The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and the NBC Sports Group have announced the schedule for this year’s Summer at Saratoga series, with five live broadcasts from Saratoga Race Course, starting on Saturday, August 11, going through Saturday, September 1, and including marquee races such as the Alabama, Travers, and Woodward.

Last year’s NBC Sports Group coverage of the Saratoga meet marked the most extensive live national broadcast presence ever of racing from the prestigious track, and following the meet, NYRA and the NBC Sports Group announced a two-year extension for Summer at Saratoga, which will bring live national coverage of the Saratoga meet through 2013.

The schedule for the NBC Sports Group’s live coverage of the 2012 Saratoga meet is as follows:

• Saturday, August 11 – 6:00-7:00 PM ET – NBC Sports Network – Grade 2, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap
• Sunday, August 12 – 6:00-7:00 PM ET – NBC Sports Network – Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack and Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special
• Saturday, August 18 – 5:00-6:00 PM ET – NBC Sports Network – Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama and Grade 1, $600,000 Sword Dancer Invitational
• Saturday, August 25 – 4:00-6:00 PM ET – NBC – Grade 1, $1 million Travers, Grade 1, $500,000 Foxwoods King’s Bishop, Grade 1, $500,000 Test, Grade 2, $250,000 Ballston Spa presented by Jose Cuervo
• Saturday, September 1 – 5:00-6:00 PM ET – NBC – Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward. Grade 1, $500,000 Forego

Saratoga Race Course was named one of the world’s top 10 venues of the 20^th century by Sports Illustrated. From late July through Labor Day, many of the sport’s top owners, trainers, jockeys, and horses gather in Saratoga Springs for the premier thoroughbred racing meet in the country. First held in 1863, the Saratoga meet regularly draws more than 20,000 passionate racing fans to the track on a daily basis.