Bet to win.
Nottingham 2.40 sassy Bell – win bet.
Salisbury 8.23 Manxman – win bet.
Month: August 2023
O’Rourke: ‘There Is No Excuse’ For Impacts Of Last-Minute Surface Change On Horseplayers Aug. 6
After a tough weekend of racing at Saratoga which saw two fatalities and a last-minute blunder for horseplayers, David O'Rourke, CEO and president of the New York Racing Association, appeared on NYRA's Talking Horses broadcast Wednesday to address the controversial events.
O'Rourke extended his condolences to the connections of Maple Leaf Mel, who suffered a gruesome catastrophic injury in the stretch of the Grade 1 Test Stakes and acknowledged that the accident was unsettling for him.
“Forty-three thousand people were here and in a moment we were about to see triumph and it turned to tragedy,” said O'Rourke. “It shook me, it shook the entire racing world. It's nothing I've ever experienced before and hopefully never will again.
“It doubles down on our commitment to safety and everything we do is about safety.”
O'Rourke also addressed a last-minute surface change that upset horseplayers during Sunday's card. The track saw another fatal breakdown, this time of Ever Summer on the inner turf course in Race 4. After Race 5, O'Rourke said the jockeys requested a meeting with the racing secretary to discuss the conditions of the turf course and expressed concerns about the course's safety. Out of an abundance of caution, Races 7, 9, and 10 were moved off the turf, which had a significant impact on bettors who had already placed multi-race wagers including those turf races.
O'Rourke indicated that the original intention for NYRA had been to refund multi-race tickets but for some reason, it was unable to do so.
“The stewards ultimately make decisions about what are in the rules and what are not and sometimes you'll find gaps for strange situations, so we were not able to refund but we had made the decision to take them off the turf,” he said. “Now they're loading into the gate for the sixth. There was a request for time, we weren't able to get time, so now we're in the worst-case scenario where they're [the tickets] are becoming 'alls.' And there's no excuse for it.”
Andy Serling, who hosts Talking Horses ahead of each Saratoga race card, said horseplayers felt like “they got robbed” due to this last-minute change. O'Rourke apologized to bettors and indicated NYRA plans to reassess its communication protocols and to seed some pools in future to try to make up for what Serling called a “debacle.”
Watch the full appearance by O'Rourke below.
The post O’Rourke: ‘There Is No Excuse’ For Impacts Of Last-Minute Surface Change On Horseplayers Aug. 6 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
David O’Farrell Elected Chairman of TOBA’s Board of Trustees
David O'Farrell has been elected as chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association's Board of Trustees. Also joining O'Farrell on the Board of Trustees to serve
three-year terms as new members are Joe Appelbaum, Michael Banahan, Everett Dobson, Mandy Pope and R. Glenn Sikura.
Re-elected to three-year terms were current trustees Shannon Arvin, Jeffrey Bloom, Marette Farrell, Brant Laue, Garrett O'Rourke, and Stephen Screnci.
“It's an honor and a privilege to lead an organization that deeply cares about the economics and integrity of horse racing on behalf of owners and breeders,” O'Farrell said.
Following its annual members meeting, the TOBA Board of Trustees met to elect officers for the association.
Officers named for 2023-2024 are: David O'Farrell, chairman, Everett Dobson, vice-chairman, Dan Metzger, president; Doug Cauthen, secretary; and Garrett O'Rourke, treasurer.
The TOBA Board also approved the appointment of Alex Solis II to the American Graded Stakes Committee.
The 2023-2024 committee is comprised of TOBA members Everett Dobson (chair), Barbara Banke, Walker Hancock, Brant Laue, David O'Farrell, and Alex Solis II and racing officials Dan Bork (Churchill Downs and Ellis Park) Frank Gabriel (NYRA), Rick Hammerle (Kentucky Downs), Chris Merz (Santa Anita Park), and Tora Yamaguchi (Del Mar).
The post David O’Farrell Elected Chairman of TOBA’s Board of Trustees appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Rosario Off His Spa Mounts Wednesday; Camacho Set To Return Friday at Monmouth
Per agent Ron Anderson, Joel Rosario is off his mounts Wednesday at Saratoga as he still has soreness in his mouth after requiring stitches Saturday when Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic) tragically broke down in the GI Test S., NYRA's Keith McCalmont said in a tweet Wednesday. Rosario will aim for a return to riding on Thursday, Anderson added.
Per agent Ron Anderson, Joel Rosario is off his mounts Wednesday at Saratoga as he still has soreness in his mouth after requiring stitches Saturday. Joel will aim for a Thursday return. https://t.co/0Jc9OkErfe
— Keith-TripleDeadHeat (@TripleDeadHeat) August 9, 2023
After being sidelined more than five weeks due to an injury suffered in a spill on July 2 at Monmouth Park, jockey Samy Camacho will resume riding on Friday, the track said in a release Wednesday.
Camacho will ease into his return with three mounts on the eight-race card. The jockey, who remains tied for second (with Jairo Rendon) in the Oceanport standings, suffered a right shoulder injury in the mishap.
Samy Camacho | Monmouth Park Web
“I'm ready to come back,” said Camacho. “I feel good. I'm ready to go again. I'm not 100 percent, but I am close to being completely healed.”
Camacho said he intends to ride through the end of the Monmouth Park meet on Sept. 11 before heading to Florida to ride for the winter.
“His first day back we didn't want to overdo it,” said Mike Moran, Camacho's agent. “But he says he is feeling great and I'm looking forward to seeing him ride again.”
The post Rosario Off His Spa Mounts Wednesday; Camacho Set To Return Friday at Monmouth appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
