Travers Day at Saratoga Race Course - live updates (2024)

Check back for updates throughout the day on the sights, scenes, and of course, the races.

8:49 p.m.: Fierceness wins Travers

8:45 p.m.: Mac's take on Travers

8:15 p.m.: Friends and Fashion

8:00 p.m.: Jerkens stakes

7:45 p.m.: Sights and sounds of Travers Day

6:30 p.m.: Forego stakes

6:00 p.m.: Orange in a sea of pink

While much of the Travers Day crowd wore pink, a request by Thorpedo Anna trainer Kenny McPeek, as well as a tradition at Saratoga Race Course on big race days — Wednesday Wilton of Boston had something different in mind.

As unique as her name, Wilton wore a white scoop neck dress with oranges and green stems. If the dress wasn’t fetching enough on the blonde from Boston, her orange-themed fascinator stood out from the crowd.

“I love citrus, lemons and oranges,” she said. “I figured I’d make something fun. This is my first time [here.]. All the guys came up last year, so we decided we wanted to make it a big group trip.”

5:15 p.m.: Ballerina stakes

4:55 p.m.: Sword Dancer stakes

4:30 p.m.: Girls trip at the races

A group of five girls who all work at the same pharmaceutical company were enjoying a girls day at the track Saturday. Marissa Piezzo of Long Island said she had been to the track several years ago.

“We’re here for the vibes,” added Karly Hastings of Albany.

The women were all dressed for the sunny weather, too, noting it was a reason they came today, beyond it just being the biggest racing day of the summer meet.

“We’re enjoying the last little bit of summer,” said Kennedy Walsh of Pennsylvania.

They were also joined by friends Ashley Tahal of Schenectady and Samantha Paduani of New York City.

3 p.m.: Honoring Whitney, Hendrickson

1 p.m.: Working around Travers trip

Best friends Chris Roberts and Nick DeMatteo were hunkered down sitting in lawn chairs near one of the TVs in the backyard Saturday afternoon. The Schenectady natives became friends in high school and spent many days at the track then.

“We used to be here most days of the meet, but now that we’re older it’s mainly for the Travers,” Roberts said.

They’ve made it such a tradition that DeMatteo, who lives in Syracuse now, takes time off from work well in advance.

“It’s always a good time getting together,” said Roberts, who now lives in Connecticut.

People in the backyard have been thrilled by the start of the day's races, with some exciting finishes.

11 a.m.: A fun family and friends day

For years a group of local men have been getting up early and waiting in the long line outside Saratoga Race Course on Travers Day morning, just to get a group of tables past the gates.

It’s a tradition that, depending on who you ask amongst them, has been going on since either the 1980s or 90s.

“The guys come early and get the tables,” said Jack Parrish.

Jack Parrish was there with his brother Mike, who has been dubbed “Old Mike” since friend Mike Miakisz is jokingly called “Young Mike” and then Mike Meehan is known as “Mick.”

“You can’t have too many Mikes,” Jack Parrish said.

Also included in the morning crew was Paul Zeh and Kurt Bremer.

The guys claimed several tables for the clan of 50 people that includes some that journey from Florida, Texas, Connecticut, Georgia and downstate New York. Travers is a day they all mark on their calendar every year.

“It’s a reason for you to get together,” Bremer said.

“It’s just a fun family and friends day,” Jack Parrish added.

Jack Parrish said they pick a section of tables adjacent to the gates and next to the horse path because they get a nice look at the horses as they walk by, as well as some shade.

As the guys waited for the rest of their posse to show up, they were intently looking at the lineup for each of the races, which includes the big $1.25 million Grade I Travers Day stakes which has a lineup that includes Belmont winner Dornoch and Thorpedo Anna, a three-year-old filly aiming to be the first filly to win the race since 1915.

New York Racing Association handed out pink Thorpedo Anna hats and posters to people as they walked in this morning, while some people wore pink in support of the horse.

9 a.m.: We're Facebook Live

Lined up since Friday night