Sunday’s 12th race at Saratoga appeared routine—until it wasn’t. After the horses crossed the finish line and results were declared official, it emerged that the race had been run at the wrong distance. Instead of the scheduled 1 1/8 miles, the finale went off at 1 1/16 miles, a mistake that could stem from a misplacement of the starting gate or a lapse in pre-race checks. Since the error was discovered only after results became official, all wagers will stand, leaving bettors without refunds or adjustments.

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has launched an internal review but has yet to provide a timeline for its findings.

Racing reporter David Grening noted the déjà vu moment on X (formerly Twitter), sparking frustration among horsemen and bettors. In 2018, the starting gate was placed too far back, extending a 1 1/16-mile race to 1 1/8 miles. On May 27, 2024, Aqueduct saw a race shortened from 5 1/2 furlongs to five due to a program graphic error.

The splits and final time shown on the television broadcast indicated something was off. The quarter-mile was recorded in 26.14, the half-mile in 50.38, and the six-furlong mark in 1:23.97, with a final time listed as 2:41.11. Per BloodHorse, that final time would be unrealistic even for a race run at 1 1/2 miles.

That incident has fired up a fan debate that is shooting back at the New York Racing Association. Neither the association nor the stewards were spared after the incident came to light.

Horse racing fans fume at Saratoga stewards after horrible mistake

Reaction was swift and heated. “How does this happen? Lack of institutional control… something needs to be done,” one fan wrote. Another scoffed, “An 8 1/2-furlong race finishing in a two-mile time when it was supposed to be nine furlongs? Wild.” Others were more blunt: “Only NYRA. Typical NY cr-p.” While some more fans needed to see some action happening to avoid such blunders in the future, “Someone needs to be fired.”

Bettors were especially vocal, with one calling the error “a sin to the bettors.” Approximately $4 million in wagers—factoring in multi-race bets—were riding on the outcome.

Ricardo Santana Jr. piloted Fidelightcayut to victory in the New York-bred allowance, returning $10.80 to win. NYRA spokesman Pat McKenna acknowledged the error: “NYRA is reviewing the circumstances around Race 12, which was contested at the incorrect distance of 1 1/16 miles rather than 1 1/8 miles.” With the race already official, however, the payoffs will remain unchanged.

What is your take on the issue? Let us know in the comments below.