SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Thoroughbred racing fans have the opportunity to purchase season tickets to Saratoga Race Course for the 2022 summer meet beginning Wednesday, March 23.
This announcement marks a return to the traditional sales cycle and the first time in three years that visitors can plan ahead for the upcoming Saratoga racing meet. The previous two summers included the inability of fans to attend in 2020 and an expedited sales calendar in 2021.
Full-season ticket plans, which include admission and reserved seats for the entire 40-day meet, will be available for purchase online through NYRA.com. Fans can access the Saratoga Virtual Venue seating map to digitally preview their seat location and sightlines before purchasing their season tickets which come bundled with admission.
Highlighted by the 153rd renewal of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers on August 27 and the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on Aug. 6, the 2022 summer meet will open on Thursday, July 14, and continue through Monday, Sept. 5. Following the four-day opening weekend, racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, apart from the final week, when the meet will conclude on Labor Day.
“As we celebrate the official start of spring and look forward to the opening of the historic Oklahoma training track in mid-April, we are excited to launch sales for season tickets and season admission passes for the 2022 Saratoga meet,” NYRA’s vice president of sales and hospitality Kevin Quinn said in a press release. “This announcement marks a return to our traditional on-sale date for season tickets and is certainly meaningful in representing a return to pre-pandemic normalcy. We hope our fans are as excited as we are to once again be able to plan well in advance to attend Saratoga this summer.”
Season admission passes, which include entry to the track for all 40 days but not reserved seats, will go on sale Friday, April 1. Season passes for the grandstand will be available for $60 (daily grandstand admission is $7). Clubhouse season passes are available for $85 (daily clubhouse admission is $10).
Season passes provide value to fans who regularly attend the races, as a 2022 season pass will pay for itself in nine visits to Saratoga Race Course during the 40-day summer meet. In addition, a season pass includes Runhappy Travers Day, which would otherwise cost $20 for advance grandstand admission.
NYRA tracks are the cornerstone of New York state’s horse racing industry, which is responsible for 19,000 jobs and more than $3 billion in annual economic impact. As a not-for-profit corporation, NYRA has continuously enhanced the quality of thoroughbred racing in New York while completing important capital improvement projects to improve the fan experience, modernize facilities and grow the sport.
Current and recent upgrades include this year’s introduction of the all-new Paddock Suite and newly renovated Post Bar; last year’s addition of the Stella Artois Spa Verandas and Tailgate at the Turn; the opening of the 1863 Club in 2019 and the Cutwater Stretch in 2018; and the addition over the last several years of hundreds of free picnic tables throughout the backyard.
At Saratoga Race Course, these investments have yielded consistent and sustained results, and further cemented the reputation of the Saratoga summer meet as the finest in the world. Excluding 2020 when fans were not permitted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 marked the sixth consecutive season of more than 1 million in paid attendance at Saratoga Race Course. Average daily attendance during the 40-day meet was 26,162.
Fans who are interested in booking full group spaces for their outing to Saratoga Race Course this summer may now do so for the following hospitality areas: Paddock Suite; Stella Artois Spa Verandas; 1863 Club, including The Rail, Resorts World Legends Hall, and Luxury Suites; Big Red Spring Tent and the Festival Tent. Partial space reservations will be accepted beginning Thursday, March 24. Group reservations may be made by phone at 844-NYRA-TIX, email at boxoffice@nyrainc.com or online at NYRA.com/Saratoga.
More information about Saratoga Race Course is available online at http://www.NYRA.com/Saratoga.
