Saratoga Set For Scorching Opening Day On 150th Anniversary

Saratoga Race Course today kicks off a 40-day meet with a 10-race card as the track celebrates its 150th anniversary. A heat advisory will go into effect from 12:00-8:00pm ET, but NYRA officials are "planning to go ahead with the Opening Day festivities." The track last year drew an average crowd of 22,525 (Albany TIMES UNION, 7/19). NYRA President & CEO Chris Kay said that the organization's staff is "accustomed to and adept at dealing with hot weather days at Saratoga. We anticipate a normal day of racing" (THE SARATOGIAN, 7/19).

NBC Sports will air its third year of the "Summer at Saratoga" series of races on NBCSN and the flagship network. NBC Sports Group VP/Programming & Owned Properties Gary Quinn discussed coverage plans in a Q&A (Albany TIMES UNION, 7/19).