Grand prize winner to attend Travers Celebration and Travers Stakes in VIP style

The contestant on The Price is Right who won a Travers Day VIP package will arrive in Saratoga Springs just two days before the 142nd running of the Grade 1, $1 million Travers Stakes.

Tatiana Echevarria, 21, of Calabasas, Calif., won the “Showcase Showdown” on the popular game show last February that included a trip to Saratoga Race Course for the 2011 Travers Stakes.

City of Saratoga Springs Mayor Scott T. Johnson will join representatives from the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce to officially welcome Echevarria to the Spa City at the Saratoga Arms hotel on Friday, August 26 at 10 a.m.

"The city of Saratoga Springs is excited to have participated in the Price Is Right Showcase offering us a unique opportunity to showcasethe wonderful things that Saratoga Springs has to offer - from the summer excitement of Saratoga Race Course to the full fall foliage all the way to a winter wonderland of fun,” said Mayor Johnson. “As the mayor of Saratoga Springs, I am pleased on behalf of all Saratogians to welcome Tatiana Echevarria to our city, where the ‘price’ is always right.”

Echevarria will arrive in town on Thursday and attend the Travers Celebration, the official party of the Travers Stakes. Held annually at Saratoga Race Course, the Travers Celebration is a cocktail benefit fundraiser for the Backstretch Employee Service Team (B.E.S.T.) and the Times Union Hope Fund.

As the winner of the Ultimate Travers Day VIP Experience, Echevarria will enjoy the following during her visit to Saratoga Springs:

• A three-night stay at the luxurious Saratoga Arms hotel.
• A complimentary breakfast table at Saratoga Race Course on Travers Day to view the morning workouts.
• A complimentary table in the Turf Terrace, Saratoga’s full-service restaurant located in the historic Clubhouse, from which to watch the races on Travers Day.
• A VIP paddock tour, Travers merchandise, and a named race on Travers Day with the opportunity to present a trophy in the winner’s circle. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Tatiana to Saratoga Race Course to experience the social and sporting event of the summer season, the Travers Stakes,” said The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) Executive Vice President Hal Handel. “We truly hope she enjoys her visit to Saratoga Springs and has the ultimate Travers Day experience.”

“Our entire staff is very excited about hosting the winner of the game show The Price Is Right during one of the most thrilling weeks of our racing season,” said Saratoga Arms Proprietor Kathleen Smith. “From sitting in our rockers on our flower-filled front porch, to our Irish breakfasts and spa facilities, she will be treated like royalty - as we treat all our guests who return every year for the Saratoga races.”

“NYRA and Saratoga Arms deserve the credit for their willingness to put together a prize package that showcases a lot of what makes Saratoga so special,” said Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd L. Shimkus. “The exposure our community received by appearing on The Price is Right is a great way to highlight Saratoga County and the 2011 Saratoga Race Course meet.”

The 142nd running of the Grade 1, $1 million Travers Stakes will be held on Saturday, August 27. The Travers is the oldest major stakes race in the country for 3-year-olds dating back to 1864.