The Fasig-Tipton Festival of Racing: The Intersection of Breeding and Racing

This intersection--Union and East--represents far more than the convergence of two streets in the Spa City. With the 2009 Saratoga race meet, it becomes a metaphor for the place at which breeding and racing meet, the Fasig-Tipton Festival of Racing.

This new festival is a gift to the Saratoga fans and players from Fasig-Tipton and NYRA. A majority of the beautiful horses sold on East Avenue end up racing on Union, at the most prestigious and important race meet in the world. It's a natural intersection, that a horse auction house and a racetrack should work together in this fashion. The Festival concept was foaled to honor this relationship between sales and racing.

The inaugural Festival honors the one and only Man O'War, who sold at the Saratoga yearling sale in 1918. Samuel D. Riddle bought him for a final bid of $5,000--and the rest was history. The new restaurant on the Fasig-Tipton grounds is named Man O'War for the great hero and alumnus of the Saratoga sales.

The Fasig-Tipton Festival of Racing takes place on the two days prior to this year's Sales: the Sales are on August 10th and 11th. The Festival takes place at the track on Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th.

Highlights of the Festival of Racing include the 82nd running of he Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney and the 84th running of the Grade 1, $300,000 Test on Saturday, August 8. Sunday, August 9 features the 24th running of the Grade 2, $250,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap and the 18th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Honorable Miss Handicap. Additionally this year, Fasig-Tipton will sponsor two new overnight stakes: on Saturday, the John Hettinger Stakes will be run on the main track, while on Sunday, the Finney Stakes will be run on the turf.

Fasig-Tipton will sponsor a "Best Turned-Out Horse" contest for both new stakes: the winning grooms will receive a cash prize of $500 for each. Celebrity chef and Thoroughbred owner, Bobby Flay, will do the race call for the Finney Stakes.

On Saturday morning, August 8, Fasig-Tipton and NYRA, ThoroFan and the New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) will host a free seminar, "From the Farm to the Finish Line" in the sales pavilion on East Avenue. Confirmed panelists for the seminar include Hall of Fame Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, Case Clay of Three Chimneys and Consignor Meg Levy. Free tickets for this event will be available through the NYTB by phoning (518) 587-0777, or may be picked up at the ThoroFan booth at the NYRA Open House on July 26.

Lest you believe that the only beings that race at this intersection have four legs and a mane--think again. The public is cordially invited to participate in the Fasig-Tipton 5K Race and Fun Run the following Saturday, the 15th. This race for two-leggeds will benefit New York backstretch charities, the Race Track Chaplaincy of America/New York Division, Anna House, Backstretch Employee Service Team (B.E.S.T.) and The Backstretch Education Fund. The one-mile Fun Run will kick off in front of the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion on East Avenue at 7:30 a.m.; the 5K Race will commence at 8 a.m. The race will give runners the opportunity to run fast and turn left (a'la a horse race)--as the route takes them down Union Avenue to Henning and back to the East Avenue start. Entertainment, refreshments and awards will be presented to the top finishers in each division.

Information about the Fasig-Tipton Festival of Racing on August 8 and 9, and the Fasig-Tipton 5K Race and Fun Run on Saturday, August 15 may be obtained by contacting Anna Seitz at Fasig-Tipton at (859) 251-1555 / aseitz@fasigtipton.com.

Come to the Saratoga Race Course these two weekends and witness racing as you've never experienced it before: historic races and new stakes for those with four legs and a mane, and new foot races and fun-running for those who travel on only two feet. Your participation in the human races will help assure that vital services to backstretch workers will continue to be provided...and besides, you earn bragging rights to say that you raced in Saratoga. How sweet is that?