(Edited press release)
Saratoga Race Course will welcome college students back to their favorite course this fall with the first ever College Day Sept. 4, featuring a host of great prizes, giveaways and $1,000 scholarships to be awarded after each race by The New York Racing Association.
All students will receive free grandstand admission with a valid college ID.
"We are excited to provide our college students with a reason to visit Saratoga as they arrive back on campus," said NYRA executive vice president and COO Hal Handel. "We look forward to offering them the chance to win scholarship money as well as a number of other great prizes, and we'd like to wish all of them good luck with the new school year."
Beginning at noon, students may enter to win the scholarships and many other prizes at the Big Red Spring. The first 1,000 students to register will receive a commemorative College Day t-shirt, white with the phrase, “My favorite course…Saratoga Race Course” and corresponding artwork.
SUNY Cobleskill and the University of Arizona are partnering with NYRA to supplement the $1,000 scholarships with additional money toward tuition for equine related course work.
SUNY Cobleskill is offering to double the scholarship money awarded to students admitted into its Equine Studies program. Students interested in working directly with Thoroughbreds or in equine business management will receive $2,000 total toward their education.
The University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program will supplement NYRA’s offer with an additional $2,000 in scholarship money, for a grand total of $3,000 for those students accepted into its innovative track management program.
In addition to the scholarships, students may register to win many other prizes such as iPods, iTunes gift cards, a digital camera, $200 airline gift card, a DVD player, and gift cards to Target and Dunkin’ Donuts. Prizes will be awarded along with the scholarships after each race.
Students will be able to show off their talents outside of the classroom with activities such as team trivia with Albany Team Trivia and karaoke hosted by FLY-92. Karaoke will run from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. followed by trivia near the Big Red Spring.
Food specials will be available throughout the day as well. College students will receive vouchers worth one dollar off food and non-alcoholic beverages, courtesy of Centerplate, when they register for the scholarship drawings.
College Day coincides with the season’s second and final “Party at the Park,” with a special first post time of 2:30 p.m. The day will culminate in a live post-race concert featuring the acoustic harmonies of the Guthrie Brothers in the backyard.
For up-to-date information on College Day and other special events, please visit www.nyra.com/saratogaevents.