N.Y. jeweler, Breitling off to the races

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.--Watch brand Breitling and upstate New York retailer Northeastern Fine Jewelry, the brand's Capital Region retail partner, will serve as the official timepiece sponsors of the 2010 season at the Saratoga Race Course.

The designation, announced recently in a New York Racing Association (NYRA) press release, means that both the Breitling and Northeastern Fine Jewelry brand logos will be featured on the Saratoga horse racing track and will be broadcast worldwide on NYRA TV.

The Breitling logo will alternate with the time of day between races as wagering odds are posted, while the Northeastern logo will appear on the "Minutes to Post" clock during the post-parade coverage, the release says.

The 142nd racing season at Saratoga kicks off this Friday.

In addition, Northeastern Fine Jewelry and Breitling will present special timepieces to both the owner and the jockey of the horse that wins the 141st running of the $1 million Travers Stakes, which is known as the "Mid-Summer Derby" and is scheduled for Aug. 28. During Travers Week, Breitling timepieces will be on display at Saratoga, courtesy of Northeastern Fine Jewelry, and throughout the meet, four Breitling-branded clocks will be featured at some of the race course's most historic locations, including the paddock and the Jockey Silks Room.

"Northeastern Fine Jewelry is honored to work with Breitling to bring such a prominent brand to Saratoga Race Course this season," Northeastern Fine Jewelry President and founder Ray Bleser said in the release. "We could not think of a more appropriate timepiece to align with the prestige, history and tradition that comprise the summer season at Saratoga."

In honor of its partnership with the race course, Northeastern Fine Jewelry, with two stores in Schenectady, N.Y., and stores in Albany, N.Y., and Manchester, Vt., was offering its customers the chance to win one of five VIP Clubhouse Box packages, which includes use of a Clubhouse Box, post-parade programs and parking, for a day at Saratoga Race Course during the 2010 meet.