As routine viewers of DRB should be aware, The Racetrack At Saratoga opens up next Friday July 20th.  What might be news to some, is that this year there will be 69 stakes races worth 18.8 million dollars in prize money.  And while there is a feature race (or two) every day of competition, it is the weekend (especially Saturday) that draws the best talent, vying for the biggest purses.  The most famous of the big races at ‘The Spa’, one that even the casual racing fan recognizes is the Grade 1 Travers Stakes. (August 25th)  It annually assembles the best three year-olds in the country, racing for a share of the $1.25 million dollar purse.  But there is plenty of great racing prior to that day.  So from now until opening day DRB will introduce you to some of the other feature races on Saratoga Saturday cards.

First up on Saturday July 21st is The Diana Stakes.  The first running of The Diana was 1939.  It was named for the mythological Diana- goddess of the woodlands, wild animals, and hunting.  It has been a Grade one stakes race since 2003, and has a purse of $500,000.  It is open to fillies and mares age three and up.  It is run on the turf and is one mile and an eighth (9 furlongs) in distance.  The record time for The Diana was set just three years ago (2015) when a horse called HARD NOT TO LIKE blazed her way around in 1:45:22.  The grass might have been singed after that performance.

Once the track opens and the feature races have committed fields to run, DRB will analyze each of the big races on Saturday, in order to give you a leg up on which horse might win.  So come on back.