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Belmont Fall Meet Sees 33.6 Percent Increase In Average Daily Handle

The New York Racing Association Inc., (NYRA) today announced that the Belmont Park fall meet generated $9,923,813 in average daily handle from all sources, a 33.6 percent increase over the 2019 fall meet.

Despite running 10 fewer days than in 2019, all sources handle of $267,942,961 was down just 2.5 percent compared with 2019.

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. As a result, the 2020 fall meet was contested over 27 days compared to 37 days in 2019, a 27 percent decrease in race dates.

A total of 267 races were run during the fall meet with 148 on the main track and 118 over the grass. Average field size over those 267 races was 7.88, an 8.7 percent increase over 2019. 24 races were taken off the turf due to weather.

The Oct. 10 Jockey Club Gold Cup Day card, which featured 5 graded stakes in total, generated all sources handle of $19,534,830, which is the highest single day handle number for a Belmont fall race date since September 2014.

The 2019 fall meet at Belmont Park generated all sources handle of $274,929,718 and average daily handle of $7,430,533. 324 races were run in total with 14 races taken off the turf due to weather. Average field size was 7.25.

Chad Brown posted 22 wins to earn the status as top trainer for the Belmont Park fall meet for the ninth consecutive year, while Jose Ortiz registered 40 victories to lead all riders.

Klaravich Stables campaigned 13 winners, six more than the second-closest competitor in Repole Stables, to pace all owners.

The fall meet was conducted without spectators and with only a limited number of essential personnel, horsemen and owners on-site due to the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2020 fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack will begin on Friday, November 6 and continue through Sunday, December 6. Highlighted by the 32nd renewal of the of the Grade 1, $250,000 Cigar Mile on Saturday, December 5, the 18-day fall meet at Aqueduct features 29 stakes, including 11 graded events, worth $3.41 in purses.

Opening weekend of the Big A fall meet, which coincides with the Breeders' Cup set for November 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course, begins with the $100,000 Tempted for juvenile fillies and $100,000 Atlantic Beach for juvenile turf sprinters on November 6.

Following opening weekend, live racing will be conducted Thursday through Sunday with the exception of Thanksgiving Week, when live racing will not be offered on Thanksgiving Day, November 26.

New York state currently requires all racetracks to operate without spectators in attendance to combat the spread of COVID-19. As was the case during the Belmont Park fall meet, a limited number of New York State Gaming Commission-licensed owners will be permitted at Aqueduct on the day their horse is entered to race.

America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the Aqueduct fall meet with coverage to air on FOX Sports and MSG Networks.

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Brown Wins Ninth Belmont Fall Meet Training Title; Jose Ortiz, Klaravich Top Jockey, Owner

Chad Brown posted 22 wins to earn the status as top trainer for the Belmont Park fall meet for the ninth consecutive year, while Jose Ortiz registered 40 victories to lead all riders for the 27-day meet that commenced Sept. 18 and concluded on Sunday, Nov. 1.

Klaravich Stables campaigned 13 winners, six more than the second-closest competitor in Repole Stables, to pace all owners.

Brown continued his dominance at the Belmont fall meet, compiling a 22-14-18record with 96 starters and earnings of more than $1.5 million. The four-time Eclipse Award-winner for Outstanding Trainer has won at least a share of the Belmont fall meet every year since 2012. The soon-to-be 42-year-old extended his streak by saddling six more winners than Christophe Clement in second place and Todd Pletcher in third with 15 wins.

NYRA's year-ending leading trainer five years running, Brown tallied five graded stakes wins, sending out Devamani [Knickerbocker], Tamahere [Sands Point] and Complexity [Kelso Handicap] to Grade 2 triumphs, while Viadera [Noble Damsel] and Tapit Today [Athenia] earned Grade 3 honors. Brown ended the meet with another stakes win, as Ingrassia captured Sunday's Chelsey Flower for juvenile fillies.

Ortiz earned his first career Belmont fall meet title, posting a 40-29-28 record in 173 mounts for earnings of more than $2.3 million. After finishing one win shy of brother Irad Ortiz, Jr. for top honors at the Saratoga summer meet, the older Ortiz bested runner-up jockey Jose Lezcano [28] wins by a dozen. Ortiz, NYRA's 2016 year-end leading rider, partnered with Brown to win the Kelso and Athenia and also piloted Plum Ali to victory in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo and Wet Your Whistle in the Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational.

“I'm just happy I can go out there and do what I love the most and be successful. I work very hard for it and I'm happy to be getting good opportunities,” Ortiz said. “It means a lot. Belmont is a great place to race and I think it's the best jockey colony in the United States right now. It's very tough. We have Hall of Famers and future Hall of Famers and it's hard to compete against them. They all can ride, they're all talented and they all want to win, so to be in the position I'm in, I feel blessed I can go out there and compete at the highest level for those guys.

“I appreciate the opportunities the owners and trainers gave to me and my agent [Jimmy Riccio, Jr.] is doing a great job,” he added. “It's hard now because we don't work horses as much. It's been hard with the pandemic, but thankfully the owners and trainers have supported me.”

Klaravich Stables, the year-ending leading owner on the NYRA circuit in 2019, was the top owner at the Belmont fall meet for the fourth straight time, continuing its dominance started in 2017. Headed by Seth Klarman, Klaravich Stables completed the meet-leading troika when the Brown-trained and Ortiz-ridden Complexity won the Kelso by 2 1/4 lengths on October 3.

Thoroughbred action moves to Aqueduct Racetrack for the 18-day fall meet, which will open on Friday, November 6 and run through Sunday, December 6. The Aqueduct fall meet will be highlighted by 29 stakes, including 11 graded events, worth $3.41 million in purse money.

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Brown, Ortiz Take Belmont Titles

Chad Brown earned his ninth consecutive leading trainer title at the Belmont Park Fall Meet, which concluded Sunday. Brown won 22 races during the 27-day stand. Jose Ortiz won 40 races to take the leading rider title for the first time.

“I’m just happy I can go out there and do what I love the most and be successful. I work very hard for it and I’m happy to be getting good opportunities,” Ortiz said. “It means a lot. Belmont is a great place to race and I think it’s the best jockey colony in the United States right now. It’s very tough. We have Hall of Famers and future Hall of Famers and it’s hard to compete against them. They all can ride, they’re all talented and they all want to win, so to be in the position I’m in, I feel blessed I can go out there and compete at the highest level for those guys.”

Klaravich Stables was the meet’s leading owner with 13 winners.

New York racing moves to Aqueduct where the 18-day fall meet will open Friday.

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Clement, Hoping For First Breeders’ Cup Win, Works Pair For Future Stars Friday Races

Trainer Christophe Clement sent out a pair of Breeders' Cup probables to the main track at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., early Sunday, with Plum Ali [Juveniles Fillies Turf] breezing three-eighths in 36.11 and Momos [Juvenile Turf Sprint] clocked in 35.20 over a Big Sandy track labeled fast.

Clement said he was pleased with both efforts before the pair ship to Lexington, Ky., for the Breeders' Cup Future Stars Friday at Keeneland. Plum Ali galloped out in 48.37 while Momos went in 49.22, according to DRF.

“They had an easy work on dirt and looked great,” Clement said. “I'm very happy with the two of them. They came back in good shape. Now, it's just about keeping them happy as they ship off to Kentucky tomorrow, and we'll go from there.”

The duo will look to give Clement his first career Breeders' Cup win after a slew of close calls, with the conditioner saddling six runners-up, six third-place finishes and eight fourth-place efforts in 38 previous starts entering this year's World Championships from November 6-7.

Owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables, Plum Ali will put her 3-for-3 record on the line in the $1 million contest going one mile. The First Samurai filly made a successful debut on July 23 at Saratoga, posting a come-from-behind two-length victory going 1 1/16 miles. Cut back to the Juvenile Fillies Turf distance in her stakes debut, she again tracked the early speed before showing great closing speed, powering home a 2 ¾-length victor in the Mint Juvenile Fillies on September 7 at Kentucky Downs.

Stepping up to graded stakes company, Plum Ali improved her Beyer Speed Figure for a third consecutive race, netting an 82 for her 2 1/4-length win in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Miss Grillo on October 4 over firm Belmont turf.

Momos, owned by Ironhorse Racing Stable and Secure Investments, also posted a debut win at the Spa, winning by 6 ½ furlongs over the main track on July 18. The son of Distorted Humor stayed on the same surface for a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special on August 7 before making his turf debut last out with a third-place effort – one length behind winner Second of July – in the Grade 3 Futurity going six furlongs on October 11 at Belmont.

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