History
A quaint yet popular little town in upstate New York has been, for the past hundred years, home to the Saratoga racetrack. The Saratoga racetrack was first built in 1864 by William R. Travers and was first chaired by a popular member of the Jockey Club, John Hunter. Since then, the Saratoga racetrack has been home to the oldest thoroughbred horserace in the United States known as the Travers Stakes, in honor of its builder.As a reminder of Saratoga's rich history as a spa and resort enclave for the affluent of the late 1800's, Saratoga Springs still retains many historical and well-preserved Victorian-era mansions featuring ornate cast iron architectural features. Reflecting its 150-year old horseracing tradition, Saratoga neighborhoods are also famous for the numerous original cast iron Lawn Jockey Statues(Jockey Hitching Posts) and antique Horse Hitches on display. There are also several colorful Lawn Jockeys on display at the Saratoga racetrack. While in Saratoga, see how many of these cast iron antique Lawn Jockeys you can spot!
Because of its proximity to east coast iron forges and New York architectural houses, all of Saratogas traditional Victorian estates were not complete without a colorful iron Lawn Jockey on the lawn. With it's many outstanding examples of original Lawn Jockey ornaments, Saratoga Springs offers tourists a unique "window to the past" to how Americans lived a century ago before cars and electricity!
The Saratoga racetrack is one of the reasons why many tourists flock this county in New York. While in Saratoga, horseracing fanatics get an experience of a lifetime watching the historical Travers Stakes that has existed for over a hundred years. Horseracing fans can also visit the National Museum of Horseracing and Jockey Hall of Fame. A simple getaway during summer can be spent at the Saratoga racetrack watching the most exciting spectator sport and the sport of kings! On top of that, the Saratoga racetrack is also popular for its other moniker: the Spa. The Saratoga racetrack boasts of having numerous mineral springs surrounding it. The cold and hot mineral springs were originally believed to cure almost any medical condition. As a summer resort community, Saratoga Springs is also famous for over 20 golf courses to challenge the most avid duffer.
If you love horseracing, Saratoga is the perfect place to spend your summer vacation. The Travers Stakes that happens only at the Saratoga racetrack is scheduled to end its four-day race meeting on Labor Day – one of the anticipated public holidays in the US. While at the Saratoga racetrack, visit the various mineral springs, enjoy the nightlife and headlining concert attractions, pay a visit to the artists colony, say "hello" to the Lawn Jockeys... and just have fun. Historical Saratoga Springs has something for everybody. Click on the links in the Site Menu on the left to start planning your Saratoga Springs vacation today!
