Revitalized lower Carousel to feature reserved table seating and sports bar; Premium section of picnic tables to be made available for reservation
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The New York Racing Association, Inc. today announced two enhanced hospitality areas for the 2015 meet at Saratoga Race Course which will be available daily for paid reservation and offer guests the most affordable reserved seat pricing at the historic sporting venue.
Reserved seating options in the all-new sports bar in the lower Carousel and a premium section of Saratoga’s coveted backyard picnic tables will be available for paid reservation beginning Tuesday, June 23 at 10 a.m. EST through Ticketmaster.com or by calling the NYRA Box Office at 844-NYRA-TIX. Reserved seating inventory is extremely limited and subject to availability.
“The lower Carousel, which has been tired and aging, will be reinvigorated and reintroduced to include a signature sports bar that will feature dozens of high-definition television sets,” said New York Racing Association CEO and President Chris Kay. “Within the popular backyard, we will have the same number of tables available on a first-come, first serve basis as last season and will add more than 100 tables for paid reservation for the ease and convenience of our guests. We are excited to offer our guests the opportunity to enjoy these two new hospitality areas at Saratoga Race Course.”
Located within close proximity to the trackside apron, the lower Carousel includes five dozen tables available for daily reservation and a new sports bar which features an extensive craft beer selection, popular food vendors, and 40 flat-screen televisions showing both racing and other sporting events. The new hospitality space also provides protection from the elements.
Four-person tables will be available for $35 on weekdays (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday); $50 on weekends (Saturday and Sunday); and $100 on Travers Day, Saturday, August 29. Six-person tables will be available for $50 on weekdays; $75 on weekends; and $125 on Travers Day. Table reservation fee does not include admission; personal coolers will not be permitted in the lower Carousel.
Saratoga guests will also have the opportunity to reserve a picnic table each day during the 2015 meet – an extension of the popular Travers Day program. More than 100 picnic tables, which each seat up to six guests, will be made available daily for paid reservation adjacent to the paddock.
Picnic tables will be available for $40 on weekdays; $60 on weekends and $100 on Travers Day. Table reservation fee does not include admission.
There will be no change in the number of picnic tables available for guests on a first-come, first-serve basis: 850 — the same number as in 2014 and a 70 percent increase in the number available to guests since 2011.
“It’s no secret that securing a coveted table at Saratoga can be a challenge. These new areas will make it possible for guests to enjoy a leisurely day at Saratoga with the guarantee that they have a seat waiting for them upon arrival, thereby eliminating the need to often arrive at dawn to claim a table,” said New York Racing Association Chief Experience Officer Lynn LaRocca. “These sections also offer guests the most affordable reserved seating on-track – breaking down to as low as $6 per person for a picnic table and $8 per person for a table in the Carousel.”
Daily reserved seats for the 2015 season are also currently on sale. Inventory is available on a first-come, first-served basis, may be limited in quantity and is subject to availability. Guests may visit www.nyra.com/Saratoga to purchase tickets.
2015 Saratoga season admission passes are currently available for purchase at www.nyra.com/Saratoga and at all Stewart’s Shops in Albany, Essex, Fulton, Montgomery, Orange, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Sullivan, Ulster and Warren counties. Valid for each day of the upcoming season, the 2015 Grandstand season pass is available for $35 and the cost of a Clubhouse season pass is $55.
Daily admission prices for the 2015 Saratoga season are $5 for grandstand and $8 for clubhouse, with the exception of Travers Day which is $15 for clubhouse and $10 for grandstand.
A season pass provides fans with the opportunity to enjoy 40 days of world-class thoroughbred racing at Saratoga Race Course, including the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on Saturday, August 29, the centerpiece of a supercharged Travers Day featuring seven graded stakes; and the Grade 1, $1.25 million Whitney anchoring five stakes on Whitney Festival Day, Saturday, August 8. Season passes may be limited in quantity and are valid for one admission, which includes one giveaway voucher, on all giveaway days.
Group sales packages for Saratoga Race Course are available for the following hospitality areas: At the Rail Pavilion; Luxury Suites (whole suite rentals only); Paddock Tent; Upper Carousel; Festival Tent; Big Red Spring Tent; and Top of the Stretch. Availability for weekend dates is very limited. Please call the NYRA Box Office at (844) NYRA-TIX or email [email protected] for pricing and availability. Visit www.nyra.com/saratoga for additional group information or to view a 2015 Hospitality Guide.
The 2015 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course begins on Friday, July 24 and concludes on Labor Day, Monday, September 7. For more information about Saratoga Race Course, call (518) 584-6200 or log onto www.nyra.com.