Whitney Stakes Highlight’s Hot Saratoga Weekend

It's the first full August weekend and Saratoga Race Course season is in full stride. The 94th running of the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes on Saturday afternoon highlights a terrific weekend in the SPA City. Few families have done more for the horse racing community, especially in Saratoga, than the Whitney family. Their named stakes race has featured some of the greatest horses in racing history and this weekend may feature others. The Whitney is just one of a full weekend card of awesome Saratoga Race Course action.

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Friday is a great day of racing featuring 3 terrific stakes races, the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, the Troy Stakes and the Alydar stakes. According to New York Racing Association, "The Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, a one-mile inner-turf test for sophomores at Saratoga Race Course, commemorates the induction ceremonies that will take place across Union Avenue earlier in the day. The 37th edition of the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame is part of a loaded card that includes the $120,000 Alydar, a nine-furlong test for older horses, and the Grade 3, $200,000 Troy, presented by Horse Racing Ireland, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for older horses."

Saturday will be an awesome day at Saratoga Race Course highlighted by the 94th running of the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes. The $1 million Whitney offers an automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic. NYRA says this race will feature "three-time Grade 1 winner Swiss Skydiver. The filly, victorious in last year’s Preakness Stakes and Alabama, will try to become the first female to capture the Whitney since Personal Ensign in 1988. To do so, she will have to defeat Maxfield, considered the top older horse in training, and Knicks Go, the Pegasus World Cup winner. The blockbuster Whitney Day card will also include the Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Test for sophomore fillies and the $1 million Saratoga Derby Invitational, the second jewel of the Turf Triple series for sophomore males in its first running with Grade 1 status. Whitney Day will also feature the Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls for fillies and mares on turf, and the $120,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure."

If a full weekend of horse racing excitement is too much for you, Sunday at SPAC the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will perform a 3pm show and a 6pm show. According to the SPAC website, "The series will feature masterpieces from Beethoven’s preeminent string quartets to Schumann’s timeless Piano Quartet in E-flat major, alongside the U.S. Premiere of Twelve Blocks by pianist Michael Brown. Also highlighting the residency is the return of co-Artistic Directors David Finckel and Wu Han and the SPAC debut of the Calidore String Quartet."

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Few places in the country offer more excitement and entertainment than Saratoga in August. Soak it in and enjoy.