DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) and the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced an agreement establishing DraftKings as an official betting partner of both Saratoga Race Course and the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival as well as the presenting sponsor of the 155th running of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers.
The DraftKings Travers will serve as the centerpiece of the 2024 summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course, which will open Thursday, July 11 and continue through Monday, September 2. The blockbuster DraftKings Travers Day on August 24 will include five prestigious Grade 1 events in total, with live national television coverage on FOX and the FOX Sports family of networks.
Under the sponsorship announced today, DraftKings’ advance deposit wagering offering, DK Horse, will play a prominent role throughout the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and become presenting sponsor of the Grade 1, $500,000 DK Horse Acorn. Launched in 2023, DK Horse is a standalone app currently available in 20 states and allows eligible customers access to pari-mutuel wagering on domestic and international racing.
“Bringing DraftKings and DK Horse back to Saratoga for a second consecutive year is a tremendous honor,” said Christopher Cipolla, General Manager, Horse Racing, DraftKings. “Having our branding present throughout the summer at one of the most beautiful and well attended race tracks in all of the world and being named the presenting sponsor of this year’s Travers and Acorn further cements our commitment to the sport of horse racing.”
The DK Horse Acorn will anchor day two of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival on Friday, June 7, which will include three Grade 1 events among four stakes in total.
Highlighted by the 156th edition of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 8, the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will begin on Thursday, June 6 and continue through Sunday, June 9. The four-day Festival at Saratoga Race Course will include 24 stakes races with purses exceeding $10.1 million, the highest purse levels and number of stakes offered since the launch of the multi day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in 2014.
“DraftKings is a premier brand within the rapidly growing sports wagering marketplace, and this arrangement will help to introduce world class racing to a wider audience of fans and bettors, “said Tony Allevato, NYRA Chief Revenue Officer. “This will be a tremendously exciting year at Saratoga Race Course, and we thank DraftKings for supporting New York horse racing.”
The DraftKings and DK Horse brands will be displayed throughout the Saratoga property beginning in June, with a variety of on-site activations reminding fans of the broad availability of DraftKings products.
An active member of the American Gaming Association (“AGA”), DraftKings is committed to promoting the AGA’s Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly™ public service campaign, which educates customers on responsible gaming best practices, such as establishing and adhering to a budget and only engaging with legal, regulated operators.
DraftKings is committed to creating inclusive and responsible pathways for people to build, create, imagine and innovate through the DraftKings S.E.R.V.E.S. program.
Prior to the start of the 2023 season, the Saratoga County Industrial Development Agency released the findings of an independently commissioned study which attributed $371 million in economic activity and more than 2,900 jobs to the annual Saratoga summer meet. The report found that the overall economic impact generated by Saratoga Race Course has increased by 57 percent since 2014.