Gangbusters! That’s the only way to describe a loaded weekend of horse racing, just in time for the dog days of August. sportsquare’s Dave Bontempo runs down the race card.

Every year, Saratoga Race Course entices the New York vacation crowd for a season of lucrative summer racing. The historic track unfurls the big money August 2 with the $750,000 Saratoga Oaks and $200,000 National Museum Racing Hall of Fame events. That’s huge news on a Friday.

A day later comes the $1 million Whitney, one of the signature events of the season. Its supporting cast includes the $500,000 Longines and the $200,000 Troy races.

Mountaineer Race Track, the one-mile oval bolstered by casino revenues, delivers the $500,000 West Virginia Derby and $200,000 West Virginia Governor’s Stakes on Saturday (note: August 3 has a special afternoon start, 2 p.m., rather than the customary evening post).

Also on Saturday, Del Mar Racing in California presents the $200,000 Sorrento Stakes and Yellow Ribbon Handicap. And Woodbine and Parx Racing chime in with a sprinkle of six-figure events on their cards.

Remember the days of taking in nine or 10 live races at the track? On most weekends, you can still find lots of high-quality races with the nation’s top jockeys and trainers. All you have to do is play online or at simulcasting events to place your bets.

Tip of the Week
Most top racing is relegated to weekends, but Saratoga has six-figure races every day next week, capped by the $500,000 Fourstar Dave on Saturday, August 10. It’s named for a thoroughbred that won at this track every year from 1987 to 1994 and was nicknamed the “Sultan of Saratoga.”

Don’t ever miss post-time! For all your racing and betting action, go to TwinSpires.com, the official online site of Churchill Downs Inc. TwinSpires lets you wager on virtually every Thoroughbred, harness and quarter horse race across the U.S. and around the world. For even more excitement, check out BetAmerica.com, which also offers a full slate of mobile sports bets and online casino games.

 

Both are owned by Churchill Downs, so no rivalry.