Courtesy of NYRA
By Paul Post
All-sources and average daily handle were both up and paid attendance totaled more than 1 million at this year’s Saratoga Race Course meet, despite the loss of a full day’s action because of severe weather.
The addition of Saratoga’s first-ever, four-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in June generated significant extra momentum for the regular summer meet, which concluded on Labor Day Monday, September 2.
Combined with major entertainment at other venues such as Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the impact was extremely positive for local businesses.
“Our lodging partners had a strong summer season actualizing year over year growth in both occupancy and average daily rate,” Discover Saratoga President Darryl Leggieri said. “June alone saw a nearly 20 percent increase in revenue year over year due to the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. These strong increases came off a record year for lodging in 2023.”
“The unique combination of the Belmont Stakes and our traditional summer meet created a vibrant atmosphere that drew visitors from near and far, benefiting restaurants, shops and other local businesses,” he said. “These events not only strengthened our economy, but also once again reinforced the fact that Saratoga Springs is a world-class destination for horse racing, and helped to shine a spotlight on our destination as a whole; that we can host world-class events in Saratoga County.”
The Spa City is scheduled to host the Belmont Stakes again in 2025 as a huge multi-million-dollar makeover of Belmont Park, in New York, nears completion.
All-sources handle for the summer meet totaled $803,806,964 compared to $799,229,288 in 2023, and average daily handle was $20,610,435, a 3.2 percent increase over last year’s $19,980,732 figure.
Records fell on both Belmont Stakes Day and DraftKings Travers Day. Belmont Stakes wagering hit an all-time high for a non-Triple Crown year, and all-sources Travers Day wagering was $63,023,405.
Both races were nationally televised and did a great deal to highlight the track’s beautiful setting in one of upstate New York’s most picturesque cities, with the Adirondack foothills just a few miles away.
However, average daily paid attendance for the 39-day meet declined 2.5 percent from 27,642 in 2023 to 26,951 this year, and total paid attendance dipped slightly from 1,105,683 to 1,051,092.
Local business and economic development officials are already working hard to build on the success of this year’s overall summer tourist season in Saratoga.
“The Live Nation concert program at SPAC started in mid-May with a sold out show for Hozier and will continue through the end of September with Farm Aid,” said Todd Shimkus, Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce president. “This extended our summer season with visitors for these concerts from May through September. SPAC saw an increase in ticket sales for the Jazz Festival, the New York City Ballet and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Saratoga Race Course again attracted more than 1 million fans. No doubt local residents, businesses, elected officials, and visitors continue to talk about the Belmont Stakes Festival at Saratoga and our Belmont On Broadway concert, which helped to solidify Saratoga’s standing as a major events destination for years to come. Our job now is to make sure that 2025 offers an even better experience for those who decide to come back for both of these signature events.”
“Sales taxes paid to the city and county as well as the revenue per available rooms at local hotels all indicate growth in business from 2023 to 2024, but that doesn’t necessarily mean every business shared in this experience,” Shimkus said. “Every year we have variation in the lodging, restaurant and retail sector based on factors such as changing consumer interests, hotel and restaurant pricing, changing hours of business and staffing capacity. This year, like others, we will have some businesses with record sales and others who saw a decline, but overall demand for hotel rooms was up and where people stay is where they spend their money.”
New York Racing Association spent millions of dollars on capital upgrades and new programs to benefit fans and employees alike at Saratoga Race Course this year.
One of the noteworthy highlights was the introduction of the NYRA Students of Thoroughbreds and Racing (STAR) program. As many as 850 youth participated in the inaugural program, which provided them with behind-the-scenes access into the world of thoroughbred racing. NYRA STAR members experienced Saratoga through exclusive on-track events and educational opportunities, culminating in an end-of-season celebration on the final Sunday of the summer meet.
A new 6,000-square-foot, 116-unit dormitory on the Oklahoma Training Track is the latest in a series of actions taken to improve housing for backstretch workers. Plans call for renovating and modernizing existing housing on both the Oklahoma and main track with new dormitory construction planned through 2025.
Major renovations were also done at the lower level of the Clubhouse highlighted by a new Jim Dandy Bar, a new Clubhouse Grill and an expansive drinking rail that provides an unobstructed view of the paddock.
The always popular Saratoga Breakfast and Breeding Farm tour was expanded to include Sugar Plum Farm, which joined Old Tavern Farm and Song Hill Thoroughbreds. The program, which features Breakfast at Saratoga and a guided tour of a local breeding farm, was offered four days each week of the racing season.
Also, NYRA hosted first responders from across New York state on Thursday, July 25 and paid special tribute on Military Appreciation Day (Aug. 22) to three New York Army National Guard soldiers from the Capital Region whose helicopter crashed earlier this year, killing two and seriously injuring the third.
The meet also provided a fund-raising platform for non-profits such as Special Olympics New York, which conducted a special 50/50 raffle fund-raiser on August 23 that generated $14,110. The prize was split between Special Olympics New York programs and the winning ticket holder. NYRA also hosted 39 partners at its annual Community Booth that helps nonprofit organizations raise awareness and funds for their programs and missions.
Hockey and horses were the theme of two special events as Saratoga hosted a visit from the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup on Saturday, Aug. 31, courtesy of St. Elias Stable and Florida Panthers principal owner Vincent “Vinnie” Viola. Saratoga also welcomed players and staff from the 2014 Union College Hockey men’s national championship team on Friday, July 19 in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the local college’s historic achievement.
NYRA continued its annual partnership with the signature Taste NY program that featured small producers of spirits, wines and beers from across the state, showcasing and sampling their products to an enthusiastic audience within the Taste NY Pavilion every Thursday through Sunday during the meet.
“Over the course of a four-day weekend in June and throughout our traditional summer meet in July and August, our fans embraced all that makes Saratoga so special,” NYRA President and CEO Dave O’Rourke said.