Name: Embrace The Belmont III
Start: 2026-06-02T17:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-06-02T19:30:00-04:00
Location: Universal Preservation Hall

“Embrace the Belmont III” is intended to bring the Saratoga Springs year-round community together to learn about basic handicapping and to get to know the 2025 Belmont Stakes field.
This opportunity will help Saratoga Springs business owners, professionals, and year-round residents better understand horse racing. This group accepts horse racing and even appreciates the tourism (aka “business”) it brings to their town. Still, we want them to embrace the sport, understand it well enough to explain it, and perhaps even bring people to the track one day!
2024’s “Embrace the Belmont” was a sold-out event held at the National Museum of Horse Racing and Hall of Fame, and while we appreciate the Museum for hosting the event, we needed a bigger space! “Embrace the Belmont II” was held at Universal Preservation Hall (UPH) and has proved to be a perfect space for our event.
The main event will take place from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2, with a cocktail reception before the event starts. The event emcee is Donna Brothers, who will be fresh off covering the first two legs of the Triple Crown for NBC Sports. Donna will lead our panel of expert handicappers in a discussion about this year’s Belmont Stakes field. At the end of the event, she will offer an optional “Handicapping 101” segment for those who wish to learn more about the basics of handicapping.
The admission price for the event is $58, an homage to the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes. VIP tickets are $158 and include a private reception room with an exclusive bar and hors d’oeuvres, as well as the opportunity to spend time with our three handicappers and local legislative and civic leaders.
This event is also a fundraiser for Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga (THS) and the Saratoga Hospital Foundation (SHF), and 100% of the proceeds will be split equally between THS and SHF.
THS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit horse sanctuary providing space for mental wellness through horse and human connection. THS matches humans in need with horses that offer healing. They works in partnership with local certified equine therapists who provide equine-assisted therapy (EAT) to our community’s most vulnerable populations. This includes adults and children with mental illness and social difficulties, veterans, families and couples, victims of domestic violence, and others in need of care.
The Saratoga Hospital Foundation is a 501(c)(3) philanthropic arm of the Saratoga Hospital healthcare system. SHF strives to ensure that resources are not an obstacle to excellence in healthcare. They serve the community by providing high-quality healthcare and connecting those in need with local healthcare providers.
Embrace the Belmont is the brainchild of Laura Simiele of Untamed Filly, Stars Aligned Stable, Host of the NYRA Morning Show; Rachel Dunn of Sackatoga Stable and StableConnect; and Donna Brothers. These three women are passionate about horse racing and the work of Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga and Saratoga Hospital Foundation, and created this event to share their passions with the community.