NYSS finals to Saratoga

The Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund and Harness Horse Breeders of New York State have announced that Saratoga Gaming and Raceway will host the New York "Night of Champions" on Saturday, Sept. 16, and introduce the new Choose Six wager that night as well.

The evening will feature the eight New York Sire Stakes division finals with purses totaling $1.2 million.

"We are absolutely thrilled to be chosen to host the New York Night of Champions and we are looking forward to building on last year's success," said Skip Carlson, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway Vice President of Racing. "Our staff is very excited about providing the horse owners, horsemen and guests a very special experience."

The Night of Champions was originally scheduled at Yonkers Raceway on the same date, but due to ongoing construction, the raceway will not be able to host any of the New York Sire Stakes events scheduled there in 2006.

Saratoga Gaming and Raceway hosted the 2005 Night of Champions following the closing of Yonkers Raceway and it was the first time since its inception in 1990 that the Night of Champions had not been raced at Yonkers. It was a record breaking evening at the Spa oval with five of the eight champions setting or equaling the track record and four breaking the Night of Champions stakes record. The evening also featured the highest single-program purses in the 65-year history of the raceway and attendance in excess of 4,000, the largest in recent memory for live racing.

"Saratoga Gaming and Raceway took advantage of a rare opportunity last year to host the Night of Champions and provided an outstanding showcase for New York-bred horses—evidenced by the huge crowd, excellent handle and electrifying racing action on the track," said Harness Horse Breeders Executive Director Robert Brooks. "The Breeders are excited to see Saratoga Gaming and Raceway build on the success of 2005 and we expect a memorable evening again this September."

Carlson plans to launch the new Choose Six wager on the Night of Champions with a $25,000 guaranteed pool. He also hopes to eclipse the track's all-time handle record of $556,000 set in 2002; more than $400,000 was wagered on last year's Night of Champions.

"We are preparing a night of exciting racing action and a night to give harness racing the attention it deserves," Carlson explained. "We are also planning a $25,000 Open Pace and Trot to compliment the program and a giveaway to the first 2,500 in attendance."

The remaining New York Sire Stakes program events scheduled at Yonkers Raceway will be relocated and an announcement of those changes will be forthcoming. Every effort will be made to minimize date changes.

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