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The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has unveiled a packed 2026 stakes schedule for Saratoga Race Course, giving horse racing fans plenty of marquee events to look forward to — starting with the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and running all the way through Labor Day.
According to NYRA, the 46-day summer meet at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs opens Friday (July 3) and runs through Labor Day, Monday (September 7). The meet will feature 20 Grade 1 races among 73 total stakes, with more than $23.57 million in purses up for grabs.
Before the summer meet begins, Saratoga will host the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival for the third and final time, running Wednesday (June 3) through Sunday (June 7). The centerpiece is the 158th edition of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes on Saturday (June 6), with 10 Grade 1 races among 18 graded stakes spread across five days of competition. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.
The summer meet kicks off with a July 4th Racing Festival honoring America's 250th anniversary, featuring the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby and Grade 1, $600,000 Belmont Oaks — races that are typically held at Belmont Park but are at Saratoga this year due to ongoing construction at the Long Island track.
Two days in particular stand out on the summer calendar. Whitney Day on Saturday (August 8) will feature four Grade 1 events, headlined by the 99th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes. Then, on Saturday (August 29), DraftKings Travers Day brings the 157th renewal of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes — one of thoroughbred racing's most prestigious events — along with four other Grade 1 races, for a total of nine stakes on the card.
As reported by BloodHorse, 2026 marks the final year of schedule adjustments at Saratoga. When the new Belmont Park reopens on Friday (September 18), Belmont will once again host the Belmont Stakes and July 4th Racing Festivals beginning in 2027, and Saratoga will return to its traditional 40-day summer meet.
Also noteworthy: the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup returns to Belmont Park in 2026, serving as the feature race on that track's reopening day, Friday (September 18), after five years at Saratoga.
Saratoga Live, the award-winning television show produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, will return for its 11th season to provide daily coverage on the FOX Sports family of networks.
The complete 2026 Saratoga stakes schedule is available at nyra.com/saratoga.