Saratoga Race Track Betting Tips

Wizard Race and Sports’ expert handicapper, The Wizard, provides you with selections, analysis, and wager suggestions through his Saratoga Picks for some of the biggest cards in Thoroughbred horse racing at the Saratoga Racetrack.

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3. Saratoga Race Track Betting Tips For Today

Although Saratoga Race Course is considered the third oldest race track and course in the U.S., by many accounts, it is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the country. Saratoga has held racing annually since 1864, with very few exceptions. In 1896, there was no meet held due to a high volume of tracks in the area. It's Time for Opening Day at Saratoga! Horseplayers rejoice - Saratoga opens this week! Saratoga kicks off on Friday, July 18, and to celebrate, we've released our Saratoga Tipsheet to help you get an edge on the West Coast's top racing of the season.

The Wizard Race and Sports products are the only one of its kind where it is updated 30 to 60 minutes before the first post after late scratches and track conditions are known. That’s right; we are the only handicappers to resend our picks updated to help ensure you win big at Saratoga Park racetrack by always cashing winning tickets.

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Saratoga Race Track Betting Tips 1x2

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Wizard Saratoga Picks

Since 1987, The Wizard, the lead horse racing handicapper at Wizard Race and Sports, has been making winning Saratoga picks. His horse racing selections and handicapping expertise have stood the test of time (over three decades picking winners); his Saratoga selections speak for themselves.

Meet after Meet since the fall of 1987; The Wizard has been cashing winning tickets with his Saratoga picks.

Scroll to the bottom of this page to see his recent winning selections at Saratoga.

Wizard products are designed to help both the casual fan and the serious horseplayer. Before making selections, writing in-depth analysis, or plotting out strategies, I consider many factors. Among those important handicapping factors are:

• Daily onsite observations
• Trainer intention
• Trainers strengths and weaknesses
• Claims and private purchases
• Equipment changes
• Workouts
• Betting action
• Trips
• Track Bias information
• Pace analysis
• Statistical database going back over five years
• Breeding

Saratoga Racetrack Free Picks

The Wizard of Wizard Race and Sports is an expert handicapper that has been offering free picks and daily analysis for over 30 years (yes, you read that right – three decades). Sign up now to get access to his weekly free Saturday Pick (over $300 annual value for free!).

Saratoga Selections

Saratoga Selections

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Saratoga Racetrack

Saratoga Racetrack is one of the premier thoroughbreds meets in the world. The most competitive trainer and riding colony are on display. Trainer Chad Brown has been the ‘king-pin’ at Saratoga in recent years.

Entries from his large stable fill many races, especially those run on the grass. Brown wins many stakes events as well. Todd Pletcher is his main rival, with Christophe Clement, a horseman to be reckoned with. The Ortiz brothers, Jose and Irad, usually vie for riding honors, with Joel Rosario and Javier Castellano in close pursuit.

Sprint Races on the dirt are run at 5 ½, 6 ½, and 7 furlongs. 2-turn races are usually run at 1 1/8 miles with a few at longer distances.

Saratoga uses two turf courses-the inner turf and the Mellon turf course. Because they have two grass courses, it is not unusual to see 5-6 races a day run on the grass during the Saratoga meet. Saratoga was once known as the ‘graveyard of favorites.’ In recent years that has not held up, as the betting favorites have done quite well.

After the races, Saratoga Springs offers a wide array of dining and drinking experiences. The town is always hopping with live entertainment.

Saratoga Racing Season

The meet today lasts 40 racing days, with races held five days per week, and traditionally spans from mid-July through Labor Day in early September. The meet has been lengthened gradually since that time; for many decades, the meet lasted four weeks and began in late July or early August.

Each summer, from Mid-July to Labor Day, 5-days a week, Wednesday through Sunday, the most competitive thoroughbred horse racing is conducted.

Saratoga Stake Races

Many prestigious stakes races are run during the meet, highlighted by the Grade 1 Alabama and the Grade 1 Travers, known as the Mid-Summer Derby. Both these races are for 3-year olds, the Alabama is for fillies, and the Travers is for males.

Saratoga Track History

Standardbred racing began in Saratoga Springs as early as the mid-1800s. By the mid-1800s, Saratoga was the summer home of many wealthy Americans and internationals, and a hotbed of tourism and gambling. In 1863, future congressman John Morrisey held the first thoroughbred race card on the current location of the Oklahoma Training Track.

In 1864, the existing track opened its doors. Key figures in the creation were John Hunter, William R. Travers, and Cornelius Vanderbilt.

The late 1800s were a period of decline for the Race Course. In 1892 it was purchased by notorious gambler Gottfried “Dutch Fred” Waldbaum. Who also operated the infamous Guttenberg racetrack in North Bergen, New Jersey. Finally, it was purchased in 1901 by a group of investors led by William Collins Whitney, who made significant improvements and restored its reputation, inline to how we know it today.

Although Saratoga Race Course is considered the third oldest race track and course in the U.S., by many accounts, it is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the country.

Saratoga has held racing annually since 1864, with very few exceptions. In 1896, there was no meet held due to a high volume of tracks in the area. Then in 1911 and 1912, anti-gambling legislation eliminated racing for those summers. From 1943-45, racing was suspended due to World War II.

When Triple Crown victor Gallant Fox was defeated by a horse (Jim Dandy) with 100-1 odds in 1930, Saratoga became known for its ominous nickname “The Graveyard of Champions.”

In the 1960s, the grandstand was expanded, doubling the seating capacity. In 1999, Saratoga Race Course was rated as Sports Illustrated’s #10 sports venue of the 20th Century, alongside iconic American venues Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium, Augusta National Golf Club, and Lambeau Field.

Our Saratoga Picks are Different

Wizard Race and Sports’ leading handicapper, The Wizard, has been a horse handicapping leader for over three decades and is committed to bringing back professionally handicapped horse racing picks to the masses. No more automated selections for horse racing picks were completed in minutes.

Saratoga Race Track Betting Tips 10

Our team spends hours preparing our selections and backs it up with detailed analysis. Unlike these charlatans, our professional handicappers do their homework, and you can see this clearly in all our premium products. Our products break from the industry mold of cheap picks, bringing world-class handicapping to the masses at affordable prices with something for the novice or seasoned handicapper.

Not only that, but the Wizard Race and Sports products are the only picks updated 30 to 60 minutes before the first post, after late scratches and track conditions are known.

Why Buy Wizard Race and Sports Saratoga Picks?

Wizard products are designed to help both the casual fan and the serious horseplayer. Not only are these the best Saratoga Park picks, but the information is simple and easy to understand.

We created Wizard Race and Sports from the ground up to make educating, researching, picking winners, handicapping, and interacting with other handicappers, transparent and approachable for newcomers and experts alike.

Wizard’s Saratoga Picks

Editor's Note (2/19/21): The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has announced that the 2021 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course will take place from July 15 through September 6. The information below reflects 2019, but we will update it with 2021 details as soon as they are released by NYRA and New York State.

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During your first trip to Saratoga Race Course, the thought of placing a bet may be exciting, but also a little intimidating. You may be worried about locating the clerks, using the right racing terminology, or even how much to bet based on the odds.

To help out first-time betters or those who may not have been to the track in awhile, we've put together this handy guide to placing a bet at Saratoga Race Course. Once you read through the steps, you'll realize it's not as confusing as it seems!

*NOTE: You must be 18 or older to wager at Saratoga Race Course.*

Step 1: Study Up!

People joke that they make bets on horses based on the color of the jockey's silks, or because you like the horse's name. So certainly you don't have to become an expert who reads The Daily Racing Forum or studies the charts. However, short of winging it completely at the betting window, it's good to understand that a lot about betting is based on being prepared to make the best bet you can. Veteran gamblers spend hours studying past results and examing race conditions and betting odds. We say that being prepared before hitting the clerk's window or touchscreen machine enhances the track experience. Here are five pieces of information you need to know before you make that bet:

1. Name of the racetrack
2. Race number
3. Dollar amount of your bet
4. Type of bet
5. Number (NOT name) of the horse(s) you're betting on

Some of these are more confusing than others, so we've clarified them below!

Types Of Bets

Straight Wager Bets:

• Win: Pick a horse to finish first
• Place: Pick a horse to finish first or second
• Show: Pick a horse to finish first, second, or third

Exotic Wager Bets:

• Exacta: Pick the first and second place finishers in the exact order
• Trifecta: Pick the first, second, and third place finishers in the exact order
• Superfecta: Pick the first, second, third, and fourth place finishers in the exact order

Multi-Race Bets:

• Daily Double: Pick the winner in two consecutive races
• Pick Three: Pick the winner in three consecutive races
• Pick Four: Pick the winner in four consecutive races
• Pick Five: Pick the winner in five consecutive races
• Pick Six: Pick the winner in six consecutive races

Calculating Your Payout

Payouts are determined by the number of horses in the bet, the odds, and the wager amount. Exotic and multi-race bets are more complicated to figure out, but calculate your straight wager bets as follows:

1. Use the odds as a fraction and divide it to get a decimal (ex. 5/1 odds = 5 and 7/2 odds = 3.5)
2. Multiply that decimal by your wager amount (ex. 5 x $2 or 3.5 x $20)
3. Add your wager amount to the product you got in the step above (ex. $10 + $2 or $70 + $20)

Step 2: Find The Betting Windows

Once you've figured out all of the relevant information, including how much money you'd like to wager based on your desired payout and which type of bet you'd like to place, it's time to make a wager. This is where you have the option to use a live teller or make use of the self-service terminals located throughout the racetrack.

At Saratoga Race Course, you can find live teller wagering windows and self-service terminals throughout the racetrack. A large bank of mutuel windows is located under the Clubhouse, which is in between the Grandstand and the At The Rail Pavilion. Head to the nearest window or terminal and give the clerk the five pieces of information you gathered in Step 1. You would say, for example, 'At Saratoga, Race 3, $5 to win on number 6.'

Touch-Screen Betting

Automated betting can also be done through self-service touch screen terminals. To use these machines, you can insert a betting voucher, or winning mutuel ticket, or in some cases cash. More veteran track goers can also use a NYRA Cash Card or NYRA Bets Account Card, which is convenient for those who prefer to bet in a more private setting. The only word of caution with touch-screen wagering is to double check your ticket before leaving the window or the self-service terminal.

Vouchers can be purchased at all windows; vouchers and NYRA Cash Cards can be purchased at voucher selling windows.

Step 3: Watch The Race

Enjoy the race, and keep track of which horse(s) you've bet on!

If your horse wins, proceed to Step 4. If not, return to Step 1.

Step 4: Claim Your Bet

Saratoga Race Track Betting Tips For Today

Return to the window where you placed your bet, and present your winning ticket to the clerk. You'll receive your cash winnings on the spot. Same goes for the touch-screen windows. As soon as the race results have been deemed official by track personnel, the payoffs will be posted on TV terminals and on the big board on the track's infield.

If you win big, be sure to tip the clerk - it's a polite move to make.

Hopefully, you're now a believer that placing a bet at Saratoga Race Course really isn't so complicated. For those visual learners out there, we've created a simple infographic that explains all of the above information. See the infographic »

Do you have other questions about Saratoga Race Course? Check out our FAQs section and see if the answers are waiting for you!

For more Saratoga Race Course information, visit SaratogaRaceTrack.com or NYRA's website.