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NYRA Updates Jockey Protocols for Aqueduct

The New York Racing Association updated COVID-19 health and safety protocols for jockeys competing at the Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet which runs through Sunday, Mar. 28.

As of Mar. 1, out of town riders not established in the NYRA colony may ride at Aqueduct upon completion of two negative COVID-19 PCR tests within five days of race day. Incoming riders will be provided isolated jockey quarters. All COVID-19 testing must be performed in New York state.

Prior to Mar. 1, Aqueduct Racetrack was closed to riders that were not considered members of the NYRA winter jockey colony.

Members of the regular NYRA jockey colony who travel to ride at any other racetrack during the Aqueduct winter meet will continue to be required to provide two negative COVID-19 PCR tests taken within a five-day window in order to return to ride at Aqueduct. Jockeys traveling out of state who have completed the required testing will then be physically isolated in the jockey quarters for three additional calendar days.

In addition to race day safety protocols which include standard health screening and temperature checks, the jockey quarters at Aqueduct have been substantially altered to provide maximum social distancing and reduce density. All areas accessed by jockeys during the regular course of a race day are closed to outside personnel, including credentialed media, and are cleaned and disinfected throughout the day.

Jockeys are not permitted access to the barn area at Belmont Park. Jockey agents must produce a negative COVID-19 PCR test in order to gain access to the barn area. Races will continue to be drawn via Zoom.

Valets working in the jockey quarters are not permitted in the barn area.

The post NYRA Updates Jockey Protocols for Aqueduct appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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America’s Day At The Races Features Pair Of Derby Preps, Return Of Monomoy Girl

America's Day at the Races, the acclaimed national telecast produced by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) in partnership with FOX Sports, will air eight total hours of live racing coverage this weekend encompassing action from Aqueduct Racetrack, Oaklawn Park and Gulfstream Park.

Presented by America's Best Racing and Claiborne Farm, America's Day at the Races will broadcast 2-7 p.m. Eastern on Saturday on FS2, while Sunday will feature coverage on FS2 from 4-5 p.m. with FS1 airing the program from 5-7 p.m.

Stakes action abounds on Saturday's slate, including a pair of prep races for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. The Grade 2, $300,000 Fountain of Youth, carded as Race 14 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida, will offer 50-20-10-5 Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers. The 1 1/16-mile contest, set to go off at 6:10 p.m., will feature 10 contenders, including 9-5 morning-line favorite Greatest Honour for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. A 5 3/4-length winner of the Grade 3 Holy Bull last month over the same track, Greatest Honour will face a talented field that includes 7-2 selection Fire At Will, with the Mike Maker trainee returning to dirt in his 3-year-old debut following a win in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in November at Keeneland. Big A leading rider Kendrick Carmouche will travel to Florida for the call on Fire At Will.

Other graded stakes action at Gulfstream that will air on America's Day at the Races includes the Grade 2, $200,000 Gulfstream Park Mile for 4-year-olds and up in Race 9 at 3:27 p.m., and the Grade 3, $200,000 Davona Dale for 3-year-old fillies in Race 12 at 5:04 p.m. The Davona Dale, contested at one mile, offers 50-20-10-5 points to the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks.

At Oaklawn, another qualifier for the “Run for the Roses” will be on tap, as a seven-horse field competes in the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest with 10-4-2-1 points up for grabs. Slated as Race 10 with a 5:58 p.m. post, the Hot Springs, Arkansas-based track will see Eclipse Award-winning Essential Quality make his sophomore bow after going 3-for-3 as a juvenile, including wins at Keeneland in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity and the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile to become a champion for trainer Brad Cox.

The 3-2 favorite will face an ambitious field that includes Jackie's Warrior [8-5] for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. Jackie's Warrior, who captured the Grade 1 Runhappy Hopeful at Saratoga and Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont last season, will look to turn the tables on Essential Quality after finishing fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile as the odds-on favorite.

Oaklawn will also showcase the Grade 3, $600,000 Razorback for 4-year-olds and up led by 2020 Grade 2 Jim Dandy-winner Mystic Guide in Race 7 at 4:20 pm. as well as the $200,000 Spring Fever in Race 8 at 4:52 p.m.

Aqueduct will get in on the stakes action with the $125,000 Stymie for 4-year-olds and up going a one-turn mile in Race 3 at 2:03 p.m. Eastern. Chester and Mary Broman's New York-bred legend Mr. Buff, trained by John Kimmel, will go for his 11th career stakes win in headlining a five-horse field, listed as the 3-5 favorite with Musical Heart the second choice at 2-1.

Sunday's racing action from Oaklawn will feature the return of Monomoy Girl, the reigning champion Older Dirt Female, in the Grade 3, $250,000 Bayakoa, a 1 1/16-mile test for older fillies and mares. The 6-year-old Tapizar chestnut, who sports a record of 13 wins and two seconds from 15 starts, boasts purse earnings in excess of $4.4 million. Florent Geroux will pilot the Cox trainee from the outside post in a field of six. The Bayakoa is slated as Race 9 on Sunday at 6:11 p.m.

NYRA paddock analyst Maggie Wolfendale will be reporting live on-site from Oaklawn all weekend, while Paul Lo Duca will be stationed at Gulfstream for Sunday's broadcast.

America's Day at the Races is also broadcast on NYRA's YouTube channel which boasts more than 64,000 subscribers. Fans can subscribe to NYRA's channel and set a reminder to watch the show on YouTube Live. NYRA's YouTube channel also hosts a plethora of race replays, special features, America's Day at the Races replays and more.

Free Equibase-provided past performances are available for races that are part of the America's Day at the Races broadcast and can be accessed at https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

The post America’s Day At The Races Features Pair Of Derby Preps, Return Of Monomoy Girl appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 Features Races From Aqueduct, Oaklawn

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will host a Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday featuring racing action from Aqueduct Racetrack and Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.

Live coverage will be available with America's Day at the Races on FOX Sports. Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/cross-country-wagers.

Kicking off the sequence, a field of eight New York-bred sophomores seek their first trip to the winner's circle in Race 7 at Aqueduct, which has a 4:10 p.m. Eastern scheduled post time. Trainer Chad Brown will debut Michael Dubb and Bethlehem Stables' Dr Ardito, a gray or roan son of third-crop stallion Liam's Map out of the Indian Charlie mare Delightfully So. Viking Zim makes his career debut for trainer Jeremiah Englehart and Bill Parcells' August Dawn Farm. The son of second crop sire Mshawish was bred by Taylor Brothers Properties and was purchased for $120,000 from the 2020 OBS April Sale.

Action shifts south to Oaklawn Park for the next two contests, encompassing stakes races. In the second leg, a compact field of seven older horses, including five graded stakes winners, will assemble for the Grade 3, $600,000 Razorback at 1 1/16 miles. Breaking from the outside, Godolphin's Mystic Guide makes his first start since a close second in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on October 3 at Belmont Park for trainer Michael Stidham. The son of Ghostzapper won the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on September 5 at Saratoga and has never finished worse than third in six lifetime starts. Rupp Racing's millionaire Owendale seeks his fourth graded stakes triumph for Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox. Carded as Race 7, the Razorback has a scheduled 4:20 p.m. post.

Fillies and mares 4-years-old and upward go into line for the $200,000 Spring Fever [Race 8, 4:52 p.m.]. Trainer Wesley Ward sends Ten Broeck Farm's accomplished stakes winner Kimari to the Hot Springs oval for her first start of 2021. A stakes winner on both dirt and turf, the daughter of Munnings was twice second overseas at Royal Ascot, most recently in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup on June 19. Novogratz Racing Stables' Amy's Challenge will seek a sixth stakes triumph while also attempting to keep a consistent Oaklawn record intact for trainer McLean Robertson. The swift daughter of Artie Schiller was second in last year's edition of the Spring Fever and scored in the 2019 running.

Aqueduct will host the penultimate leg [Race 9, 5:13 p.m.], where a dozen 3-year-old New York-bred fillies seek a maiden special weight triumph going six furlongs. Trainer Christophe Clement will debut Sport Model for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, a bay Freud filly that has been training in South Florida at Payson Park. Trainer Todd Pletcher sends out Robert Valeri's Laura's Bellamy, a homebred daughter of Bellamy Road out of the Disco Rico mare Laura Can Disco.

Closing out the sequence, Godolphin's 2020 Champion Two-Year-Old Essential Quality takes on six other sophomores in the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest going 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park. Carded as Race 9 with a 5:58 p.m. post time, the Southwest is a 10-4-2-1 qualifier for the Kentucky Derby offering points to the top-four finishers. Trained by Brad Cox, Essential Quality, a gray son of Tapit, is currently second on the leaderboard with 50 points and will put an unscathed 3-for-3 record on the line in his first start since winning the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland.

Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen will saddle J. Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior, fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, who won last year's Runhappy Hopeful and Champagne, both Grade 1 races on the NYRA circuit and is No. 9 on the leaderboard with 12 points. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert sends million-dollar purchase Spielberg who will attempt to make amends after a distant fourth in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita. The chestnut son of Union Rags won the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity on December 19 and is currently No. 8 on the leaderboard with 13 points.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool. The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

Cross Country Pick 5 – Saturday, Feb. 27:
Leg A: Aqueduct – Race 7 (4:10 p.m.)
Leg B: Oaklawn Park – Race 7, Grade 3, $600,000 Razorback (4:20 p.m.)
Leg C: Oaklawn Park – Race 8, $200,000 Spring Fever (4:52 p.m.)
Leg D: Aqueduct – Race 9 (5:13 p.m.)
Leg E: Oaklawn Park – Race 9, Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest (5:58 p.m.)

The post Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 Features Races From Aqueduct, Oaklawn appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Friday’s Insights: Centennial Debuts Empire Maker Colt

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

5th-Aqueduct, $80K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, post time: 3:25 p.m. ET
ROYAL REALM (Empire Maker) gets his career underway for Centennial Farms and trainer Jimmy Jerkens. A $250,000 Keeneland September acquisiton, the Triple Crown-nominated dark bay is out of an unraced daughter of Golden Sheba (Coronado's Quest), the dam of Godolphin's two-time GISW Wedding Toast (Street Sense), whose son Ya Hayati (Dubawi {Ire}) won the Listed Zabeel Turf at Meydan last month. The colt's third dam includes the recently deceased MGISW Congaree (Arazi) and SW/GISP Sangaree (Awesome Again). TJCIS PPs

A Frosted Firster for the Williamsons…
6th-Santa Anita, $61K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, post time: 6:12 p.m. ET
MARZANNA (Frosted) makes her first trip to the races in the orange-and-yellow colors of her breeder Williamson Racing LLC. The gray is out of Cal-bred SW Excessive Blend (In Excess {Ire}), a daughter of GSW Blending Element (Ire) (Great Commotion), whose other produce include GSW Tiz Elemental (Cee's Tizzy); former 'TDN Rising Star' and GSW Texas Ryano (Curlin); SW & GSP Holladay Road (Street Cry {Ire}); and SW Tiz A Blend (Cee's Tizzy). Just Distorted (Distorted Humor) cost Tommy Town Thoroughbreds $400,000 at KEESEP in 2019 and is out of a Smart Strike half-sister to multiple Canadian GSW Seductively (Thunder Gulch), GSP Pulling G's (Curlin) and MSP Prophetically (Pulpit). TJCIS PPs

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