andrew offerman | Horse Racing Free Tips

Beverly R. Steinman Added to NYRA Steeplechase Program

The $150,000 G1 Beverly R. Steinman S., a 2 3/8-mile steeplechase event for older horses, will be held June 9 as part of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.

The race is named for Beverly R. “Peggy” Steinman, who has successfully balanced decades of ownership in both the steeplechase and flat racing worlds with stars such as Dark Equation, who captured the 2008 G1 New York Turf Writers Cup, and Colstar, a multiple graded stakes-winning filly who won more than $1 million on the flat.

“The New York Racing Association is excited to incorporate a steeplechase event into the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival,” said Andrew Offerman, NYRA's Senior Vice President of Racing and Operations. “We value the longstanding relationship that NYRA and the NSA have shared and are pleased to honor Peggy Steinman with this wonderful new event.”

Bill Gallo, the National Steeplechase Association's (NSA) Director of Racing, said the race is a welcome addition to the steeplechase calendar.

“Peggy Steinman has represented the National Steeplechase Association at the highest level for decades, particularly at Saratoga, where her presence alone, sitting in her prominent finish-line box, has reminded people in the industry, and especially at the New York Racing Association, that the traditions of steeplechasing run deep,” said Gallo. “This is a fitting and wonderful tribute to a very special person on an historic weekend in Saratoga. She is thrilled with the honor and looking forward to the Belmont at Saratoga Festival.”

The Steinman will kick off a 2024 jumps program on the NYRA circuit which includes seven races worth a total of $825,000. Four stakes will be held at the Saratoga summer meet topped by a pair of $150,000 Grade 1 events at 2 3/8-miles–the A. P. Smithwick Memorial July 17 and the Jonathan Sheppard Memorial Aug. 14.

Steeplechase stakes action on the NYRA circuit will conclude at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet with the $150,000 G1 Lonesome Glory and the $75,000 William Entenmann novice stakes.

The post Beverly R. Steinman Added to NYRA Steeplechase Program appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Offerman Named NYRA VP, GM of Operations

Andrew Offerman, who has served Canterbury Park in Minnesota as its senior vice president of racing operations for the last five years, has been appointed to the newly created role of vice president and general manager of operations for the New York Racing Association (NYRA). Offerman, who will assume his new responsibilities beginning Nov. 11, will oversee front-side operations at Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga.

“Andrew is a seasoned executive and proven leader who will bring considerable skills to the talented team we have assembled at NYRA,” said Dave O'Rourke, NYRA President and CEO. “He is a strategic thinker who understands that horse racing is rapidly evolving, and we are pleased to welcome him in this wide-ranging new role.”

During his time at Canterbury Park, Offerman was responsible for many of the track's operational departments, including front-sire racing functions. He first joined the Shakopee track as a seasonal employee in college and was engaged full time from 2010, with increasing responsibility. After becoming Canterbury's top racing executive in 2017, he quickly deployed strategies that drove consistent and sustained increased in wagering handle and the associated revenue.

“NYRA sets the gold standard in our sport, and I am deeply appreciative of this opportunity to help shape the future of the organization,” said Offerman. “My experiences at Canterbury Park have prepared me for this next chapter and I'm thrilled it will be at the finest and most important racing organization in the country. I'd like to thank Canterbury Park and its racing community for their support throughout my tenure.”

He holds advisory and governance positions in a number of horse racing organizations including the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program (RTIP) Advisory Committee; Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America (TRA); American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Racing Committee, and Vice Chair of the Thoroughbred & Quarter Horse Breeders' Fund Advisory Committees of the Minnesota Racing Commission.

A native of Minneapolis, Offerman earned an M.S. degree from the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program and holds a B.A. from Gustavus Adolphus College.

The post Offerman Named NYRA VP, GM of Operations appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Canterbury Park Will Offer Incentives To Race-Ready Thoroughbreds When Meet Begins May 18

Canterbury Park racing officials announced Wednesday several incentive programs designed to reward owners of thoroughbreds that arrive in Shakopee, Minn. ready to enter and run when the meet begins May 18. Notably, a $1,000 bonus will be paid to the owner of any horse that races during the month of May. This bonus is in addition to any purse money earned.

The bonuses are made possible with the cooperation of the Minnesota HBPA, the organization which represents race horse owners, trainers and their employees. In addition, a travel loan program will again be offered to assist with the up-front expenses of shipping a stable to Canterbury Park. Both of these programs were successfully offered last season.

“Canterbury Park and the Minnesota HBPA understand the costs associated with shipping horses from across the country to Minnesota,” Sr. Vice President of Racing Operations Andrew Offerman said. “We hope these incentives assist in offsetting the transportation costs that we know can be an impediment to shipping a stable to Minnesota.”

Average field size in May of 2021 exceeded the overall meet average by more than one-half a horse per race and average all-sources daily handle during that time was up more than 15 percent compared to the remainder of the 2021 meet, two factors which encouraged officials to continue the bonus program. The participation incentive will be paid for each start a thoroughbred makes in an overnight race during the month of May and is in addition to their regular purse earnings.

New this season is a bonus program designed to encourage owners who raced horses in Illinois during 2021 or 2022 to race at Canterbury this season. With the closure of Arlington Park in suburban Chicago, a meet which has historically overlapped with Canterbury Park's season, and Hawthorne Race Course in Cicero racing Thoroughbreds only through June 25, Canterbury officials see an opportunity to attract new stables needing a summer venue.

“We understand that owners and trainers who have historically called Arlington home are faced with challenging decisions in 2022,” Offerman said. “We respect that all horsepersons need to make the best decision for their stable and we have a desire to keep these horses within the Midwest. Canterbury Park is a great option for them to consider.”

To encourage participation, Canterbury and the Minnesota HBPA are offering an incentive that will allow owners with horses that have been previously active in Illinois to receive an additional bonus for racing in Minnesota for either the entire summer or following the Hawthorne Spring/Summer Meet. A thoroughbred starter that raced in Illinois in 2021 or 2022 but has not previously started at Canterbury will be eligible for a $1,000 bonus in their first start of the 2022 season through July 17. Eligible horses need to have recorded at least one start at Arlington Park, Hawthorne Race Course or Fairmont Park from Jan. 1, 2021 through May 17, 2022. This incentive will be in addition to the $1,000 participation bonus offered throughout May.

Shipping Loan Applications will be due with stall applications on April 4. Applications will be reviewed by the stall application committee with up to $25,000 per owner, or a maximum of $1,500 per horse, to assist in covering the cost of horse transportation. The loan will be repaid through an agreement between the successful applicant and Canterbury Park. All information, full conditions and loan applications specific to these programs, as well as the first condition book and stall application, can be found at www.canterburypark.com/horsemen.

Canterbury's 65-day season runs from May 18 through Sept. 17. Racing will be conducted on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 5 p.m. CDT and Sundays at 1 pm.

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Canterbury Park’s 2022 Thoroughbred Stakes Schedule Offers Over $2 Million In Purses

Canterbury Park's 2022 Thoroughbred stakes schedule will feature 27 stakes, 15 on the main track and 12 on the turf, which will offer $2,060,000 in purses. Building on a successful strategy employed over the past two seasons, the stakes races will again be clustered on specific dates during the 65-day meet that begins May 18 and runs through Sept. 19.

Stakes for horses bred in Minnesota will be run primarily on Saturday evenings while open-company stakes will occur on Wednesday nights. Post time on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays is 5:00 p.m. CDT and 1:00 p.m. on Sundays.

The Mystic Lake Northern Stars Racing Festival is set for Wednesday, June 22 and features the richest race of the season, the Mystic Lake Derby, a one-mile turf race with a $150,000 purse, along with four $100,000 races: the Lady Canterbury, the Curtis Sampson Oaks, the Mystic Lake Mile and the Dark Star Turf Sprint. Also included is the $60,000 MTA Stallion Auction Stakes, bringing the stakes purse total for that night to $610,000. Last season the Northern Stars Festival, with the same races grouped on a June Wednesday, attracted a record handle of $3,795,180.

“The Mystic Lake Northern Stars Racing Festival has proven popular with connections throughout the Midwest as evidenced by last year's strong fields,” Vice President of Racing Operations Andrew Offerman said. “We plan to continually improve this event and believe that keeping it on a Wednesday evening will allow it to be uniquely featured across the country.”

The 29th Minnesota Festival of Champions, a program of races dedicated to horses bred in the state, will be Saturday, Sept. 10. The six Thoroughbred stakes will each offer a $100,000 purse.

Hall of Fame Night, with four $50,000 Minnesota-bred stakes, is Saturday, July 16. The $100,000 Minnesota Derby and Minnesota Oaks co-headline Made in Minnesota Night on Aug. 13 which also includes the $50,000 Wally's Choice Stakes and Glitter Star Stakes.

“Regarding the state-bred program, we felt it was important to move our featured Minnesota races to Saturday evenings for the benefit of the owners,” Offerman said. “We acknowledge that watching your horse in person and bringing family and friends to the races is a significant part of the experience. Running these events on Saturday evenings will accommodate that goal while also providing enhanced visibility to the wagering audience on nights when we will have large crowds.”

The first condition book and stall application, due April 4, are available at www.canterburypark.com/horsemen. A shipping and participation incentive program will be announced next week with the objective of attracting new stables to Canterbury Park and encouraging participation in the first weeks of the season.

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