Belmont Stakes Q&A with John Imbriale

ELMONT, NY – After winning a contest in the New York Daily News back in 1979, John Imbriale got his first taste of the announcer’s booth and press office at the New York Racing Association, and has been part of fabric at Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga ever since.

A jack of all trades, Imbriale served as a backup to the legendary racecaller Tom Durkin beginning in 1990 and has held several behind-the-scenes roles with NYRA TV throughout the years as well.

Appointed to the position of head announcer in late January, the affable native of Queens, New York will be behind the binoculars as they line up for Saturday’s 152nd renewal of the GI Belmont Stakes.

“November of ’79 I started, and it’s been a good run and a good ride,” Imbriale said. “I got this opportunity and I hope to make the best of it.”

This year’s Belmont, now the first leg of the reshuffled Triple Crown, has been shortened to 1 1/8 miles and will be contested spectator-free due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Everybody knows it’s under different circumstances,” Imbriale said before adding with a laugh, “I come along, they change the distance, which order the Triple Crown is run in, no fans, etc. But you have to deal with the hand that you’re dealt. It’s still obviously very exciting and thrilling to be able do it on Saturday.”

TDN’s Senior Editor Steve Sherack caught up with Johnny I for a Q&A session as the big day approaches.

Q: New York sports is back and beautiful Belmont Park is back! Those were your words as you welcomed back not just racing in New York, but all of New York Sports, when Belmont re-opened for business June 3. This has just been such a surreal time for everyone throughout the pandemic, but how good did it feel to kick things back up and return to some sort of normalcy? And on a more personal level, getting your start as the No. 1 announcer at Belmont?

JI: I really thought about that race for quite a while. It was a unique scenario, even perhaps more unique than a Belmont S. Let’s hope that we don’t have to go through that again. Hopefully, [my call] came across O.K. There were some butterflies in the belly for the first race out. I’ll tell you that.

Q: That first race back, and your stretch call, was on almost every major New York news channel that evening. Other than the Belmont S., you don’t really see racing in that kind of spotlight in this media outlet anymore.

JI: It got a lot of coverage, which was really neat. I didn’t really think of it that way at first where our sport was the first one back in New York after all this time. Sometimes you get so involved in what you’re doing, that you kind of forget about the outside world. If the race went off at 1:18 p.m., I was a very happy camper at 1:20 p.m.

Q: Growing up in Queens and spending your college days at St. John’s, I take it you spent a lot of time at Belmont and Aqueduct? How did you catch the racing bug?

JI: Actually, my brother and some of my uncles were bigger racing fans than I was, and I would go occasionally. If they were going to go, I would tag along. It was clearly the Affirmed-Alydar match up in ’78 that got me the bug. And Affirmed and Steve Cauthen, I thought that was just a tremendous story. Affirmed was my first love as far as horse racing was concerned and I’ve been a fan ever since.

Q: Winning a NY Daily News contest has led to a lifelong career at NYRA and you celebrated your 40th anniversary with the organization in November. What do you remember about the contest and how it all came about?

JI: You had to make a tape–you could go to the track if you wanted to-but I actually made one in my brother’s living room, just did a recreation of a race. I sent that in, and from that, they narrowed it down to three people who would do a live call. Mine was July 25th of ’79, and up until that point, that was probably the most nervous I’ve ever been doing anything. [Track announcer] Marshall Cassidy was up there with me during the call.

The gig–you didn’t get anything as far as announcing was concerned-but you got a job in the press office, and as it turned out, they asked me to come on board. That was the end of July, and I started working for NYRA on Nov. 5 of ’79 in the press office doing notes, backstretch stuff, helping out doing the first media guide and then went from there.

Q: You’ve had plenty of different roles throughout the years at NYRA, including working alongside Harvey Pack on Inside Racing, as well as several behind-the-scenes responsibilities with NYRA TV. Looking back at all your time at NYRA, can you reflect a little bit? What are some of the things that stick out?

JI: It’s funny. During the 40 years, I’ve been a media specialist, a coordinator, an assistant announcer and now an announcer, a producer, a director, on-air talent, a host, a co-host, etc.

Really one of the first things that I did, or got involved in, has stayed with me for a long time. The weekly Frank Wright show that aired on Saturdays on Channel 9. You got to see the late double on Saturdays at Belmont, Aqueduct and Saratoga. I got to be in the production meetings as a liaison with Frank Wright, Charlsie Cantey, Marshall Cassidy, and learned how they put a show together. Those were really fun times as a young kid just getting my feet wet at the track, but also being involved in the only racing show that there was at the time.

Doing the stuff with Harvey, whether it be Inside Racing, you learn so much from watching different people without even having to ask questions. Whether it be him or Tom [Durkin]. The person who spent the most time with me regarding announcing was Marshall [Cassidy]. I would go next door at Aqueduct and do a call into a tape recorder and go back into the booth and he would watch the replay with me while listening to my call and he really helped me out a lot.

And listen, you don’t have to be a brain surgeon to pick up on some good things if you spent 24 years listening to Tom Durkin, either. One of the most important things he ever told me was that I shouldn’t listen to him. And what he meant was, he wanted me to develop my own style. Tom had a lot of good catch phrases that he used, and he didn’t think that’s what I should do. And he was right.

Larry [Collmus] was terrific for the five years he was with us, too, and now I have my chance to do my thing.

Q: That leads into my next question. Any announcers out there that you admire, past or present? Sounds like Tom would be at the top of the list?

JI: I firmly believe Tom is the greatest announcer that there has ever been. And it goes beyond some of his legendary calls, whether it be Rachel [Alexandra] at Saratoga or some of the near misses in the Belmont. It was really a daily freshness that he brought to his craft that I think is unparalleled.

The announcer who had the best voice was Dave Johnson. He just had a cadence–he was right there with where his voice was for a track announcer.

Q: Each announcer kind of does things a little differently getting ready for a day at the races, whether it be a colored program, playing out the race first off pp’s, etc. How much prep work goes into calling a card for you?

JI: I do color the program for the silks, and make notes for blinkers and caps. I make as many notes as I can. I’m not one to handicap though. Listen, Tap It to Win is supposed to go to the lead in the Belmont. You do have a little bit of anticipation in certain big races. But when it comes to the everyday stuff, I’m going to leave the ‘who’s going to be on the lead’ to the handicappers. One of the main reasons I say that, it’s that great phrase, ‘You never know what’s going to happen when they open those gates.’ You can think the four horse is going to the lead and he comes out a little slow and now you’ve got to adjust the call. I take the approach, ‘See the horses, call the horses,’ wherever they may come out.

Q: You touched on Affirmed and Alydar’s epic rivalry before and how much it influenced you. That has to be your favorite Belmont, right?

JI: No question, it’s still the greatest race I’ve ever seen in person and I was in the stands for that. To think that they went at it like that after the Derby and Preakness with a Triple Crown on the line–I don’t know if we’ll ever see a match up like that again.

Q: This year’s Belmont is obviously very different, but Tiz the Law is certainly a worthy headliner. Early thoughts on the race?

JI: With everything being so different this year and with horses being so lightly raced these days, we don’t know how good Tiz the Law really is yet. Maybe he’s a superstar. That’s kind of the mystery that makes it fun. That’s always the fun part about the 3-year-olds. You just don’t know when that horse is going to appear that the public is really going to embrace. We’ve got a major race to be run Saturday, so let’s see. Maybe Tiz the Law blows them out of the water. Or maybe we just have a good race and that becomes the story and we go from there.

Q: The gate won’t be lined up in front of the stands, and the building will be empty, but what kind of emotions will you be feeling as they head to the gate at 5:42 p.m. ET Saturday?

JI: Hopefully, controlled excitement. I’m following a tremendous group of broadcasters. It’s certainly a thrill and an honor.

The post Belmont Stakes Q&A with John Imbriale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Two-Day Pick 5: Belmont Stakes To Anchor Special Wager Over Friday, Saturday Cards

A special two-day Pick 5 wager, with a $1 base minimum and culminating with the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes, will be offered by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) on Friday, June 19.

The 152nd renewal of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes will take place on Saturday, June 20, as the first leg of the Triple Crown series, a historic first for the crown jewel of thoroughbred racing. Traditionally run at 1 1/2-miles, this year's edition of the Belmont Stakes, to be conducted without spectators, will be contested at nine furlongs and broadcast live from 2:45 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern on NBC, the exclusive broadcast partner of the Belmont Stakes and Triple Crown.

First post time on the 12-race Belmont Stakes Day card is 11:45 a.m. Eastern with the featured race, the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, slated for Race 10.

The Belmont Stakes two-day Pick 5, with a low 15 percent takeout and mandatory payout, begins in Race 7 on Friday at 4:32 p.m. Eastern with a seven-furlong optional-claiming sprint on the Widener turf course for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up which drew field of 11, including one main-track only entrant.

The sequence continues in Friday's Race 9 (5:36 p.m.) with the $80,000 Sir Cat, a six-furlong turf sprint for sophomores featuring the stakes-winning duo of Jack and Noah and Old Chestnut for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.

The Belmont Stakes two-day Pick 5 wager continues on Saturday in Race 8 at 4:15 p.m. with the Grade 1, $300,000 Longines Acorn, a one-turn mile for sophomore fillies led by Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse's Grade 1-winner Perfect Alibi and rising star Gamine, who ships in from California for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.

The penultimate leg, the Grade 1, $250,000 Jaipur, presented by America's Best Racing, in Race 9 at 4:53 p.m. will see a field of eight 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs on turf, chasing a berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint via the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The sequence concludes with the 152nd running of the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes in Race 10 at 5:42 p.m. Multiple Grade 1-winning New York-bred Tiz the Law, trained by Barclay Tagg for Sackatoga Stable, headlines a talented field of 10. Tiz the Law will face steep competition from the Todd Pletcher-trained duo of Dr Post and Farmington Road as well as the late-running Sole Volante.

Full advance wagering for the 12-race Belmont Stakes Day card will be available on Friday, June 19.

NYRA Bets is the official online wagering site for the 152nd running of the Belmont Stakes, and the best way to bet the 2020 Belmont Park spring/summer meet. Available to customers across the United States, NYRA Bets allows horseplayers to watch and wager on racing from tracks around the world at any time. The NYRA Bets app is available for download for iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

For more information, please visit http://www.belmontstakes.com.

The post Two-Day Pick 5: Belmont Stakes To Anchor Special Wager Over Friday, Saturday Cards appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Belmont S. to Anchor Two-Day Pick 5 Wager

A Pick 5 wager spanning Friday and Saturday and culminating with the running of the GI Belmont S., will be offered by the New York Racing Association. The sequence will be a $1 base minimum and will feature a low takeout of 15% and a mandatory payout.

The Pick 5 will kick off with Friday’s seventh race at Belmont, a seven-furlong optional-claiming event on the turf for older fillies and mares, with post time at 4:32 p.m. ET. The race has drawn a field of 11, with one main-track-only entrant. It continues with race nine, the $80,000 Sir Cat S. for 3-year-olds at six furlongs on the grass before picking up on Saturday with the GI Longines Acorn S. (race eight, 4:15 p.m. ET).

The GI Jaipur Invitational S., a ‘Win and You’re In’ race for the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, features as the penultimate leg of the sequence. The two-day Pick 5 concludes with the Belmont, the first leg of the 2020 Triple Crown to be contested over the one-turn mile and an eighth. Tiz the Law (Constitution) figures a warm favorite against nine other sophomores.

Advance wagering for the Belmont program will be available Friday.

The post Belmont S. to Anchor Two-Day Pick 5 Wager appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Tap It to Win Living Up to Casse’s Expectations

Even back when Tap It to Win (Tapit) lost the GI Clairborne Breeders’ Futurity by 43 1/2 lengths and the Street Sense S. by 21 1/4 lengths, Mark Casse was telling owner Charlotte Weber and anyone else who would listen that the horse was special. On Saturday, the trainer could be proven right. After some twists and turns in his 2-year-old year, Tap It to Win has won his only two starts this year and doesn’t look to be in over his head in Saturday’s GI Belmont S., this year’s first leg of the Triple Crown.

“We have a legitimate chance,” said Casse, who is seeking his third straight win in the Triple Crown series.

Tap It to Win broke his maiden last year at Saratoga in his second career start and Casse started thinking GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The problem was that he didn’t have a lot of time to work with and Casse feared that might catch up to him. He wasn’t ready for what he faced in the Breeders’ Futurity.

“It was just too much for him to handle,” Casse said. “He misbehaved coming away from the gate. He ran off. He just did everything wrong. And so I just knew it was too bad to be true.”

The Street Sense was another misadventure. Tap It to Win hit himself on the ankle coming out of the gate, which led to an injury called a sequestrum, which required surgery to remove a piece of dead bone.

“He could hardly walk for a couple of weeks,” Casse said.

That was in the fall of last year and Casse had no designs on making the Triple Crown events. Tap It to Win still isn’t nominated for the Triple Crown and had to be supplemented into the Belmont at a cost of $15,000.

The colt’s rehab went as well as could be expected and Casse had him ready for a May 9 allowance race against fellow Florida breds at Gulfstream.

“When we sent him to run at Gulfstream, I called Tyler (Gaffalione) and told him you are going to ride a different horse today,” Casse said. “I told him that I’d be surprised if this horse gets beat.”

Tap it to Win won that day by 1 1/2 lengths and resurfaced at Belmont for a June 4 allowance. With John Velazquez aboard, he ran the best race of his career, leading every step of the way on his way to a five-length win. His 97 Beyer figures makes him very competitive in the Belmont.

“That was an extremely tough allowance race the other day,” Casse said. “I was amazed and Johnny was amazed that he could run as fast as he did and keep going. Johnny said after the race that he galloped out very strong. That John has so much confidence in him gives me even more confidence.”

After the allowance race, Casse’s first thought was that he would go next in the GI Woody Stephens S. at seven furlongs. But the Belmont lost a couple of top contenders due to injury and with his horse thriving, the trainer decided to give the horse a shot in the Grade I, $1-million event. Casse doesn’t know if he will win or not, but he’s certain that Tap It to Win will be the one to catch. He drew the one post and showed exceptional early speed in his last start.

“It didn’t matter what post position he was in, he was going to come out of there running,” Casse said. “He showed the other day he can run fast and keep running, so we are not going to change any tactics with him.”

Win or lose Saturday, the development of Tap It to Win has been something Casse isn’t taking for granted. He went from a horse that the trainer thought could win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to one who looked to be in way over his head in stakes company and wasn’t even nominated to the Triple Crown. Now, he is 6-1 on the morning line in a Triple Crown race.

“It’s been very gratifying,” he said. “Mrs. Weber means the world to me and she bred this horse. I’ve always told her he was special. It’s crazy how things work out sometimes. If it wasn’t for what’s going on in the world there’s no way he’d be in the position he is. We never would have made the Kentucky Derby and if the Belmont weren’t at a mile and an eighth instead of a mile and a half we never would have run in it. Everything worked out for him.”

They also worked out for Casse, who is in a unique position. He won last year’s GI Preakness S. with War of Will (War Front), which was his first win in the Triple Crown series. Three weeks later, he struck again, winning the Belmont with Sir Winston (Awesome Again). In this most unusual year for the Triple Crown, he’s back with another contender and a chance to win three in a row.

“I hadn’t even really thought about that until recently,” he said. “A couple of people have brought it up. Yes, it’s special. Any time you can win a classic it is special. I am very proud to have won two of them. To win three would be almost unthinkable. I think we have a legitimate chance to do that.”

Casse will find out Saturday just how good this horse is. If he turns out to be everything his trainer always thought he could be, he just might end up in the winner’s circle.

The post Tap It to Win Living Up to Casse’s Expectations appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights