The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Saratoga Race Course season tickets on sale today
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> Thoroughbred racing fans have the opportunity to purchase season tickets to Saratoga Race Course for the 2022 summer meet beginning today.
This announcement marks a return to the traditional sales cycle and the first time in three years that visitors can plan ahead for the upcoming Saratoga racing meet. The previous two summers included the inability of fans to attend in 2020 and an expedited sales calendar in 2021.
Full-season ticket plans, which include admission and reserved seats for the entire 40-day meet, will be available for purchase online through NYRA.COM. Fans can access the Saratoga Virtual Venue seating map to digitally preview their seat location and sightlines before purchasing their season tickets which come bundled with admission.
Highlighted by the 153rd renewal of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers on August 27 and the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on Aug. 6, the 2022 summer meet will open on Thursday, July 14, and continue through Monday, Sept. 5. Following the four-day opening weekend, racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, apart from the final week, when the meet will conclude on Labor Day.
“As we celebrate the official start of spring and look forward to the opening of the historic Oklahoma training track in mid-april, we are excited to launch sales for season tickets and season admission passes for the 2022 Saratoga meet,” NYRA’S vice president of sales and hospitality Kevin Quinn said in a press release. “This announcement marks a return to our traditional on-sale date for season tickets and is certainly meaningful in representing a return to pre-pandemic normalcy.
“We hope our fans are as excited as we are to once again be able to plan well in advance to attend Saratoga this summer.”
Season admission passes, which include entry to the track for all 40 days but not reserved seats, will go on sale Friday, April 1. Season passes for the grandstand will be available for $60 (daily grandstand admission is $7). Clubhouse season passes are available for $85 (daily clubhouse admission is $10).
Season passes provide value to fans who regularly attend the races, as a 2022 season pass will pay for itself in nine visits to Saratoga Race Course during the 40day summer meet. In addition, a season pass includes Runhappy Travers Day, which would otherwise cost $20 for advance grandstand admission.
NYRA tracks are the cornerstone of New York state’s horse racing industry, which is responsible for 19,000 jobs and more than $3 billion in annual eco