By: Fabiola Grosshan
Submitted: 2010-09-28 03:45:25 | Word Count: 535
The State of New York is the playground for quite a few high-status racing events, among which Saratoga racing reigns supreme in both the local and national horseracing scene. Standing out as the oldest sporting venue of its kind, throughout the years the Saratoga Racecourse has become one of the top options for wagering on purebred horseracing. Since 1863, the Saratoga has been the annual host of prestigious horseracing events, and over the course of time, this tradition was only interrupted by major historical impasses such as armed conflicts during World War II, which led to a temporary closing of the track. At present, the Saratoga Racecourse still organizes seasonal racing events, ending on Labor Day each year.
Starting 1864, one year after the founding of the track, the Saratoga Racecourse has also become the host of the Travers Stakes, which is a popular and much revered purebred horse race. Together, the Saratoga and the Travers have outlasted any other track or stake in history, and are nowadays enjoying more exposure and popularity than ever. Currently, Saratoga events are held annually, spanning over a period of six weeks, as opposed to the original four days of yesteryear.
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Since the Saratoga Racecourse has become a usual host for the Whitney Handicap, the Alabama Stakes, the Woodward Stakes, as well as other prominent Grade 1 races, the widely renowned arena attracts an impressively large number of track betting enthusiasts these days, presenting them with a multitude of wager opportunities. The Saratoga is also the playground for various Grade 2, Grade 3, ungraded, and even Steeplechase racing events, which significantly broadens the list of possible horse track betting options available with most racebooks.
The Saratoga Racetrack is the home of three different tracks, each with its own individual characteristics and purpose. The main piste is a dirt track, which spreads over 1 and 1/8th of a mile, the second is an outer turf track running slightly longer than a mile, while the third one is also an inner turf course, covering a distance of approximately 7/8ths of a mile. Although the inner turf course is the primary option for holding steeplechases, the other turf track is equally suitable for such racing events. The track covers 350 acres of ground, is situated in Saratoga Springs, New York, and operates during the summer season – which lasts from July to September.
Saratoga horse betting enjoys a lot of attention throughout the year, and is mostly done via dedicated US Internet racebooks. Nevertheless, you can also place your horse bets at brick-and-mortar bookies all over the country, as well as at dedicated track betting venues near the arena. While Saratoga horse betting primarily involves pari-mutuels, a growing number of US online racebooks prefer posting fixed odds wager options rather than pari-mutuel pools these days.
The major plus of pari-mutuel betting on Saratoga racing events consists in the substantial prize pools that accumulate when there is a lot of action going on in the horse-betting scene, thus rendering such wagers very profitable.
