SARATOGA SPRINGS — A move of the $1 million Travers to three weeks earlier than usual highlights the finalized stakes schedule for the 2020 season at Saratoga Race Course.
The Grade I Travers will be run Aug. 8, placing it four weeks ahead of the rescheduled Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs. The move of the Travers also resulted in a change to several other 3-year-old stakes during the 2020 Saratoga meet, which will run from July 16 through Sept. 7.
The Grade II Jim Dandy, the traditional local prep for the Travers, has been moving to closing weekend and will take place Sept. 5 on the same day as the Grade I Woodward for older horses. The Grade III Peter Pan Stakes for 3-year-olds, which has been run at Belmont Park since 1940, has been moved to Saratoga and will highlight the opening day card July 16 alongside the Grade III Schuylerville.
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Under current New York state guidelines, Saratoga Race Course will open without spectators in attendance. The 40-day meet will feature at least one stakes race every day. In total, the meet features 71 stakes races — including 39 graded stakes and 18 Grade I events — with $14.45 million.
Along with the Travers on Aug. 8, the meet will be highlighted by the Grade I, $750,000 Whitney on Aug. 1.
Whitney Day will also feature two other Grade I stakes, the Personal Ensign for older fillies and mares and the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial for 3-year-old sprinters.
The Travers Day card will be augmented by the Grade I Ballerina for older filly and mare sprinter, the Grade I Test for 3-year-old fillies and mares. Rounding out the stakes offerings on Aug. 8 are the Grade III Waya turf sprint for older males and the Grade III Waya on the turf for older fillies and mares.
Saratoga’s New York Breeders’ Showcase Day, which has been run the day before the Travers since its inception, has been moved to kick off closing weekend on Friday, Sept. 4 and features five stakes for New York-bred horses.
The Grade I Woodward for older horses highlights a huge final Saturday of the meet on Sept. 5 and will be run alongside a trio of Grade II races: the Jim Dandy for 3-year-olds, Prioress for 3-year-old filly sprinters and the Glens Falls for older fillies and mares on the turf.
Four of the Saratoga stakes will offer qualifying points for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby and Sept. 4 Kentucky Oaks.
The top four in the Travers will earn Derby points on a 100-40-20-10 scale, and the Peter Pan is set up at 50-20-10-5. Kentucky Oaks qualifying points will be available in the Coaching Club American Oaks (100-40-20-10) and Alabama (100-40-20-10).
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2020 Saratoga Race Course stakes schedule
July 16, Schuylerville, Grade III
July 16, Peter Pan, Grade III
July 17, Shine Again
July 17, De La Rose
July 18, Coaching Club American Oaks, Grade I
July 18, National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, Grade II
July 19, Lake Placid, Grade II
July 22, Lubash
July 23, A.P. Smitwick (steeplecase), Grade I
July 23, New York Stallion Series Statue of Liberty Division
July 24, Quick Call, Grade III
July 25, Alfred G. Vanderbilt, Grade I
July 25, Ballston Spa, Grade I
July 26, Bernard Baruch, Grade II
July 29, Dayatathespa
July 30, John Morrissey Handica
July 31, Coronation Cup
Aug. 1, Whitney, Grade I
Aug. 1, Personal Ensign, Grade I
Aug. 1, H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, Grade I
Aug. 1, Bowling Green, Grade II
Aug. 1, Caress
Aug. 2, Birdstone
Aug. 5, Summer Colony
Aug. 6, New York Stallion Series Cab Calloway Division
Aug. 7, Saratoga Special, Grade II
Aug. 8, Runhappy Travers, Grade I
Aug. 8, Ballerina, Grade I
Aug. 8, Longines Test, Grade I
Aug. 8, Troy, Grade III
Aug. 8, Waya, Grade III
Aug. 9, Alydar
Aug. 12, Adirondack, Grade II
Aug. 13, Union Avenue Handicap
Aug. 14, Perfect Sting
Aug. 15, Saratoga Derby Invitational
Aug. 15, Alabama, Grade I
Aug. 16, Saratoga Oaks Invitational
Aug. 19, Bolton Landing
Aug. 20, New York Turf Writers Cup (steeplechase), Grade I
Aug. 20, Tale of the Cat
Aug. 21, Skidmore
Aug. 22, Fourstardave, Grade I
Aug. 23, Diana, Grade I
Aug. 26, Mahony
Aug. 27, New York Stallion Series Times Square Division
Aug. 27, Smart N Fancy
Aug. 28, Lake George, Grade III
Aug. 29, Sword Dance, Grade I
Aug. 29, Forego, Grade I
Aug. 29, Amsterdam, Grade II
Aug. 29, Saranac, Grade III
Aug. 30, Shuvee, Grade III
Sept. 2, With Anticipation, Grade III
Sept. 3, P.G. Johnson
Sept. 3, New York Stallion Series Park Avenue Division
Sept. 4, Albany
Sept. 4, Fleet Indian
Sept. 4, Funny Cide
Sept. 4, Seeking the Ante
Sept. 4, West Point Handicap
Sept. 4, Yaddo Handicap
Sept. 5, Woodward Handicap, Grade I
Sept. 5, Glens Falls, Grade II
Sept. 5, Prioress, Grade II
Sept. 5, Jim Dandy, Grade II
Sept. 6, Spinaway, Grade I
Sept. 6, Honorable Miss, Grade II
Sept. 6, Lucky Coin
Sept. 7, Runhappy Hopeful, Grade I
Sept. 7, Lure
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