OT: Saratoga Race Track
- Thread starter hunterm93
- Start date
Even if you lose you will love it. Used to go to the jazz festival and drop a few on the ponies and never had a bad moment. Downtown very cool and the surrounding area has some quirky spots as well. Explore...Enjoy...
Born in Saratoga and my family goes camping at Moreau every year. I suggest Hatties for fried chicken. Go to the track and get down and dirty on the ground. Nothing like feeling the horses go thundering by.
Bring in a cooler full of beer and sit outside on the Picnic benches under beautiful shady trees. You can bet out there and watch the Races on giant video screens. Get there early as the best spots go fast.
Coolers allowed at a Racetrack...what a great idea.
Coolers allowed at a Racetrack...what a great idea.
On the backstretch as I type. I think the biggest problem with a week to go will be lodging.
How many will be with you? Looking for fancy or reasonable?
Being here 4 days will let you be able to sit all over. Clubhouse, front side grandstand, backyard picnic area and along the rail.
This is a great town too. Lots to do.
Last night was day 1 of the 2 day Fasig Tipton Sales. An American Pharoah filly sold for $1,200,000. :eyes:
How many will be with you? Looking for fancy or reasonable?
Being here 4 days will let you be able to sit all over. Clubhouse, front side grandstand, backyard picnic area and along the rail.
This is a great town too. Lots to do.
Last night was day 1 of the 2 day Fasig Tipton Sales. An American Pharoah filly sold for $1,200,000. :eyes:
Just 2 people. Will probably go to track just 2 days on Friday and Saturday. Looking for nicer Hotel.
Check out The Inn at Saratoga. In the heart of town right on Broadway. Historic, upscale. Will be cheaper than the newer national brand hotels in town. But during season none of them are cheap. Since you are only going to the track 2 days and you might want a spa hotel than look into Gideon Putman over in Saratoga Spa State Park.
One of my favorite places in the world. Grab a Racing Form, breakfast, and a park bench in Congress Park and handicap the days races. One suggestion if you do not care what hotel, do a search on Hotwire.com. Rooms over the weekend can be north of $400, but I see a 3* hotel on their right now for about $250/night which is not bad. The Holiday Inn is quite nice believe it or not and is a nice walk to the track.
Do a tour of the backside - they start 7am each race day, start new every 30 minutes, and I believe the last one runs at 9am. Have breakfast trackside after the tour. Buffet style and the food is very average, but it’s cool to watch training while enjoying your meal.
Country corner cafe is right in town and a good breakfast spot.
There is free parking near the Alabama training track- a bit of a walk but nothing crazy considering it’s free.
There is a Price Chopper supermarket in town. If you bring a cooler you can get all your food, drink, etc. there to bring with.
There is a Stewart’s in town which sells the form. Nice to grab the day before or morning of to get a head start on your handicapping.
Saratoga Winery is nice - they have beer too.
Druthers is the brewery in town on Broadway. Good beer and gets packed. Live music nightly.
Casino is also in town and they have standardbred racing at night.
Have dinner at the Wishing Well. Each meal no matter what you order comes with slices of tomato and corn on the cob. Racing pictures all over the restaurant. Valeting your car is mandatory. It’s like a family restaurant for the wealthy.
Forno bistro is a nice Italian restaurant in town with good food. Not completely dressy but also not a spaghetti and meatballs place.
Stop at the battle of Saratoga on the way up. Can do the tour in your own car and can hop out for pictures and some of the nice views.
Visit Lake Saratoga. Some nice spots on the water right in town.
Drive up into the farm country up the hill from the Lake. Beautiful breeding farms and just gorgeous country.
I can go on and on about Saratoga. Can you tell? LOL
Country corner cafe is right in town and a good breakfast spot.
There is free parking near the Alabama training track- a bit of a walk but nothing crazy considering it’s free.
There is a Price Chopper supermarket in town. If you bring a cooler you can get all your food, drink, etc. there to bring with.
There is a Stewart’s in town which sells the form. Nice to grab the day before or morning of to get a head start on your handicapping.
Saratoga Winery is nice - they have beer too.
Druthers is the brewery in town on Broadway. Good beer and gets packed. Live music nightly.
Casino is also in town and they have standardbred racing at night.
Have dinner at the Wishing Well. Each meal no matter what you order comes with slices of tomato and corn on the cob. Racing pictures all over the restaurant. Valeting your car is mandatory. It’s like a family restaurant for the wealthy.
Forno bistro is a nice Italian restaurant in town with good food. Not completely dressy but also not a spaghetti and meatballs place.
Stop at the battle of Saratoga on the way up. Can do the tour in your own car and can hop out for pictures and some of the nice views.
Visit Lake Saratoga. Some nice spots on the water right in town.
Drive up into the farm country up the hill from the Lake. Beautiful breeding farms and just gorgeous country.
I can go on and on about Saratoga. Can you tell? LOL
All of what he/she said and more. Like to golf plenty of options. Like to ride a bike? Outstanding options including the Saratoga National Park. Awesome area.
Siro's is the most overrated, most expensive place in Saratoga.
The Parting Glass was just sold for big coin. New owners bought the name as well. Expect big drink price increases this season.
My favorite spot caught fire and is closed this season. Lake Local right on Union Ave on the lake just before the bridge. That place was awesome. Current pre-race spot for us is the Barrellhouse on Beekman. Great craft beer and terrific food.
Yes went last weekend. Stayed at Embassy Suites. Really liked the Hotel. It's only a few years old, so still looked very new. It included a great breakfast and Managers cocktail hour from 5:30--7:30 with free drinks. We got reserved seats in the new area called "the stretch" on Thursday and Friday and then clubhouse section K for saturday. Really like the stretch seating with waitress service and your own TV in front of you. I'm usually a bring your cooler guy at Monmouth, but decided on reserved seats since it was our first time at Saratoga. Betting wise I ended up breaking even for the 3 days, but just missed about a $1,500 superfecta in the 5th I think on Friday having 1-2-3 and then 5th. Hit one super for $500 and a couple of $100 exacta bets.Really liked the bar Hamlet and Ghost and had dinner 1 night at Salt and Char which was just ok. We didn't make any dinner reservations and it seemed like a lot of the popular places were booked up until after Travers. I was surprised how crowded it was each day and it seemed like it was Haskell Day at Monmouth every day at Saratoga. We did check out the springs one day. Had a great time and would definitely go again.
30 years ago this Saturday I made my first visit to Saratoga to see the rematch of one of the greatest Haskell's of all time. Forty Niner against Seeking the Gold. (rematch was just as good). Drove up that morning and went straight to the track. Stayed at some old motel along the lake. Left the next day. But not before seeing the town and area. Driving home I knew I had to go back to both the track and the town. Been going every year since. Leave Monday morning for my 3rd and last trip this year. Good week to go as the town clears out after the Travers. If I got the right job I'd move up there.
Glad you enjoyed it.
yes. that was a weird post. People bring coolers in all the time to Monmouth. even where it says they aren't allowed, people bring them. Bar they added at the finish line a couple of years ago is great.
Coolers are allowed. But only in the picnic area. They have never been allowed in the building. The change this year was a return to not allowing on the apron.
The MP ban applies to insulated coolers only. You can bring in bags of food and beverages to the apron and grandstand. I confirmed this with security and saved the voicemail from them on my phone just in case I need it someday. I freeze water bottles and use them to keep my refreshments cold. Wine and alchohol can be snuck in if you what to go through the trouble of disguising it. Beer would be tricky.
Tom is a great guy. Health issues forced him to retire. Saw him two weeks ago and looked great. Loves my dog.
There is a full wall picture at the HOF of Scotty Schulhofer standing in his spot on the far turn in the morning. I would talk with him every year at that same spot. I miss that true gentleman greatly. My love of horse racing is as much about the people that work that very hard life.
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Not worthy of a new thread but should be of interest for those that like Saratoga.
Starting next year the Saratoga Meet will start earlier, July 11th. The meet will still be 40 racing days. Racing on Monday has been eliminated to accomplish this. This has been under discussion for years for various reasons and came very close to happening last year. The start of construction of the new arena at Belmont tipped the scales to make it happen in 2019. Yesterday the stakes schedule was released. Every Saturday will have a Grade 1 race. 2 new stakes were added most notably The Saratoga Derby, $1,000,000 turf race for 3 year olds to be run August 4th.
Changes were soundly endorsed by everyone from horseman to the City of Satatoga Springs. For fans an extra week to get up there.
Starting next year the Saratoga Meet will start earlier, July 11th. The meet will still be 40 racing days. Racing on Monday has been eliminated to accomplish this. This has been under discussion for years for various reasons and came very close to happening last year. The start of construction of the new arena at Belmont tipped the scales to make it happen in 2019. Yesterday the stakes schedule was released. Every Saturday will have a Grade 1 race. 2 new stakes were added most notably The Saratoga Derby, $1,000,000 turf race for 3 year olds to be run August 4th.
Changes were soundly endorsed by everyone from horseman to the City of Satatoga Springs. For fans an extra week to get up there.
Opening weekend is now the same as the annual Dave Matthews Band concert st the amphitheater. Getting a room will be extra challenging.
I really like Dave Matthews music but I will never go to another of his concerts again. The absolute worst.
What might help is that Opening Day is being pushed back a day to Thursday. That helps me. I might be able to make it this year.
I hear you there. I go up several times a year and one of those trips was going up early Monday in time for the late morning workout and returning Thursday morning. 2 track days and a free day in between. It was great. So that trip is scrapped. However, I have a lot of friends who are in the industry and the 6 day week is a grind, many are very happy when it is over. They all work every morning anyway but having two afternoons in a row off will be great for them.
And afternoon bar business will be through the roof on Mondays with that gang having an extra free day [laughing]
