The New York Racing Association announced March 13 the stakes schedule for the 2025 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which opens July 10 and continues through Sept. 1.
Highlighted by the 156th renewal of the $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1) Aug. 23 and the $1 million Whitney Stakes (G1) Aug. 2, the 40-day summer meet will offer 18 grade 1 races as part of 64 stakes worth more than $20 million in total purses—slightly down from the $20.75 million offered in 71 stakes in 2024. However, several stakes typically run during the summer meet have been moved to the July 4th Racing Festival hosted at Saratoga this year while Belmont Park undergoes construction.
Following the four-day opening week, racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, apart from closing week, when the 2025 summer meet will conclude on Labor Day.
In 2025, the Fourstardave Stakes (G1T) has been added to a blockbuster Whitney Day card that will now include four grade 1 events and six total stakes Aug, 2. Previously run the week following the Whitney, NYRA has also increased the purse of the Fourstardave by $250,000 to $750,000 for the one-mile turf tilt for older horses.
Saratoga Live, the critically acclaimed and award-winning television show produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, will return for its 10th season in 2025 to provide daily coverage and in-depth analysis of the summer meet on the FOX Sports family of networks.
Prior to the traditional 40-day summer meet, NYRA will hold nine days of live racing at Saratoga in 2025 inclusive of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival (June 4-8) and the July 4th Racing Festival (July 3-6) which comprise part of the 37-day Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet.
For the complete Saratoga stakes schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/stakes-schedule/.
