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NYRA to Offer New York-Sired Bonus Program

The New York Thoroughbred Breeders, in conjunction with the New York Racing Association, New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund has introduced a lucrative new purse enhancement for owners of New York Stallion-sired New York-breds competing on the NYRA circuit.

Effective immediately, the 'New York-Sired Bonus' will provide an additional $5,000 to the winning owner of a New York-sired New York-bred who finishes first in all open company and New York-bred restricted maiden special weight, allowance, and allowance optional claiming races. The bonus does not apply to horses entered for a claiming tag.

“This agreement, coupled with the updated residency requirements for mares, ensures the best incentives and opportunities for all who participate in the New York-bred program,” said Najja Thompson, NYTB Executive Director. “As we enter the heart of the racing season, there is no better time to get involved in the New York-bred program.”

The New York-Sired Bonus program is funded through the NYRA Purse Account and will be awarded retroactively for qualifying winners dating back to November 18, 2021. NYRA will begin processing and paying out retroactive awards in the coming weeks. Moving forward, bonus payments will be made in the month following the qualifying win.

“The marketplace for New York-breds is extremely strong, and NYRA is pleased to support initiatives designed to fuel the continued growth of the breeding industry throughout New York,” said Dave O'Rourke, NYRA President & CEO. “Beyond their continued success on the racetrack, the New York-bred program generates jobs and positive economic impact in every corner of the state.”

Designed to further incentivize participation in the growing New York-bred program, the New York-sired bonus will remain in place at all subsequent NYRA race meets. The bonus aligns with the residency rules concerning mares purchased at public auction established by the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund in 2020. For a complete description of the New York-bred program mare residency rules, click here.

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More Than Ready’s Emmanuel Takes Turf Debut in Pennine Ridge

'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready), at one point considered a leading Triple Crown contender, looks to have found a new home on the lawn after leading at all calls Saturday to justify 19-10 odds in Belmont Park's nine-furlong GII Pennine Ridge S.

A 6 3/4-length debut winner at Gulfstream going a mile in December followed by an easy Tampa optional claiming tally in January, the WinStar Farm and Siena Farm representative was fourth in the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 5 and third after showing the way in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. Apr. 9 behind subsequent GI Kentucky Derby third finisher Zandon (Upstart).

Having gotten acquainted with the lawn thanks to a pair of local breezes leading up to this, the $350,000 Keeneland September yearling found no company on the front end here as he cruised through splits of :25.19, :51.72 and 1:15.91. Pilot Irad Ortiz, Jr. seemed to play a bit of possum as he allowed his rivals to stack up behind him entering the stretch, but when he got Emmanuel to switch leads the bay found another gear to slam the door and stride away in command despite drifting slightly. Chad Brown-trained Napoleonic War (War Front) was second, while Shug McCaughey pupil Limited Liability (Kitten's Joy) rounded out the trifecta.

“He was the speed of the race,” said Ortiz, who had never ridden the winner before. “He broke well and put me in a good position. I just kept it together and stayed out of his way. He was ready. He's by More Than Ready, so he had a great pedigree to run on turf. I expected that he would like it and he did like it.”

Winning conditioner Todd Pletcher, who won the inaugural running of this event in 2014 as well as last year's renewal with another WinStar Farm co-owned making his turf debut, said, “He's bred for the turf, but he's always trained really well on the dirt. He's had some good dirt races, but we kind of wanted to experiment with this. We worked him twice on the turf. My biggest concern was two weeks ago we worked him and it had a little give to it like it does today, and I didn't think he was as good as he was the following work when it was firm. It looked like we had a pace advantage and took advantage of that and he ran well… He quickened when Irad asked him to, but I do believe he'll be even better once we get him a little firmer ground.”

The GI Caesars Belmont Derby going 10 panels July 9 is the next logical spot.

“That's what we're thinking,” Pletcher said. “We'll see how he comes out. We haven't ruled out going back to the dirt at some point. All our options are open.”

Saturday, Belmont Park
PENNINE RIDGE S.-GII, $200,000, Belmont, 6-4, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:51.11, fm.
1–EMMANUEL, 118, c, 3, by More Than Ready
                1st Dam: Hard Cloth, by Hard Spun
                2nd Dam: Trensa, by Giant's Causeway
                3rd Dam: Serape, by Fappiano
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. 'TDN RISING STAR'. ($350,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-WinStar Farm LLC and Siena Farm LLC; B-Helen K. Groves Revocable Trust (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $110,000. Lifetime Record: GISP, 5-3-0-1, $272,100. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Napoleonic War, 118, c, 3, War Front–Naples Parade, by Street Cry (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Peter M. Brant; B-White Birch Farm, Inc. (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $40,000.
3–Limited Liability, 118, c, 3, Kitten's Joy–Hold Harmless, by Blame. O/B-Stuart S. Janney, III LLC (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. $24,000.
Margins: 1, HF, 1. Odds: 1.90, 3.60, 5.70.
Also Ran: Unanimous Consent (GB), Daunt, Elizar (Fr). Scratched: Gilded Age.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

Emmanuel is one of 51 Northern Hemisphere graded/group winners (106 overall) for the ever-present international powerhouse More Than Ready. He is bred on a version of the cross responsible for U.S. highest-level scorers Uni (GB) and Hit the Road, and myriad Group 1 performers in Australasia. Hard Spun is the broodmare sire of 13 graded winners, including recent European MG1SW Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never), Asian MG1SW Danon Smash (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) and champion juvenile Good Magic.
Emmanuel was produced by a half-sister to globetrotting MG1SW Hawkbill (Kitten's Joy) and 2017 GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity winner Free Drop Billy (Union Rags), who has had several strong breezers from his first crop this 2-year-old sales season.
Emmanuel's 2-year-old half-brother by Kitten's joy was a $125,000 KEESEP yearling turned €272,715 Goffs Dubai Breeze Up Sale graduate in March. Hard Cloth produced a full-sister to Emmanuel last year and a Munnings filly Apr. 8.

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Thursday’s Insights: Full to Good Magic Debuts at Belmont

4th-BEL, $90K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 4:40 p.m.
FOR GOOD (Curlin) gets his start for Chad Brown and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds. The $800,000 KEESEP yearling purchase, who is out of MSW and GSP Glinda the Good (Hard Spun), comes from the same Stonestreet Thoroughbreds pipeline that produced juvenile champion Good Magic, who was also campaigned by this colt's connections. Purchased for $1-million at the 2016 KEESEP sale, Good Magic went on to take the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and GI Haskell Invitation in addition to finishing runner-up in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Champagne S. TJCIS PPs

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Rich Strike Breezes Bullet Five Furlongs

RED-TR Racing's GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) dazzled fans Monday at Churchill Downs with a five-furlong move in :59 between Races 5-6 in his final major preparation toward the $1.5 million GI Belmont Stakes S. June 11.

With rider Gabe Lagunes in the saddle, Rich Strike clipped off eighth-mile fractions of :11.80, :23.20 and :34.80, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Robertson. The 80-1 upset winner of the Derby galloped out six furlongs in 1:12 and completed seven furlongs in 1:26.

Trainer Eric Reed watched the work from the backside so he could watch his prized colt gallop out and supervise him coming off the track.

“He got away real well and worked exactly like we wanted him to do,” Reed said. “The track was a little quicker since it was in the afternoon but it was exactly what we wanted to do. Yesterday he was starting to relax in the morning. After some time away from the races that's sort of what we've seen from him. There's no doubt about his confidence. We've seen him come off the track in mornings more playful. It's like he knows what he did in the Derby. I still don't think we've seen the best of him.”

Rich Strike is scheduled to leave early Tuesday morning to compete in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont, the third jewel of racing's Triple Crown. Reed and owner Rick Dawson opted to skip the second leg, the $1.5 million GI Preakness S., to give Rich Strike more time between starts. The former $30,000 claimer has been based at Churchill Downs' Barn 17 for nearly two weeks.

“We're going on with the year with no regrets,” Reed said. “We did what was best for Ritchie and I'm confident we made the right decision.”

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