“From New York City you drive north for about 175 miles, turn left on Union Avenue and go back 100 years,” according to renowned sports writer Red Smith, when he wrote about the history and tradition of Saratoga Race Course in the early 1960’s.

In 2013, Saratoga will go back 150 years to celebrate an important milestone –  the birth of Thoroughbred racing – with social media interaction and online participation that could never have been imagined when Saratoga Race Course was founded in 1863.

According to an announcement today by William Dake, a committee member and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Stewart’s Shops, a website outlining the celebration and a new logo was introduced today.

The official name of the celebration is Saratoga 150, and the new website address is www.Saratoga150.com.

An oval-shaped, red and gold logo similar to the one used in celebrating the 100th anniversary was presented today at a press conference held at the Horse Haven track site, where Saratoga’s first Thoroughbred race was run. The logo will be used on souvenir merchandise and promotional programs and will be available for use by sponsors and promotional partners. Trademark protection materials are currently being filed. Charles Hayward, President and CEO of The New York Racing Association, and a Saratoga 150 committee member, said at the news conference, “Saratoga is one of the oldest sporting facilities in the United States.  Since its infancy Saratoga has been the centerpiece of Thoroughbred racing in the nation, and it is a remarkable and proud fact that it remains so today.”

The Adirondack Trust Company was the first corporate entity to step forward with an initial sponsorship consisting of seed money to carry on preliminary planning through this year. Other businesses that wish to sponsor 150th events or programs may contact the committee at info@Saratoga150.com.

Known as the graveyard of champions, dating back to the defeat of Man O’War by Upset, and acclaimed by Sports Illustrated as one of America’s top ten sports venues, the Saratoga Race Course and its 2013 racing meeting will be the centerpiece of the 150th  festivities, encircled by a wide variety of tribute programs, in and around the Spa City, spanning from May into September 2013.

The Saratoga 150 committee of business and civic-minded citizens, is formulating a preliminary plan for the celebration. Although the specific five-month 150th calendar is currently in its initial formulation stage, the committee plans to include all facets of life in the Saratoga region – racing and non-racing events and activities at a variety of venues.    Official Saratoga 150 celebration events will include existing, re-themed events, and programs from non-profit organizations and facilities that wish to initiate and host events that will add to the celebratory nature of the sesquicentennial year.

The request for event ideas and hosting offers will be conducted, locally and internationally, following an announcement this Fall outlining the forum for submitting ideas.

Research is underway to learn of racing-related festivals in major thoroughbred countries such as Great Britain, Australia, France and the United Arab Emirates.

Saratoga’s presenting organizations will include every type – fraternal, civic, social, arts, religious, educational and service, as well as non-profit institutions and facilities. The committee and the event hosts will draw heavily on the volunteer community that has been so active and enthusiastic in Saratoga for decades.   Saratoga’s spirit of volunteerism has been the backbone of its bold initiatives and has been credited with the city’s ability to defy economic trends and remain vibrant.

The first race was held on August 3, 1863, at the Horse Haven track on the Oklahoma side of Union Avenue. Lizzie W was the first Thoroughbred to ever cross the finish line at Saratoga before a crowd of about 5,000 who were seated in covered stands that housed a club room under the spectators’ structure.

The now world-famous track was founded by John Hunter and William R. Travers, who were backed by John Morrissey, a boxer and politician who was influential and wealthy, but not considered highly-respectable.   The Travers Stakes, the oldest stakes race in the country, was inaugurated the following year, in 1864, when the track was moved across the street to its current location.   The Horse Haven track was built in 1847 and used as a trotting track until the start of Thoroughbred racing 16 years later.

In addition to traditional promotional elements, a variety of digital and social media initiatives will be utilized to promote Saratoga’s 150th celebration, including virtual experiences, social media networking,  online videos and promotion, and other digital programs that exemplify the technology gap between the era when Saratoga racing was founded and today’s every-changing technological progress.

High-definition videos are currently being shot at Saratoga Race Course with narratives by Jerry Bailey, Nick Zito and track announcer Tom Durkin. Public comments and questions related to Saratoga 150 may be directed to info@Saratoga150.com