Saratoga Opening 143rd Summer Meeting With New TV Deal With NBC

Saratoga Race Course today will open its 143rd summer meeting, and "many of Saratoga's premier races will be televised" nationally. NBC has agreed to "broadcast the featured races for the next seven Saturdays – eight hours in total – on its network" and on Versus. NBC will call the series "Summer at Saratoga" and is "talking to other racetracks with boutique meets like Keeneland in Lexington, Ky." (N.Y. TIMES, 7/22). Saratoga Springs-based Carr-Hughes Productions will be the sole producer of the "Summer at Saratoga" series (THE SARATOGIAN, 7/22). NBC Sports President of Programming Jon Miller discusses the net's decision to develop the series.
 
NYRA President & CEO Charles Hayward said that despite the heat in the Northeast, racing will begin today, as scheduled. There had been "speculation that the track might consider canceling the 10-race card because of oppressive weather." Forecasts call for temperatures today to reach 94 degrees Fahrenheit (TIMESUNION.com, 7/21).