 Battle of Northfield in early June.
“We are very excited to enter into a partnership with NYRA to promote a unique Toga, Toga daily double featuring the Diana from Saratoga Racecourse and the Gerrity Memorial at Saratoga Harness,” said Skip Carlson, Vice President for External Affairs and Signature Service at Saratoga Casino Hotel. “We are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Gerrity Memorial which is our signature race and carries a $260,000 purse sure to draw the top aged pacers in North America.”
Foiled Again, the leading money earner in harness racing history with $7.5 million and 100 career victories is entered in the sixth race Saratoga Harness.
Post time for the Diana, carded as Race 10 at the Spa, will open the Toga, Toga Double at approximately 5:55 p.m. Post time for the Joe Gerrity Jr., off as Race 7 at Saratoga Harness, has a scheduled post time of 9:05 p.m. Past performances for the Joe Gerrity Jr. will be included in the Post Parade program, while PP’s for the Diana will be included in the Saturday program at Saratoga Harness.