2026 DraftKings Travers Day

About this event

The 157th running of the Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers is on Saturday, August 29, 2026!

• Admission gates open at 9:00 a.m., when fans may claim free picnic tables in the backyard.
• All parking areas open at 8:00 a.m. Aside from parking, the grounds are not accessible before 9:00 a.m.
• First post time is 11:05 a.m.
• The DraftKings Travers goes off at 6:35 p.m., with the final race of the day at 7:09 p.m.

General admission is $25 in advance or $30 on the day of the event. Tickets may be purchased at the Saratoga Box Office (Gate A), by phone at (844) 697-2849, or at NYRA.com/Travers (Ticketmaster service fees apply to online purchases).

Breakfast at Saratoga, backstretch tram tours, and thoroughbred farm tours are not offered on Travers Day. Breakfast is available at the Finish Line Grill through 11:00 a.m.

The Travers Stakes is one of the oldest stakes races for three-year-old horses in the United States, and is the traditional centerpiece of the annual Saratoga summer meet. The race is named for William R. Travers, the first president of Saratoga, who won the inaugural running in 1864 with a horse named Kentucky. The Travers is considered one of the country's most prestigious races, and attracts many of the elite horses that contested the Triple Crown earlier in the year.

DraftKings Travers Day features five Grade 1 events among six stakes in total. In addition to the Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers, the program includes the Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign, the Grade 1, $500,000 Forego, the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, the Grade 1, $500,000 Resorts World Casino Ballerina, and the Grade 2, $400,000 Lake Placid. The Personal Ensign, Forego, and Resorts World Casino Ballerina each provide a "Win and You're In" berth to the 2026 Breeders' Cup World Championships, held October 30-31 at Keeneland.

The DraftKings Travers will be presented live on FOX as part of a two-hour edition of FOX Saratoga Saturday presented by Oceania Cruises, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Coverage on the FOX Sports family of networks begins earlier, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Beyond the racing card, Travers Day brings a full slate of on-site activities:

• Complimentary souvenir photo magnets, courtesy of On The Spot Photos, at the Jockey Silks Porch from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Tattoos from Saratoga Tattoo Company at the Jockey Silks Porch, $100 each, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.
• The Bulleit Woody, offering complimentary Bulleit bourbon samples for fans 21 and older, adjacent to the Backyard Bulleit Gazebo from noon to 4:00 p.m. while supplies last.
• Horse Sense, where fans can meet a retired thoroughbred inside Gate A from noon to 2:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
• A community outreach booth hosted by the Backstretch Employee Service Team (B.E.S.T.), providing health and wellness services to the backstretch community.