The Jim Dandy is opening what is shaping up to be a major August at Saratoga Race Course, with Renegade and Commandment among the horses drawing attention at the start of the stretch run. The race helps launch one of the busiest and most anticipated parts of the Saratoga summer meet.
Saratoga Springs has long been associated with the phrase "The August Place to Be," a nickname tied to the track's traditional late-summer spotlight. Even though the meet now begins in July — and started earlier than ever this year — August still carries special weight at Saratoga Race Course.
That is especially true because the calendar ahead also includes the Whitney and the Travers, two of the biggest events on the meet's schedule. With those races still to come, the Jim Dandy serves as an early marker for a month packed with marquee action.
The result is a familiar August buildup at Saratoga, where the modern schedule may start sooner but the biggest buzz still centers on this part of the season. As the Jim Dandy gets things going, the track moves into the period that continues to define its summer identity.
