capacity | Horse Racing Free Tips

Woodbine: Capacity-Limited Queen’s Plate Tickets Go On Sale This Week

Woodbine Entertainment today announced tickets for The 162nd Queen's Plate, the first jewel of the 2021 OLG Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, will be available through a pre-sale on Wednesday, July 28, 2021, and will go on-sale to the general public on Friday, July 30, 2021.

The 162^nd running of The Queen's Plate will take place on Sunday, August 22 at Woodbine Racetrack. A fashion-forward day at the races, The Queen's Plate festivities include live entertainment, unique dining experiences and world-class horse racing.

Contested for a purse of $1 million, The Queen's Plate is North America's oldest continuously-run stakes event, showcasing Canada's top 3-year-old Thoroughbreds.

Annually one of Toronto's must-attend events of the summer, the 2021 Queen's Plate will focus on an enhanced experience for the limited guests who are welcomed to Woodbine Racetrack.

“We are very excited to safely host limited guests at this year's Queen's Plate,” said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “More than just a must-attend event, the Queen's Plate is a celebration of Canadian Thoroughbred racing, and this year the race card is packed with exciting stakes races including The Queen's Plate Stakes.”

Guests attending The 2021 Queen's Plate can select from multiple seating or dining experiences including:

Post Parade: Enjoy a refined dining experience curated by our executive chefs while viewing the races from above the track, allowing you to take in all the action! Sold in tables of four.

The Patio at Champions: Enjoy an outdoor scenic view of Woodbine Racetrack from Toronto's best patio along with delicious, fun food and drink with your friends and fellow attendees.

Trackside Experience: Woodbine Racetrack's apron will host a safe, outdoor premium experience on the apron featuring a fantastic BBQ offering, a live DJ and exclusive front row access to the races.

Grandstand seats: Enjoy excellent outdoor seats in our large, open-air grandstand featuring incredible views of the racetrack including the finish line. Sold in groups of two, with two empty seats between occupied seats to promote physical distancing.

General Admission: Reserve your spot within Woodbine Racetrack's iconic grandstand on the second or third floor. Excellent indoor views of the racetrack and access to food offerings within the food court. Seating not included.

Advanced ticket sales will begin Wednesday, July 28^th at 10am, followed by public ticket access on Friday, July 30, on Ticketmaster.ca. Due to government-imposed capacity limits, fans are encouraged to buy tickets early to secure the best seats before they sell out.

For more information, visit Woodbine.com, QueensPlate.com and follow @WoodbineTB on social media.

The post Woodbine: Capacity-Limited Queen’s Plate Tickets Go On Sale This Week appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Keeneland Fall Meet To Open At Full Capacity

Keeneland announced plans Thursday to open at full capacity for its 2021 Fall Meet, to be held Oct. 8-30. Tickets will go on sale to the public beginning at 9 a.m. ET Monday, Aug. 16. Demand is anticipated to be high, and fans are strongly encouraged to visit tickets.keeneland.com in advance for information on available ticket options, pricing and the process to purchase.

Keeneland's e-ticketing platform enables patrons to complete their ticketing purchase online and to add tickets to their mobile wallets for easy scanning at the admission gates.

“Keeneland is thrilled to welcome greater numbers of fans back to the track for what promises to be a terrific Fall Meet,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “We look forward to being together again as a community and watching great Thoroughbred racing in this beautiful surrounding. As we look ahead to Keeneland's 85th anniversary this fall, we know reconnecting with those people and places that are special to us will be even more meaningful.”

The 17-day Fall Meet offers a record $6 million in stakes purses and an expanded stakes schedule of 22 races. The season kicks off Oct. 8-10 with Keeneland's signature Fall Stars Weekend, and the meet features 10 Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” races. Two new 6-furlong stakes for 2-year-olds, the Bowman Mill and the Myrtlewood for fillies, and six multiple stakes race days, highlight the Fall Meet.

“The racing excitement will be elevated by record purse money, additional stakes, blockbuster days featuring multiple stakes events throughout the meet and Breeders' Cup-bound horses competing for automatic berths in the World Championships,” Keeneland Vice President of Racing Gatewood Bell said. “The quality of racing and the high level of competition among the nation's top stables will appeal to horsemen and fans alike.”

Fans will enjoy enhanced hospitality at Keeneland this fall, including new concession items, elevated dining options featuring a la carte service and three-course dining experiences and locally sourced ingredients. Keeneland's popular tailgating tradition will continue with the return of The Hill, where fans can enjoy live music, local food trucks, wagering and more. New this year, patrons on The Hill will have the option to book a customized tailgate package in partnership with REVELxp, the nation's leader in premium tailgate and event services.

After evaluating the success of pre-sold ticket packages during the 2021 Spring Meet, Keeneland has restructured ticket pricing and packages for General Admission, Reserved Seating and dining for the Fall Meet:

· Advance-purchase General Admission tickets are $7;

· Day-of General Admission tickets still will be sold online and through walk-up purchase at the gate on race days for $10;

· Free General Admission is available for members of Keeneland Select, Keeneland's free online wagering platform;

· Grandstand Reserved Seats and dining tickets will be sold online in advance; and

· Keeneland will pre-sell Fall Meet General Admission Season Passes for $40.

Keeneland remains committed to the safety of its guests and continues to monitor local and national health guidelines. As a result, General Admission caps may be enforced, so fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance.

“We appreciate the loyalty of our horsemen, horseplayers and fans, and we are committed to delivering the most memorable race-day experience possible,” Arvin said. “While challenging, this past year provided us the opportunity to review every facet of our operations and experiences for our guests. From expanding our advance-purchase ticketing options to providing new concession and dining offerings and better leveraging technology, we are excited to roll out these enhancements while remaining one of the region's best values for world-class entertainment.”

All public race-day parking is free.

The post Keeneland Fall Meet To Open At Full Capacity appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Ellis Park To Feature Record Purses, High-Def Broadcast, Full Fan Capacity

Ellis Park's 99th season will feature record purses, horse races shown in high-definition and arguably its deepest jockey roster ever. But what is Ellis Park General Manager Jeff Inman most fervently awaiting?

Crowds. Having people back at the 31-date RUNHAPPY Meet at Ellis Park session that begins Sunday June 27 and ends Saturday Sept. 5.

Because of the pandemic, Ellis last year was limited to socially-distanced reserved seating and no general admission. The 2021 meet will return to full capacity, with free general admission. Tickets for Clubhouse and Sky Theatre dining and grandstand boxes can be purchased at ellisparkracing.com/admissions or by calling 812-435-8918. Ellis runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays along with Thursday July 1. Post time for the first race each day is 12:50 p.m. CDT.

“We're looking forward to the roar of the crowd and getting back to what has made Ellis Park so popular for so many generations in the Tri-State region,” Inman said. “This is going to be the first year that we're broadcasting in high-def. We'll get our race signal out to more people. More people will see Ellis than ever. That's fantastic and can't be underestimated. Even so, what we're really excited about is getting fans back in the stands.”

Starting open day, those crowds again will be able to enjoy Sunday Funday Dollar Days, the weekly $2 16-ounce domestic draft beer and $1 hotdogs, peanuts and popcorn. That was among the promotions revealed at Thursday's annual Media Day at Ellis Park. Other promotions include Military and First Responders Weekend July 1-4, Teachers Appreciation Weekend July 9-11, Ladies Weekend (Fillies and Fun) July 16-18, Men's Weekend (Studs and Buds) Aug. 20-22 and Healthcare Workers Weekend Aug. 27-29. There will be live music every Saturday and a “Talk Derby to Me” Ellis Park Derby Party on Sunday Aug. 15.

Racing enthusiasts on-track and off-site will appreciate Ellis Park broadcasting its races in high definition for the entire meet. For the second year in a row, Ellis Park's stakes-laden programs on Aug. 7, 8 and 15 are expected to be shown on the racing network TVG's main channel. LTN Global, the media-technology company that last year worked with TVG to broadcast Ellis' big days, will oversee the entire meet's production.

Henderson's Bill Latta is among the racing fans with great anticipation for a gangbuster meet. Latta, the retired president of Field & Main Insurance, has attended the Ellis Park races every year for the past 65 seasons, since he was a tyke going to the track with his parents.

“I think they're going to have nice crowds,” Latta, one of the featured Media Day speakers, said before the event. “People are wanting to get out. There's a base of racing fans around this Tri-State area — southern Illinois, southern Indiana, Kentucky – who are starved for local racing.”

Ellis Park will open its gates at 8 a.m. CT on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with the Gardenia Room on the Clubhouse second floor serving breakfast. Henderson's J & B Bar-B-Cue will return with a stand underneath the grandstand on race days. Inman said that Ellis is working to get local food trucks to provide a variety of fare in the beer garden area near the paddock.

For the second year in a row, the meet will be sponsored by the Claiborne Farm stallion Runhappy, whose 2015 season as champion sprinter was kicked off by an allowance victory at Ellis. RUNHAPPY, whose name is capitalized when used in racing sponsorships, will also be the title sponsor of four stakes on Aug. 15: the the $200,000 RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Derby (which last year was captured by Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass winner Art Collector), $125,000 RUNHAPPY Groupie Doll, $125,000 RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Juvenile and $125,000 RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Debutante. All the meet's 2-year-old races will be presented by RUNHAPPY.

Purses are scheduled to average an Ellis-record $350,000 a day, with maiden races going for $51,000 for Kentucky-bred horses. The 16-stakes schedule includes two new races for the highly successful Kentucky Downs Preview program, which has expanded from five to seven grass stakes while morphing from one day into a weekend, Aug. 7-8. Winners of Kentucky Downs Preview stakes, which carry purses of at least $100,000, receive a fees-paid berth in the corresponding stakes at Kentucky Downs' all-turf meet in early September.

Five dirt stakes take center stage on Aug. 15, the RUNHAPPY quartet and the $100,000 Audubon Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at seven-eighths of a mile.

The Ellis Park jockey colony will feature the bulk of Churchill Downs' elite roster. Among those returning will be 2020 Ellis champion rider Joe Talamo and past meet leaders Corey Lanerie, Rafael Bejarano, James Graham, Brian Hernandez Jr. and Jon Court, along with two-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Julien Leparoux. Leading riders from Indiana Grand such as Marcelino Pedroza, DeShawn Parker and Fernando De La Cruz also plan to ride regularly at Ellis. Notable newcomers include David Cabrera, Drayden Van Dyke and Francisco Arrieta.

“I didn't think we could top last year's jockey lineup, but we are adding even more depth,” said Jeff Hall, Ellis Park's Director of Racing Operations. “Our racing just keeps getting better, too, with current standouts such as Sconsin, Midnight Bourbon and Crazy Beautiful — and of course, Art Collector — running here last summer. I can't wait to see what comes out of our 2021 'baby' races and stakes. It will be fun for our fans to be able to say, 'I saw them race at Ellis Park!'”

Ellis Park 2021 stakes schedule
Each includes $25,000 KTDF*

Sunday July 4 — $75,000 Ellis Park Turf, fillies & mares, 3 years old & up; 1 1/16 miles (turf); $60,000 Dada Park Dash Overnight Stakes, 3-year-olds, 5 1/2 furlongs (turf).

Saturday July 17 — $75,000 Good Lord, 3-year-olds & up, 6 1/2 furlongs.

Sunday July 18 — $60,000 Pea Patch Overnight Stakes, 3-year-old fillies, 5 1/2 furlongs (turf).

Saturday Aug. 7 — $100,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Oaks, 3-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 miles (turf); Kentucky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby, 3-year-olds, 1 1/8 miles (turf); $100,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Sprint, 3-year-olds & up, 5 1/2 furlongs (turf).

Sunday Aug. 8 — $125,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup, 3-year-olds & up, 1 1/4 miles (turf); Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Sprint, fillies & mares 3 years olds & up, 5 1/2 furlongs (turf); $100,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf, fillies & mares 3 years old & up, one mile (turf); $100,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Million Mile, 3-year-olds & up, mile (turf).

Sunday Aug. 15 — $200,000 Ellis Park Derby, 3-year-olds, 1 1/8 miles; $125,000 Groupie Doll, fillies & mares, 3 years old and up, mile; $125,000 Ellis Park Juvenile, 2-year-olds, 7 furlongs; $125,000 Ellis Park Debutante, 2-year-old fillies, 7 furlongs; $100,000 Audubon Oaks, 3-year-old fillies, 7 furlongs.

*Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund

Ellis Park condition book
EP condition book index

The post Ellis Park To Feature Record Purses, High-Def Broadcast, Full Fan Capacity appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘Celebration Like No Other’: Saratoga To Open At 100 Percent Capacity

With 70 percent of adult New Yorkers now vaccinated against COVID-19, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Tuesday announced the immediate removal of COVID-19 protocols and restrictions for nearly all activities and industries, including outdoor sports and entertainment venues. Accordingly, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will open all sections at Saratoga Race Course at 100 percent capacity.

The lifting of all COVID-19 protocols, including the requirement for fans to provide vaccination status, applies to all hospitality areas and venues within the facility, including the popular Saratoga backyard, 1863 Club and The Stretch. Season admission passes, which provide access to the backyard, will be available for purchase and use without the prior requirement that fans provide proof of vaccination status.

“As New Yorkers collectively reach this major milestone in the fight against COVID-19, NYRA thanks Governor Cuomo for his leadership in achieving this goal and for the opportunity to welcome fans back to Saratoga this summer,” said NYRA President and CEO Dave O'Rourke. “This season will be a celebration like no other in Saratoga's long and storied history and we are thrilled to open the gates to the best fans in racing in just a few short weeks.”

As announced previously by Gov. Cuomo, all fans who show proof of vaccination via the New York State Excelsior Pass on Opening Day, Thursday, July 15, will receive free Grandstand general admission. Fans from outside New York State may redeem free admission by showing their Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card.

NYRA encourages all fans who have been vaccinated in New York State to download the Excelsior Pass at https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/excelsior-pass.

Non-vaccinated individuals will be required to wear a facial covering during their day at Saratoga Race Course, in accordance with CDC guidance.

NYRA can also today announce the re-opening of the Whitney Viewing Stand at the Oklahoma Training Track. Beginning Saturday, June 26, members of the public will be welcome to view morning training from 7-10 a.m. Prior to the opening of the summer meet on July 15, the Whitney Viewing Stand will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 7-10 a.m. with access available via Gate 21 on East Avenue.

Licensed owners will no longer be required to show proof of vaccination when entering the Saratoga Race Course property. Beginning June 24, family members and guests will be permitted to accompany licensed owners to view morning training and visit the barn area.

At Belmont Park, the lifting of COVID-19 protocols will allow for the full re-opening of the facility to fans. Beginning Thursday, June 24, walk up general admission will be available for $5 and the backyard picnic tables will once again be available on a first come first served basis.

Season and weekly ticket plans for the 2021 season at Saratoga Race Course are currently on-sale at NYRA.com/Saratoga. Group hospitality reservations are also currently available via email at boxoffice@nyrainc.com or by phone at (844) NYRA-TIX. Tables in the Festival Tent may be reserved via Ticketmaster.com.

Single-day tickets will go on sale Wednesday, June 23 at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster.com.

Single-day dining reservations in the Turf Terrace, The Porch and Club Terrace will be accepted beginning Wednesday, June 30 at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster.com.

The 40-day summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course will feature 76 stakes worth $21.5 million in total purses highlighted by the 152nd renewal of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers on August 28 and the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on August 7, as the anchors of two of the most prestigious racing days in North America.

Following the four-day opening weekend from Thursday, July 15 through Sunday, July 18, racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, with the exception of the final week, when the meet will conclude on Labor Day.

For additional information, visit NYRA.com/Saratoga.

The post ‘Celebration Like No Other’: Saratoga To Open At 100 Percent Capacity appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post