Saratoga to race 40 days during 2015

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Saratoga Springs, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Historic Saratoga Race Course will conduct 40 days of thoroughbred racing in the coming year and serve as the focal point for the New York Racing Association's 2015 racing calendar.

The New York Racing Association announced Friday that its three tracks - Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga - will have a total of 251 days of live thoroughbred racing.

Racing at Saratoga will he held six days a week, Wednesday through Monday, beginning Friday, July 24 through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7. The current Aqueduct meeting continues through March 22 with a break from Monday, March 23 through Tuesday, March 31. Racing will be conducted four days a week for four weeks - the last week of February and the first three weeks of March.

"In light of the national foal crop reduction, our goal in creating a four-day race week during this period is to increase field size and provide additional rest for our equine athletes in advance of our Aqueduct spring meet," said Martin Panza, Senior Vice President of Racing Operations for the New York Racing Association. "In essence, the March break is allowing us to create a more vibrant spring meet at the Big A."

Racing at Aqueduct will conclude with a 19-day spring meet from April 1 through April 26, with the $1 million Wood Memorial for 3-year-olds on Saturday, April 4.

Belmont Park will have a 59-day spring/summer meet beginning Wednesday, April 29 through Sunday, July 19 with the 147th $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 6.

Following Saratoga, the Belmont Fall Championship meet will run 38 days from Friday, Sept. 11 through Sunday, Nov. 23, with "Super Saturday" scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26.

The 2015 racing calendar wraps up with 40 days of live racing at Aqueduct from Wednesday, Nov. 4 through New Year's Eve. There will be a five-day break from Monday, Dec. 21 through Christmas Day, Friday, Dec. 25.