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Stakes Schedule Set for Belmont Park Fall Meet

The New York Racing Association, Inc. has announced race dates for the 27-day Belmont fall meet, including 38 stakes worth $5.58 million in purse money, that will kick off Friday, Sept. 18 and run through Sunday, Nov. 1.

Following opening weekend at Belmont, live racing will be conducted Thursday through Sunday with the exception of Columbus Day weekend, when live racing will be offered Monday, Oct. 12 and return Friday, Oct. 16.

The Belmont Park fall meet has traditionally opened on the Friday following Labor Day. Due to the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, NYRA adjusted the fall schedule by adding a one-week break following the conclusion of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course.

“This new fall schedule is the result of a collaborative effort between NYRA, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and the New York Thoroughbred Breeders to modify our racing calendar in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the industry,” said NYRA President and CEO Dave O’Rourke. “I’d like to thank the horsemen and breeders for their common-sense approach to solving the challenges brought about by this unprecedented public health crisis.”

The fall meet at Belmont Park will be highlighted by 22 graded stakes, featuring seven Grade I events and seven Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” qualifiers to the two-day Breeders’ Cup 2020 World Championships to be held Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course.

The first of the meet’s Grade I events begins with the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational, the second leg of the Turf Triple series for 3-year-old fillies Saturday, Sept. 19.

Five graded races will highlight the Saturday, Oct. 3 card, led by the GI Belmont Derby Invitational, second leg of the Turf Triple series for males, which offers a berth to the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf.

Columbus Day Weekend beginning Saturday, Oct. 10 and ending Monday, Oct. 12, will feature nine graded events worth $1.65 million, including four Grade I Breeders’ Cup “Win & You’re In” challenge races on Saturday led by the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, a “Win and You’re In” for the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The Saturday, Oct. 10, card is bolstered by the GI Champagne, which provides a spot in the starting gate for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

The card also includes the GI Flower Bowl with a berth in the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on the line; the GI Frizette offering a berth in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

New York state currently requires all racetracks to operate without spectators in attendance to combat the spread of COVID-19. NYRA will issue updated guidance regarding COVID-19 health and safety protocols for jockeys, trainers and owners in the near future.

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Viking Ministries Launched by Mike Littrell

Viking Stud, Inc. has stepped back into the Thoroughbred industry, this time with a different agenda.

Mike Littrell, who was a Thoroughbred yearling manager for his father, the late Rick Littrell, has battled the epidemic of addiction for over 20 years. His passion of helping other people came alive when he could see that his love for horses can help others find hope, help and the wonderful healing effects of the connection with a horse.

He decided to combine these two passions into a spiritually focused ministry called Viking Ministries, Inc. in
honor of his family’s Thoroughbred business.

This ministry will use Equine Assisted Psychotherapy/Learning for his clients. EAP sessions are designed for individuals or groups and will begin with allowing clients to care for the horse and allow the horse to be the therapist.

“I don’t want this ministry to exclude anyone who might benefit,” Littrell said. “I found that loving others through Christ has helped me love myself. I want to help any child or adult who has suffered from abuse, mental health issues,
addicts or alcoholics who are in or out of the horse industry.”

He added, “I am a believer in second chances, not only for recovering addicts, but we want to use as many
retired racehorses as possible.”

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Arqana Select Sale Moved to September 8 to 10

Arqana has announced that its Select Sale, which had been rescheduled from August to September 24 to 26, will now be brought forward by a little over a fortnight to the new date of September 8 to 10.

The change is a result of the recent imposition of a new 14-day quarantine requirement on travellers to the UK from France, which would not allow participants at the major European yearling sales to attend the three major sales at Arqana, Goffs and Tattersalls.

A statement released by the French sale company on Wednesday read, “Immediately after the announcement by the British government that any person entering the United Kingdom from France would be subject to 14 days of self-isolation, Arqana undertook extensive consultation of vendors represented in the Select Sale catalogue as well as buyers potentially affected by the new constraint. The schedule of premium yearling sales is exceptionally dense this year as a result of the Covid-19 epidemic, and the initial date of 24-26 September would not have allowed buyers to take part in all three major European sales while abiding by the quarantine rule.”

The new dates for the Deauville auction allow sales travellers sufficient time to quarantine ahead of the Goffs Orby Sale on September 29 and 30 and Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, which begins its two-week run on October 6. The Arqana Sale now clashes with the Tattersalls Ascot Yearling Sale, which is being held in Newmarket this year on September 8. Quarantine restrictions remain in place in Ireland for 14 days of isolation for visitors from most overseas countries.

In a joint statement, Arqana’s CEO Eric Hoyeau and Executive Director Freddy Powell said, “The catalogue for the Select Sale is of outstanding quality and we are committed to providing these exceptional young horses with the best possible marketplace. This requires holding the sale at a time that maximises the chances for French and international buyers to be on attendance in Deauville. We wish to pay tribute to the reactivity and adaptability of all our vendors, who have immediately thrown their support behind this unusual change. Arqana will charter private flights from several locations in order to make the trip to Deauville as quick and secure as possible. We are also working day in day out to make remote participation easy. Online bidding will be available via Arqanaonline.com, while all yearlings are currently being filmed on the farms. Videos will be visible on our website, allowing buyers wherever they are to get a foretaste of the extraordinary collection of colts and fillies on offer.”

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Stakes-Placed 2YO Filly Mania Headlines Wanamaker’s Online August Sale

After selling Fiya (Friesan Fire) for $400,000 last month, Wanamaker’s online August sale has drawn 22 entries.

The catalogue is highlighted by recent second-place finisher in the Runhappy Debutante S. at Ellis Park, Mania (Run Away and Hide), and Entirely (Point of Entry), a stakes-winning mare in foal to Constitution.

The catalogue, found on www.wanamakers.com, also contains weanlings, yearlings, racing prospects, and broodmares.

“We’ve really enjoyed working with our buyers and sellers over the past several months,” said Wanamaker’s Co-Founder Liza Hendriks. “We built this platform with the goal of empowering the customer and to see them reaping the rewards is really gratifying.”

Prospective buyers may browse the catalogue to view pictures and videos and schedule in person inspections with sellers. Racehorse entries also contain DRF past performances, Ragozin Sheets, and race replays.

Live bidding will open at 8:00 a.m. ET Aug. 27 and the first listing will close at 5:00 p.m. ET with subsequent listings ending in three-minute increments. Detailed buying information can be found at www.wanamakers.com/buy.

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