SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced that all tickets for the blockbuster Travers Day card, featuring six Grade 1 races including the 146th running of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Mid-Summer Derby for 3-year-olds, are officially sold out.
Fans are specifically advised not to travel to Saratoga Race Course on August 29 without tickets purchased in advance. The sell-out Travers Day follows the announcement of a paid attendance cap of 50,000 attendees in an effort to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all fans.
“Travers Day tickets are officially sold out,” said NYRA CEO and President Chris Kay. “We look forward to an outstanding day at Saratoga Race Course featuring the very best in racing, entertainment and hospitality. It will truly be a day to remember.”
Clubhouse and grandstand season passes are valid and will be accepted on Travers Day. Fans possessing season passes are directed to show their pass at any of the Spa’s three gates as they normally would on all other race days.
NYRA officials have publicly, and repeatedly, advised that tickets for Travers Day would be sold out prior to the day of the event as a result of the paid attendance cap and the expanded race card for 2015.
This year’s Travers Day is historic in its own right with the addition of three Grade 1 stakes to comprise a blockbuster lineup of six Grade 1 races and a Grade 2 for a total of seven graded stakes worth more than a combined $5 million on the afternoon.
Joining the Travers Day card are: the 1 ½-mile Sword Dancer Invitational on the turf, whose purse has been enhanced to $1 million; the $750,000, 1 1/8-mile Personal Ensign for fillies and mares; and the $700,000 Priority One Forego at seven furlongs.
These additions round out a spectacular card which already included the Travers Stakes, whose purse will increase to $1.6 million from $1.25 million if Triple Crown winner American Pharoah starts in the Mid-Summer Derby; the Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina for fillies and mares; the Grade 1, $500,000 King’s Bishop; and the Grade 2, $400,000 Ketel One Ballston Spa for turf fillies and mares.
NYRA officials previously announced that all Travers Day reserved seating, dining and clubhouse admission were sold out.
The paid attendance cap takes into account all guests who have made dining and table reservations on Travers Day for the following on-track locations: the Turf Terrace, Club Terrace or Lower Porch; the sports bar in the lower Carousel; and the reserved picnic table section in the backyard. Consequently the NYRA Box Office has set aside admission for all individuals holding Travers Day reservations for the aforementioned hospitality areas.
Guests with previously confirmed reservations are encouraged to purchase their Travers Day admission in advance of August 29 by visiting the NYRA Box Office at Saratoga Race Course. NYRA officials will also be personally contacting each reservation holder to facilitate payment and advance pick-up of Travers Day admission.
Similar to any other large sporting event, fans are encouraged to arrive early, stay late, and give themselves plenty of time to travel to and from Saratoga Race Course on August 29.
NYRA will work with media representatives and marketing outlets to emphasize that tickets will not be sold at Saratoga Race Course on August 29. NYRA representatives will continue to be highly visible on television, radio, in print and on the internet to convey this information.
Large VMS signs located within the vicinity of Saratoga Race Course will have messages announcing that tickets are not available for Travers Day. Clear signs will also be visible upon entry to Saratoga Race Course parking lots, with parking attendants reminding entrants of this fact. Entrants will also be given an updated map of the facility, which clearly notes all exit points. Should individuals who enter premium parking lots at Saratoga Race Course on August 29 not have Travers Day tickets, they will be able to exit without financial penalty.
NYRA is also coordinating extensively with law enforcement professionals, transportation planners and first responders at all levels of government. All partners have bolstered their allocated resources for this year’s Travers, and are playing an intimate role in the development of collective traffic management and operational contingency plans.
Ticketed patrons planning to attend the Mid-Summer Derby can review a full list of prohibited and permitted items at NYRA.com. All patrons are subject to enhanced magnetic screening upon entering the grounds and those attempting to enter with banned items will be asked to return those items to their vehicles or dispose of them. No storage will be provided for patrons arriving or attempting to enter the venue with prohibited items.
Travers weekend will officially kick off on Friday, August 28 with New York Showcase Day, featuring six New York-bred stakes. The day will also feature the induction of prominent owners Ogden Mills “Dinny” Phipps of Phipps Stable and Marylou Whitney of Marylou Whitney Stables into the Saratoga Race Course Walk of Fame. The honorees will unveil their plaques during the New York Racing Association’s annual Red Jacket Ceremony, scheduled for 12:15 p.m.
The 2015 season at historic Saratoga Race Course continues through Labor Day, Monday, September 7. For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit NYRA.com or call 518-584-6200.