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Empire 6 to Feature Daily Mandatory Payout in January

The New York Racing Association, Inc. announced the Empire 6 wager will offer a daily mandatory payout in the month of January beginning with Aqueduct’s New Year’s Day card, which is highlighted by the 151st renewal of the Jerome S., a one-turn mile for sophomores offering 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-four finishers. First post on Friday’s nine-race card is 12:20 p.m. EST, with the Empire 6 set to kick off in Race 4 (1:50 p.m.)

Featuring a $0.20 bet minimum and 20% takeout, the Empire 6 wager requires bettors to select the first-place finisher of the final six races of the card. The full pool, minus takeout, will be distributed to bettors who select the first-place finisher in the greatest number of races on the card.

“Our loyal community of horseplayers has continually expressed interest and support for wagers that reward the daily player with the opportunity for impressive payouts,” said Joe Longo, NYRA Director of Simulcasting. “This pilot program is designed to be responsive to those sentiments while helping NYRA to determine the future of the Empire 6.”

Aqueduct will offer 19 racing dates in January with live racing conducted Thursday through Sunday, with the addition of a special Monday card Jan. 18 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

The Empire 6 was launched in August 2019 with a jackpot provision in which the full pool would be paid out only to a single ticket selecting the first-place finisher in all six races, otherwise 75% of the day’s net pool would be distributed to those who selected the first-place finisher in the greatest number of races with the remainder added into a jackpot and carried to the next day’s Empire 6.

Thursday’s 2020 closing Big A card will feature mandatory payouts of the Empire 6, Early Pick 5 and Late Pick 5 wagers, in accordance with New York State Gaming Commission rules. The Empire 6, which has a jackpot of $183,471, begins in Race 3 at 1:46 p.m. Eastern. First post on Thursday’s eight-race card is 12:50 p.m.

For more information, visit www.NYRABets.com.

The post Empire 6 to Feature Daily Mandatory Payout in January appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Morrison: Tribute To A War Horse And A Wake-Up Call

In his first four years of racing, New York-bred Hit It Once More was a multiple stakes winner of more than $550,000. Over the last two seasons, however, the 7-year-old son of Hard Spun was winless in 16 starts, with just a second-place finish to show as he steadily dropped down the class ladder, eventually winding up in state-bred claiming competition carrying a $25,000 tag.

On Dec. 19, Hit It Once More ran his last race, his 49th, suffering a catastrophic injury in deep stretch under jockey Luis Rodriguez Castro. The Equibase chart described the incident as follows: “HIT IT ONCE MORE … got put to coaxing at the three-eighths, went six to seven wide into upper stretch, was under light handling when bobbling heavily just outside the sixteenth pole, hobbled injured through to the finish the rider paused, then continued to gallop out a sixteenth past the wire before losing the rider then jogged off to the midway point on the clubhouse turn in distress before being apprehended by the outrider and was subsequently vanned off.”

Hit It Once More was later euthanized, the 21st horse to die from a racing injury this year at New York Racing Association tracks.

Jennifer Morrison, writing for the Canadian Thoroughbred, juxtaposed the death of Hit It Once More against the “tremendous gains (that) have been made in horse welfare awareness,” adding that “it is certain that the majority of horsepeople have deep love and respect for the racehorse.”

Morrison wrote that the FBI probe and federal indictments of trainers, veterinarians and others for doping violations earlier this year “have been a huge wake-up call to the industry that has struggled with public perception.”

Nevertheless, she wrote, “sad and avoidable incidents continue.

“It begins with owners and trainers,” Morrison wrote, “but racetracks and race offices and veterinarians and jockeys must wake up.”

‘I Just Want To Stay In The Fight’: Carmouche Reflects On Remarkable 2020 Season

Just one live race day, the New Year's Eve card at Aqueduct Racetrack, remains in 2020 to complete a remarkable year of racing action on the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit. The NYRA Press Office checked in with a selection of New York-based racing personalities to get their reflections on the memorable campaign.

Kendrick Carmouche, a native of Vinton, La., began riding in his home state at the age of 16 before switching over to the Mid-Atlantic circuit. He found immediate success there, winning seven riding titles at Parx Racing and earning a spot in the Philadelphia racetrack's Hall of Fame. Since moving his tack to New York in the winter of 2015, Carmouche has piloted more than 30 stakes-winners and this year won his first Grade 1 aboard True Timber in the Cigar Mile. Additionally, he secured his first riding title in the Empire State when leading all other jockeys during the fall meet at the Big A.

Q: What was your favorite moment this year?

Carmouche: Winning on True Timber was not only the biggest moment of the year, but the biggest moment of my career. Winning a title in New York, also, caps off a year of hard work and the pandemic, all in one.

Q: Was there a particular ride that made you most proud?

Carmouche: Battle Station winning the Lucky Coin. That was a good way to end the meet at Saratoga. He's a horse who I really like. He put me in a perfect spot that day. He's a horse that I previously rode, and we just picked up where we left off. I rode him as a 2-year-old and I won the first couple of times on him. I didn't get back on him until he was five, so it's really been a lot of fun.

Q: Who was your favorite horse to ride this year at NYRA?

Carmouche: Tribecca. I've got to give him props. The past few years, he's one of those horses that every time you get on him, you know you have a shot to win. He's just an amazing and cool horse. He rides me, and I ride him. That's the way it works. We're both on the same page, we know each other well and know what the other one wants.

Q: The new track at Saratoga got a lot of buzz over the summer from jockeys and horsemen alike, how did you feel about the new surface?

Carmouche: I think the track was wonderful and the crew did a good job. When they come into the jock's room and ask us about it, we try and give them our honest opinion of what we feel on a racehorse and they try to make sure that the horses and jockeys are both safe.

Q: Talk about the relationship with have with your agent Kevin Bubser and how he's helped you along in your career.

Carmouche: I first met him at Delaware Park. He was a casino dealer and we became best friends. He said he didn't want to be a dealer anymore, so I brought him over to the racehorse world, which he was already introduced to when he was a young kid, and he just fell right into place. Me and my former agent taught him a couple things and left him in Philadelphia. I'm very pleased with the job he's done with my book. He's a very good guy and a very nice guy. I'm happy that we both got our first G1 and first riding title together. You can't ask for anything more.

Q: What is it that keeps you going?

Carmouche: The competition. I love the competition. You know that every time you come here that you have to ride your absolute best to beat these guys and they have to do the same and ride their best to beat me. When I came up here years ago, I was searching for the opportunity to build my riding career and get better and better. That's the whole point of stepping up to the next level. Everyone was suffering during the pandemic. My whole thing was, I wanted to get back to work and do what I always do, win races, try to find a way to win. I love getting better at winning races. I just want to stay in the fight. They got me in the fight right now, and I want to stay in the fight.

The post ‘I Just Want To Stay In The Fight’: Carmouche Reflects On Remarkable 2020 Season appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Runhappy Colt Nicky The Vest ‘Ran A Good Number’ Winning Debut For Jonathan Thomas

Robert LaPenta's Nicky the Vest impressed trainer Jonathan Thomas in his career debut win in the finale on Friday's program, where he led gate-to-wire in securing a 3 ¼-length triumph under Kendrick Carmouche in a time of 1:40.67.

Bred in New York by Highclere, the juvenile son of freshman sire Runhappy garnered an 82 Beyer first out against his Empire State-bred counterparts at odds of 5-1 going a one-turn mile.

Thomas has not thought past Nicky the Vest's debut victory but will sort out his options and expressed excitement in what the future holds.

“The scenario played out well and the horse did everything you could ask a firster to do,” Thomas said. “We're still going to see how he comes out of his race. I'm sure we'll keep options open and see how things shake out. He ran a good number, a good number no matter the company. We're really happy with what we saw the other day. He had been training nicely in the morning, so it was good to see that replicated in the afternoon.”

Nicky the Vest is out of the Cat Thief mare Tazarine, whose six offspring of racing age are all winners. He was purchased for $110,000 from the 2019 OBS October Yearling Sale from consigner Stuart Morris.

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