The film was released on July 23, 1937, nearly seven weeks after Harlow's death. Saratoga was one of the year's highest grossing films due in part to Harlow’s death. Critical reviews were generally positive, despite the reviewers commenting on the sadness of seeing Harlow so soon after her death. Writing for Night and Day in 1937, Graham Greene gave the film a good review, claiming that it demonstrated "more than curiosity value". Greene noted that Harlow's acting achieved a high point in her career, and praised the film as having been "skilfully sewn-up [in such a way that] the missing scenes and shots lend it an air of originality which the correctly canned product mightn't have had: the story proceed[ing] faster, less obviously: the heroine less unduly plugged". (reprinted in: )
