Next summer's racing season is still more than eight months away but New York State Racing Association leaders are already planning to stick with a shortened weekly schedule at Saratoga Race Course.

NYRA President and CEO David O'Rourke said Wednesday that the organization will bring back the five-day per week schedule first introduced this past summer.

Historically, racing has been held six days a week with the track closed only on Tuesdays, but Mondays were added as a second "dark day" this past season.

Some in the downtown business community have asked for the dark days to be moved to Tuesday and Wednesday. But with paid attendance surpassing 1 million people for the fifth consecutive year and a record setting year at the betting windows, O'Rourke said the new schedule is a success.

“Handle was strong, which means the racing product was strong, very strong,” O’Rourke said. “Attendance was over 1 million and the workforce, I would say, was less fatigued by the end of the meet without having the grind of the six days.”

The schedule still has to be approved by the New York State Gaming Commission and Franchise Oversight Board, but O'Rourke expects that to happen within the next month.

Under NYRA's proposed plan, the 40-day meet will once again begin on a Thursday and end Labor Day.