Founded by Living The Dream Racing & Stables, a group of racing syndicates managed by Greg Harbut and Ray Daniels, the Ed Brown Society celebrates the rich history of African-Americans in the equine industry by identifying and supporting college students of color who have demonstrated the skills necessary to become successful professionals in a variety of different roles within the sport.

“Horse racing is a powerful economic engine that creates jobs and opportunities in every corner of New York State,” said Dave O'Rourke, NYRA President & CEO. “The Ed Brown Society is focused on ensuring those opportunities are shared equitably to increase diversity for the betterment of the sport. NYRA applauds the Ed Brown Society for what they have accomplished, and we look forward to anchoring this important work here in New York.”

NYRA will work with the Ed Brown Society to develop Ed Brown Scholars and Fellows who will qualify for paid internships at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. To support these opportunities, NYRA has made a significant  financial contribution to the Ed Brown Society.

“As a third-generation horseman, and one of the few African American professionals in the industry, I am very excited to begin this important work in New York,” said Ed Brown Society Chairman Greg Harbut. “NYRA is committed to our mission of expanding diversity, equity and inclusion in horse racing, which is exactly what this partnership will accomplish.”

The post NYRA Partners with Ed Brown Society appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Closed on closing day.

On purpose.

While it may be a sad afternoon for the 22,097 patrons on the grounds for the last card of 2023, the Fitch brothers, who operate King's and the City Tavern on Caroline Street, use closing day at the track to pause a bit on Labor Day and celebrate. They put on a party for every member of their staff, all of whom were able to bring a guest, in late morning and then take the group over to the races.

Jason Fitch teed up “awesome” and “fantastic” to describe business at King's during the season.

That wasn't the case for the New York Racing Association. Despite unusually wet weather that did a number on total handle, NYRA reported that attendance was up 2.8% to 1,105,863, the third-highest in history. It was the eighth consecutive year that Saratoga's attendance topped one million. The average daily paid attendance was 27,642.

With 65 races washed off the turf–a 306% jump from the 16 last summer–and four cancelled due to wet weather, handle dropped 9.0%, from $878,211,963 to $799,229,288. The daily average handle was $19,980,732.

A year ago, the handle jumped $62.7 million, 7.7%, from rainy 2021 when NYRA lost 45 grass races.

For King's, Fitch said, “The weather was OK. I think the weather not being as hot helped out. Unfortunately, when it rains during the season it sucks for the track, but for us, people just get out of the rain.”

The Fitch brothers' taverns and other Saratoga businesses are likely to be packed with racing fans in early June if the New York Racing Association moves the GI Belmont S. upstate during the demolition and rebuild of Belmont Park. NYRA officials acknowledged in June that the 2025 Belmont could be held at Saratoga. On Sunday, NYRA President and CEO David O'Rourke said his company is considering running the Belmont S. in Saratoga in 2024 and 2025.

In a runaway, Irad Ortiz, Jr. was the leading jockey for the second consecutive year and fifth overall with 62 wins. His brother, Jose, was next with 37 wins.

Linda Rice tied Chad Brown for the training title with 35 victories by winning twice Monday, including the final race of the season with Lt. Mitchell (The Lieutenant). In what might be a historic bookend, Rice also won the first race of the season on July 13 with Bustin Bay (Bustin Stones).

“We won three yesterday which gave us a chance,” said Rice. “I thought it was pretty unlikely, but you never know. The day before we were second beaten a neck, fourth beaten a head. But then yesterday after winning three, I thought, 'Well, maybe we have a chance.' It's been a tremendous year. A lot of highs and lows in racing. We've all seen them and we've all experienced them. Today was a good day.”

Rice made history in 2009 when she became the first woman to win the Saratoga title. Now she has two.

“They were both really special in their own way. You never take the fun out of the first one and, of course, this is a win and a tie at the same time,” said Rice. “It's been a great year, it's been a lot of fun, there's always a little heartache in the middle and would've, could've, should'ves. But it's been a great meet.”

It was Brown's third straight title and sixth overall.

“It was a great meet and I'm proud of my team,” said Brown. “The Alabama and Saratoga Derby at the top, those were huge wins. My team persevered through the weather–we had a record number of off-the-turf races and second-places, and they were still able to grind out a tie for the win, which is amazing. Hopefully, we can continue that into the fall.”

Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables finished on top of the owner's table with 22 victories, including the GI Albama S. with Randomized (Nyquist).

“Winning at Saratoga is always special,” said Klarman. “Winning a race that's as historically important as the Alabama will always be a highlight of my ownership career.”

Klaravich Stables now boasts 23 owners' titles at NYRA tracks, and six consecutive at Saratoga.

According to NYRA, 10.61 inches of rain fell after July and led to a soggy, sometimes grim meet. The 155th Saratoga season was irreparably damaged by the deaths of eight horses, who suffered injuries in racing, and four more who were euthanized after being injured in training. Even though more than five dozen races were taken of the turf for safety reasons, six of the eight deaths were from incidents in races that were conducted on the turf courses. One of the six on turf was believed to be a heart attack.

The two fatalities from dirt races were eerily similar: high-profile unbeaten 3-year-olds breaking down in the stretch while leading and on their way to victory in seven-furlong undercard races on the two biggest days of the meet. Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic) shattered her right foreleg in the GI Test S. on Whitney Day, Aug. 5. Three weeks later, New York Thunder (Nyquist) suffered a catastrophic injury to his left foreleg in the GI H. Allen Jerkens on Travers Day.

The horrific injuries dramatically changed the atmosphere each day and diminished the reaction for White Abbario (Race Day)'s surprise win at 10-1 in the Whitney and Arcangelo (Arrogate)'s victory in the Travers.

“Triumph and tragedy could be a good way to put it,” O'Rourke said.

New York Thunder's death was the second on Travers Day. Two hours and forty minutes earlier, Nobel (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), an Irish-bred 4-year-old was injured in the gallop-out after the fifth race on turf. O'Rourke said NYRA considered cancelling the remainder of the card following the Jerkens and possibly not running the following day. He said that his team reviewed the surfaces, consulted with jockeys, trainers and veterinarians and decided that the tracks were safe. There were no serious injuries reported in the seven race days following the Travers program.

“I think a fair question would be, 'Well, what's our reaction?'” O'Rourke said about the injuries and deaths. “Over the last few years, we've leaned pretty heavily on the technology, whether it is trackers, projects going on two years now. PET scan imaging has been a discussion that's coming to fruition near-term. Of course, you have other things such as tracks. For us, it's leaning in to those type of two aspects of technology that will allow us to improve safety. We're completely focused, and more than ever motivated, to move as quickly and as prudently as possible on some of these.”

Tracking sensors are aimed at identifying changes in a horse's stride that may be the result of stress on legs or an undetected injury. PET scans will be used for deeper analysis of horses that have been flagged by vets for possibly having an issue.

NYRA will have a synthetic track at the new Belmont Park and O'Rourke said a synthetic track could be installed at Saratoga, but it would not happen in time for the 2024 season. Synthetic tracks are considered to be safer surfaces for horses. Turf horses adjust better to synthetic surfaces than dirt and there are likely to be fewer scratches when races are moved from turf to synthetic surfaces.

“You could do one here with the inner turf course and then widen the outer turf course. You'll get more lanes,” O'Rourke said. “You'll have technically less running lanes on turf, but in off-weather you wouldn't be beating up the course. So you might get more actual run out of it. And then Option B is you go with synthetic and you change out the dirt tracks. And that's something that the board is engaged on right now, that conversation.”

O'Rourke said it was not likely that the dirt track at Saratoga would be replaced by a synthetic track in the near term.

The $1.25-million Travers drew the three winners of the Triple Crown races for a showdown in August for just the fourth time in history. Forte (Violence), the 2-year-old champion, also was in the mix and was the favorite. Arcangelo, trained by Jena Antonucci for Blue Rose Farm, completed the Belmont S.- Travers double. In the three previous times, a horse that did not compete in any of the Triple Crown races prevailed.

Antonucci bucked current practices and did not give the gray colt a prep race before the Travers. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano added to his stakes record, with his seventh victory, as Arcangelo won by a length over Disarm (Gun Runner).

With the victory, Antonucci became the second woman and the first since Mary Hirsch, to win Saratoga's biggest race. She gave credit to her crew.

“Mostly gratifying for the team and for what we collectively have done,” she said. “Yes, someone has to sign the paychecks and drum the drum, but this isn't a “me” thing, it's an “us” thing. This horse is showing what the team can do.”

Antonucci said the meet was one of mixed emotions, of highs and lows.

“If anything, I hope that it heightens the responsibility of every person involved to steward the best decisions possible,” she said. “And if, through tragedy, we all feel the most exposed to do better and to grow, than that's what's going to be. I think every single person needs to make sure and do a self-check that everyone's doing their part to make it all more productive and a better outcome for everybody.”

Castellano continued with what has been a strong year with three graded-stakes wins: the Travers, the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup and the GIII Schuylerville on opening day. Veteran trainer Gary Contessa, returning to racing in New York after a stint in Delaware, managed just two wins, but they were in graded stakes, the Schuylerville and the GI Hopeful on Monday with Nutella Fella (Runhappy), who paid a whopping $111.

This is the 10th season that the Fitch brothers have operated King's. The track season is the busiest time of the year for their business. To mark the end of the exciting and tiring summer, the Fitches and their staff take the day, have a party and go to the races.

“It's bittersweet,” Jason Fitch said. “Love the meet. Love the hustle and bustle of summer. You love Travers, but you hate Travers because Travers means that summer is over.”

The post A Season of Triumph and Tragedy, Saratoga Meet Concluded Monday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

NYRA will require private attending veterinarians to perform a physical examination and attest that a horse is sound and fit to race starting next Wednesday. This examination is a condition of entry that must be performed by the private attending veterinarian within a 72-hour window prior to entries being accepted for any given race.

Currently, every horse entered to compete at a NYRA track is required to undergo an extensive pre-race veterinary examination before the horse is permitted to race. In addition to physical inspection and observation, NYRA regulatory veterinarians perform a detailed review of each horse's medical records, past performances and workouts. This requirement will remain in place.

Later this fall, NYRA will require the private attending veterinarian to perform a physical examination and attest that the horse is sound and fit to participate in a timed workout. This examination must be performed by the private attending veterinarian within a five-day window preceding the timed workout and is a requirement that must be satisfied for a horse to participate in a timed workout at Belmont Park or Saratoga Race Course.

“Equine safety is a fundamental responsibility shared among racetrack operators, trainers, owners, and the veterinarians practicing on NYRA properties,” said Dave O'Rourke, NYRA President & CEO. “Requiring an additional examination of this nature is a commonsense approach to preventing serious injuries before they happen.”

As result of these new rules, the private veterinarians most familiar with a horse's medical history will assume heightened responsibilities that build on NYRA's existing safety protocols. To be recognized as the attending veterinarian, both the trainer and veterinarian must submit to NYRA an agreement formalizing the relationship affirming the status of the attending veterinarian. A pre-race or pre-work examination will be valid only if it is performed by the attending veterinarian or member of the attending veterinarian's practice.

The post NYRA Unveils Plans for Enhanced Veterinary Scrutiny appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

GI Kentucky Derby winner, committed what would have been considered blasphemy 20 years ago and skipped the Preakness to rest up for the GI Belmont S. This year, Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) was the only Derby starter to run back in the second leg of the Triple Crown, which had a field of just seven.

The Preakness has become a shell of its former self, which is a problem. The Triple Crown is not the Triple Crown unless all three races are top-class events featuring the best 3-year-olds in training.

It didn't make sense for The Stronach Group (TSG), which owns Pimlico, to keep sitting back and do nothing and let one of its most valuable assets grow more irrelevant by the year. Which is why it was no surprise when TSG floated out a trial balloon in the media last week, saying that it was serious about pushing back the date of the Preakness so that it would be run four week after the Kentucky Derby.

TSG's Aidan Butler said the move was being considered for safety reasons, that it wasn't in the best interests of the Triple Crown horses to have so little time between races. That was just spin. There's no evidence that racing horses on two weeks' rest is more dangerous than running them back in four weeks. The real reason is that the two-week gap all but guarantees a lot of good horses, and maybe even the Derby winner, will pass the Preakness, which isn't good for the race or business.

Moving the Preakness will help the Preakness, but doing so raises a new problem. The current spacing of the Triple Crown races-two weeks from the Derby to the Preakness and three weeks from the Preakness to the Belmont-works very nicely for the New York Racing Association and the Belmont Stakes. The Belmont field always gets six or seven top horses out of the Derby from trainers who wouldn't run them back in two weeks in the Preakness. That makes for a good race. It gets even better if the Derby winner wins the Preakness and heads to Long Island with a Triple Crown on the line. The chances of that happening is made easier when the competition in the Preakness is subpar. Then there's the Belmont Day card. Everything has fallen into place and the stakes-loaded Belmont day program is the best non-Breeders' Cup Day card run in the U.S. The handle is astronomical.

Moving the Belmont would also likely affect the graded races in the summer for the 3-year-olds, like Saratoga's GII Jim Dandy and the GI Travers S. With less time between the Belmont and those two races, two highlights of the Saratoga meet could be weakened.

It's easy to see why NYRA wants to keep the status quo, and that was the message the organization sent out within minutes of TSG saying that the Preakness could be on the move. “NYRA has concerns about fundamental changes to the structure of the Triple Crown. We have no plans to move the date of the Belmont Stakes,” said NYRA spokesperson Pat McKenna.

What was left unsaid is that NYRA has a weapon that TSG probably doesn't. NYRA has the assets to throw money into the Belmont. Make it a $5 million race, something I can't see TSG being able to match with the Preakness, which has a purse of $1.5 million. That sort of purse discrepancy would all but guarantee that the Belmont, and not the Preakness, would get all the big-name horses out of the Derby.

Which leaves us where?

If the Preakness is moved to four weeks after the Derby and the Belmont stays right where it is then we will have four weeks between the Derby and Preakness and one week between the Preakness and the Belmont. You would have to run in one race or the other but not both. No trainer would ever run his or her horse back on one weeks' rest if that were what was required between the Preakness and the Belmont. You probably wouldn't even get a Derby-Preakness winner to run back in a week with a possible Triple Crown on the line. The bottom line: this would be a disaster, the destruction of the Triple Crown.

This can't happen. The Triple Crown is racing's greatest asset and its demise would do irreparable harm to a sport that gets little attention from the public or the mainstream media outside of the Triple Crown. For that not to happen, something has to give. Yes, TSG could relent and recommit to the two-week break. But that leaves us right where we started, with a weak Preakness, which means a weakened Triple Crown.

The best thing for the Triple Crown, the best thing for horse racing, is for NYRA to fall in line, swallow a bitter pill, and push the Belmont back so that it is run four weeks after the Preakness. The four weeks-four weeks spacing would help reinvigorate the Triple Crown and save it from what is now floating out there, a possible Triple Crown schedule that no one should want.

In any other the sport, this would be handled by a commissioner's office, whose mission is to make decisions that benefit the league and not necessarily individual teams. A racing czar would never let the Triple Crown hang on a thread like it is. But, of course, racing doesn't have a commissioner and never will. That's why tracks get away with acting in their best interests, the interests of the sport be damned.

It's not in NYRA's best interests to move the date of the Belmont. Everyone gets that. But, realistically, only NYRA fan fix this. It needs to step up and do the right thing for the Triple Crown, which will be better and stronger with the changes. Put the sport first.

NYRA and the Pick-5 Fiasco
Bettors had every right to complain last week when the Sunday late Pick 5 at Saratoga was turned upside down by a decision to take three races in the segment off of the turf. As the horses were being loaded into the starting gate for the sixth race, the first in the Pick 5 segment, it was announced that the races were being moved to the main track. That was the result of Ever Summer (Summer Front)breaking down in the fourth race, which was run on the turf, which resulted in the horse having to be euthanized. The jockeys went to NYRA and expressed concerns about the condition of the turf course, so NYRA played it safe and took the rest of the day's race off of the grass.

For safety reasons, that was probably the right call, but it left a bitter taste in the mouth's of many a bettor. They had little chance to adjust their plays and/or cancel their bets. The Pick 5 turned into a daily double, one that paid $25.

TO NYRA's credit, CEO and President Dave O'Rourke came out publicly later in the week, apologized and said that NYRA “dropped the ball.” As a concession to the bettors, NYRA seeded Saturday's Late Pick 5 with $100,000. Tracks executives usually run and hide when something goes wrong like this. That O'Rourke was accessible and accountable was admirable.

It should also be noted that he was left to apologize for some things that were not NYRA's fault. Yes, NYRA should have gotten the word out more quickly regarding the surface changes. But it had no control over some other issues. It wanted the Pick 5 to be canceled, which absolutely would have been the right call, and asked the stewards to allow them to refund all Pick 5 wagers. But state racing regulations don't allow for that to happen. Instead, the off-the-turf races were considered “all” races when it came to the Pick 5. NYRA also asked the stewards to delay the sixth race for a few minutes, which would have given players a chance to regroup and, if they wanted to, cancel their tickets. The stewards again said no.

The rules need to be changed so that a horizontal wager can be canceled whenever a situation likes this comes up. And, if it will help matters, there's no reason why a race can't be delayed to help the player adjust their bets.

The post For the Good of Racing, NYRA Needs to Bite the Bullet on the Belmont appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

That didn't sit well with numerous horseplayers, which didn't go unnoticed by NYRA executives.

That's why NYRA CEO and President Dave O'Rourke appeared Wednesday on the track's Talking Horses segment hosted by Andy Serling and admitted that mistakes were made.

“There is no excuse,” O'Rourke said. “We dropped the ball.”

O'Rourke described what led up to the decision, starting with a breakdown in the fourth race. In a mile-and-three-eighths allowance race on the grass, Ever Summer (Summer Front) broke down and had to be euthanized.

“After the fifth race, the jocks reached out to the racing office and said they wanted to discuss the turf course,” O'Rourke said. “Our initial reaction was to take everything off turf for the rest of the day. We had had an incredible amount of rain since we began the meet, which impacted the meet in several ways. We believe in safety first, so our instinct was to take those races off the turf.”

There was a time lag and the decision on taking the races off the grass was not announced to the betting public until the horses were being loaded into the gate for the sixth.

“They are loading into the gate for the sixth and there was a rush for time,” O'Rourke said. “So, now it's the worst case scenario. We had to make those other races 'all' races. There's no excuses for it.”

When asked why it took so long to get the information out to the public, O'Rourke said: “I can go through the time line over and over, but from the players' perspective, we dropped the ball. I can't make any other excuse for it.”

Prior to the announcement NYRA went to the stewards and asked that the entire Pick 5 pool be refunded and that there be a delay prior to the start of the sixth race so that customers could make decisions regarding other wagers involving the off-the-turf races. Both requests were denied.

“The intention was to refund everything,” O'Rourke said. “That's slightly out of the norm but we felt that it was the right thing to do. We were not able to refund the pools. The stewards ultimately make decisions in terms of what are in the rules and what are not. Once in a while you'll find gaps for strange situations, but we were not able to refund.”

While NYRA may have been well intentioned in its efforts to refund all monies wagered in the Pick 5 pool, as O'Rourke addressed, it was not their decision to make. Under New York racing rules, if a surface change is made after betting has started on a wager then the off-the-turf races are considered 'all races.' It would be up to the New York Gaming Commission to change that rule to allow for NYRA to cancel a wager.

O'Rourke said he will look into seeding some pools at a future date as a way of paying the bettors back.

“I can't fix it after the fact but I can mitigate it going forward,” he said.

O'Rourke also addressed the tragedy that took place in the GI Test S. on Saturday in which Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic), who had the race won, broke down just a few feet before the wire and had to be euthanized.

“What occurred on Saturday, there are hardly words for it,” he said. “There were 43,000 people here and in a moment they were going to see a triumph but it turned into a tragedy. It shook me. It shook the entire racing world. It's nothing that I ever experienced before and hopefully never will again. We will double down on our commitment toward safety. Everything we do is about safety. All our condolences go out to the connections. It's hard to to talk about it now and it's not even a week later. This was a tough weekend.”

The post O’Rourke Apologizes for Sunday’s Pick 5 Fiasco; Says “We Dropped the Ball” appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

When will the new building open?

The plan is to have the new track ready to go for the 2026 spring meet. Construction will start after the 2024 spring meet at Belmont ends. Shortly thereafter, the current building, which opened in 1968, will be torn down.

“It is very early on in the process, but our goal is to have the new facility ready for the 2026 Belmont,” said NYRA CEO and President Dave O'Rourke. “The specifics, we're still working through that and I'll have a much better answer for you this summer.”

With the Belmont grandstand closing in 2024 and not ready to open until 2026, what does that mean for the 2025 racing schedule and the 2025 Belmont?

That might be the single biggest issue that remains unresolved. There are a handful of options. They could run that spring at Aqueduct and hold the Belmont there. The Belmont was run at Aqueduct from 1963 to 1967 while the current Belmont was being built. From a logistical standpoint, that's probably the easiest solution, but the aesthetics of Aqueduct leave a lot to be desired. They could try to run at Belmont during the construction and without stands. That's what Arlington did in 1985 after a fire ravaged the track, just a few weeks before the running of the GI Arlington Million. Gulfstream found a way to conduct racing in the period between the destruction of the old stands and the opening of the new building. You can do a lot these days with tents and temporary seating. Or how about this? Run most of the spring meet at Aqueduct, but head north for Belmont week and have a Belmont-at-Saratoga meet for four or five days.

“Everything is on the table and we will look at all our options,” O'Rourke said.

NYRA has confirmed that all of the traditional fall Belmont meets between now and the re-opening of the new Belmont will be held at Aqueduct.

What will the new grandstand look like? How big will it be?

It will take up roughly 275,000 square feet, making it about one fourth the size of the current building, which covers 1.25 million square feet. As is the case with any new sports facility being built today, there will be an emphasis on amenities. Expect luxury boxes, a high-end restaurant and tents and other temporary facilities catering to the well-heeled.

If it's going to be that small, how will they accommodate the types of crowds you get for the Belmont S. and, in the future, the Breeders' Cup?

“They're going to lay down the infrastructure so that they can put up high-end temporary hospitality for the big days,” O'Rourke said. “It will be something like what you see at Royal Ascot. We're building that into the plan.”

The new Belmont will also be able to place fans in the infield, something not currently available at the existing facility.

Belmont struggles mightily when it comes to attendance, particularly on the week days. Can a new, shiny facility change that narrative?

“I think those attendances will be greater than you might think,” O'Rourke said. “Right now, if you come out here on a nice Saturday in the spring, every green area is packed. It's the building. The building itself is a warehouse built for betting. We're going to have a lot more green space at the new track. By creating a park-like atmosphere, I think you're going to a see a different kind of draw on a regular day. It's also going to be a facility that will cater more to the owner and horsemen. This is New York and a lot of the owners live here. We want to build something they'll want to come out to. That's what Saratoga does. It brings everyone, fans, owners, out. I know it's a different market, but we think by having a smaller, high-end building we can accomplish some of that.

With no Aqueduct, Belmont will be open for 44 weeks. Is that too much? Could we see an expanded Saratoga meet?

“As of now, the plan is to run the traditional meet at Saratoga with Belmont hosting the rest of the days,” O'Rourke said. “We will see how that works out. If we need to adjust or try something different, we'll have to figure out what that might be. What that might be, I don't know.”

With all the changes, this was NYRA's chance to downsize its racing surfaces. You need a mile-and-a-half main track for exactly one race a year. Why not go to a smaller main track?

“Some things you just don't want to mess with,” O'Rourke said. “We had many different variations drawn up, but we're not going to change. The Belmont Stakes is the biggest event held here and the mile-and-a-half track works for that. There will be one change, though. The turf courses are going to widened with more lanes.

What's the latest on the synthetic track at Belmont?

“The synthetic track is going in this year and will be ready for the 2024 spring meet at Belmont,” O'Rourke said. “Once we leave for Saratoga, the synthetic goes in, the inner turf gets redone and more tunnels go in. The flavor of winter racing in New York is going to change. We will have more options. Our circuit, we become a dirt circuit every year for four, five months. With a synthetic track, there will be more of an opportunity for turf-focused horses and they will have a place to run up north.”

The post What You Need to Know About the New Belmont Park appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

That undated letter, which was attached as part of a Nov. 7 pro-Breeders' Cup press release issued by the “We Are NY Horse Racing” coalition of small businesses, labor unions, non-profits, and trade associations, did not include any specifics about the projects that were referenced, nor did it state a ballpark timetable for when Belmont might be re-introduced into the rotation of host tracks.

But as NYRA continues to chip away at a decades-long overhaul that could one day consolidate all downstate racing at one downsized and modernized facility, a return of the Breeders' Cup to Belmont comes into a less-hazy theoretical focus.

Belmont last hosted the Breeders' Cup in 2005, two years prior to the advent of the event's expansion to two days. It had previously hosted the event in 1990, 1995 and 2001.

The return of the Breeders' Cup to Belmont has been an open question ever since.

The worthiness of New York as a host city and Belmont's lofty, no-brainer status among North American racetracks have never been the issues.

Outdated infrastructure has been the chief logistical holdup, and the process has moved slowly over the years because of the enormous scope of the work and the fact that NYRA's projects are subject to state approvals.

“With the arrival of UBS Arena, the creation of new and modernized racing facilities at Belmont Park is a transformational project that would establish one of the finest sports and entertainment destinations anywhere in the country…” NYRA's vice president of communications, Patrick McKenna, wrote in an email to TDN Monday.

“For Thoroughbred racing, a re-imagined Belmont would be the most consequential and significant new developments the sport has seen in recent history. It would result in a facility capable of hosting year-round racing and pave the way for the return of the Breeders' Cup World Championships to New York, among other advantages,” McKenna wrote.

“NYRA envisions a new grandstand that will honor the history and traditions of this historic property while offering fans the kind of modern amenities and differentiated experiences they have come to expect from stadiums and venues throughout New York…” McKenna wrote.

“The project enjoys broad and enthusiastic support throughout the region, and NYRA hopes to gain the relevant authorization through the 2023 [New York State] budget. Timelines for construction and relevant next steps would be arrived at only when the legislative process is complete,” McKenna wrote.

The first phase of that work is already underway. The recent fall meet at Belmont got relocated to Aqueduct Racetrack because NYRA is in the late stages of constructing vehicular and pedestrian tunnels underneath the 55-acre infield, which has been largely inaccessible and underutilized throughout the life of the track. In addition to providing access to fans, the tunnels will allow for NYRA to completely reconstruct the main dirt track and two turf courses, and possibly add a synthetic racing surface.

“New York is the ultimate global stage, and the new Belmont Park will be an ideal location to regularly host the Breeders' Cup,” NYRA president and chief executive officer Dave O'Rourke stated as part of the “We Are NY Horse Racing” release.

Five years ago, in 2017, TDN asked O'Rourke's predecessor, Chris Kay, about the timetable for Belmont once again hosting the Breeders' Cup. At that time, NYRA's president and chief executive officer explained the situation like this:

“When I met with the board of the Breeders' Cup in 2013, roughly a month after I took the job, they said, 'We want to bring the Breeders' Cup back to New York. When are you going to have [Belmont] renovated?'” Kay said. “That's because our building doesn't have any heat. The first week of November can be very cold. It's essentially concrete, and concrete holds the cold. [The current version of Belmont] was built in 1968, and it has the amenities of a 1968 facility.”

In 2018, Craig Fravel, then the Breeders' Cup president and chief executive officer, told TDN that, “both of us, the Breeders' Cup and NYRA, believe that there is a lot that needs to be done to do it right [and] what needed to be done was extensive.” Fravel also noted that Belmont's Park parking lots are not lit, and with the GI Classic culminating the Saturday card as late in the afternoon as daylight allows, there would be the problem of sending tens of thousands of people into darkened lots.

TDN's Bill Finley also pointed out in that same story that, “Another factor that makes Belmont a less-than-perfect site for the Breeders' Cup is that it is held the same weekend as the New York Marathon, which makes finding hotel rooms difficult.”

The letter to NYRA was signed by Drew Fleming, the president and chief executive officer of the Breeders' Cup, and Barbara Banke, who chairs the Breeders' Cup board.

It closed with the optimistic tag line, “To paraphrase one of our favorite movies, 'if you build it, we will come.'”

The post Breeders’ Cup at Belmont? No Timetable, But Edging Closer to Reality appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“Andrew is a seasoned executive and proven leader who will bring considerable skills to the talented team we have assembled at NYRA,” said Dave O'Rourke, NYRA President and CEO. “He is a strategic thinker who understands that horse racing is rapidly evolving, and we are pleased to welcome him in this wide-ranging new role.”

During his time at Canterbury Park, Offerman was responsible for many of the track's operational departments, including front-sire racing functions. He first joined the Shakopee track as a seasonal employee in college and was engaged full time from 2010, with increasing responsibility. After becoming Canterbury's top racing executive in 2017, he quickly deployed strategies that drove consistent and sustained increased in wagering handle and the associated revenue.

“NYRA sets the gold standard in our sport, and I am deeply appreciative of this opportunity to help shape the future of the organization,” said Offerman. “My experiences at Canterbury Park have prepared me for this next chapter and I'm thrilled it will be at the finest and most important racing organization in the country. I'd like to thank Canterbury Park and its racing community for their support throughout my tenure.”

He holds advisory and governance positions in a number of horse racing organizations including the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program (RTIP) Advisory Committee; Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America (TRA); American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Racing Committee, and Vice Chair of the Thoroughbred & Quarter Horse Breeders' Fund Advisory Committees of the Minnesota Racing Commission.

A native of Minneapolis, Offerman earned an M.S. degree from the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program and holds a B.A. from Gustavus Adolphus College.

The post Offerman Named NYRA VP, GM of Operations appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

“It didn't rain much, huh?” O'Rourke said.

Indeed. Though the 40-day meet concluded Monday on cool, dark, sodden afternoon where jackets and umbrellas were needed, almost all of the programs at Saratoga Race Course were run on tracks listed as “fast” and “firm.” When the final grass race of the closing day card was moved to the main track, it was just the 16th of the season. In 2021, NYRA lost 45 turf races in 2021 and still set handle marks.

“Off-the-turf is always a very important metric when you're measuring handle and trying to understand why it was up or down or what would happen to field size,” O'Rourke said. “This is one of those years where you get kind of lucky where it stayed dry when we needed it to.”

During what was an unusually parched summer in upstate New York, NYRA recorded a record all-sources handle of $878,211,963 and reported on-track attendance at 1,075,586. The total handle was a 7.7% jump from last year and it was the seventh-straight time–excluding fan-free 2020–that Saratoga cracked one million in paid attendance. The daily average handle was $21,955,299, the highest in history, and average attendance was 26,890.

NYRA said Saratoga's on-track handle, which includes New York residents using NYRA Bets, was up 10.5% to $152,274,728.

A total of 417 races were staged: 218 on the dirt and 199 on turf. The average field size was 7.8 runners, up a tick from the 7.7 last year.

According to the National Weather Service in Albany, there were 22 days during the summer when the daily high temperature topped 90 degrees, twice the annual norm, and rainfall was five inches below average. Many of those 90+ days were during the racing season.

While the ancient course, which has been operating on the south side of Union Ave. since 1864, was baking, Chad Brown captured his second-straight training title and fifth in six years with 42 winners, and Irad Ortiz, Jr. secured his fourth jockey championship with 55 wins.

“The weather cooperated and the fans came out in force early,” O'Rourke said. “And that was a little eye opening, actually, how busy, we were in July this year, compared to history. It usually took a little while for us to ramp up to that. It feels like the pandemic is over, and everything's back to normal.”

From the opening day on July 14, 87-year-old Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas was a compelling story. Missing for two seasons at Saratoga due to Covid-19 and a lack of quality in his stable, Lukas mounted a successful renaissance tour. His star, GI Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath (Arrogate) was second in both of her starts, but he scored in the GIII Adirondack S. with Naughty Gal (Into Mischief) and six other races Lukas matched his 2009 figure and his $774,927 in earnings were second only to his $1,086,545 in 2013 in the last 20 years at the Spa. Lukas added to his young, promising stable with five yearling purchases at the Fasig-Tipton sale.

“I was pretty optimistic that we had the right 2-year-olds,” Lukas said. “I was disappointed in a couple of them, but, generally speaking, they lived right up to what we thought they would do. You're never sure up here because it's so competitive.”

Known as the “Graveyard of Favorites” since the early 1930s, Saratoga claimed a few more can't-miss superstars this summer. Topping the list was champion Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music), who won the GI A.G. Vanderbilt H.–for a Spa record third year winning a Grade I–but was defeated at 1-9 by Cody's Wish (Curlin) in the GI Forego S. At 1-5, War Like Goddess (English Channel) suffered just the third loss of her 11-race career with Bill Mott in the GII Flower Bowl Sept. 3.

The season started with huge early numbers and kept rolling. The GI Whitney S. Aug. 6 drew 39,478 and the program's total handle was $40.2 million. On Aug. 27, the GI Runhappy Travers S., always the marquee race of the season, attracted an on-track crowd of 49,672, the most since Keen Ice (Curlin) upset American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in 2015. The total handle was a Travers record $55.6 million.

“What's been exciting about the meet is the crowds,” said Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. “It's been very enthusiastic. Business has been robust, and it's exciting that people are coming out and enjoying horse racing. I think it bodes well for the future.”

Pletcher, a 14-time winner of the Saratoga training title, finished second to Brown with 37 wins. It was the 12th-straight season that they were 1-2 in the standings. Five of Pletcher's six graded stakes victories came in Grade I races: Nest (Curlin) swept the Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama in showdowns with Secret Oath that turned into routs; Life is Good (Into Mischief) added to his sterling reputation with a gate-to-wire score in the Whitney; champion Malathaat (Curlin) handled a strong field in the Personal Ensign S.; and Forte (Violence) wrapped up the season Monday in the Hopeful S.

“I couldn't be more pleased with the meet we've had,” Pletcher said before winning his fourth Hopeful. “If you come in here and you get the opportunity to win races like the Whitney and Alabama and Coaching Club, Personal Ensign, you've got to be pretty happy. You just hope that things continue to go well.”

Brown, who grew up in nearby Mechanicville, was the Saratoga runner-up for five years before topping Pletcher in 2016. He also won titles in 2018 with a record 46 victories, 2019 and again last summer. Three of his nine graded-stakes victories were in Grade I events: In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Diana S., where he saddled the top four finishers; Jack Christopher (Munnings) in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S.; Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper) in the Ballerina S. Typically, Brown was tough on the turf with a record of 30-20-24 from 131 starters, a 56% in-the-money rate.

“Overall, a really strong meet,” Brown said. “I'm just proud of the horses and my staff, all my co-workers, they did a great job. We won a lot of races, but we won some really big ones that really made the meet particularly strong for us, winning the Grade I's, the Diana, the Allen Jerkens, and the Ballerina. And we had a nice win in the [GII] Flower Bowl the other day [with Virginia Joy (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}). Then we were able to debut some good-looking 2-year-olds, which is always exciting.

“Top to bottom from the 2-year-olds to the sort of workman-like horses in the middle that won some allowance races and a few claiming races and such and then up into the stakes races, I think, in all divisions we were competitive.”

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Assmussen's powerful stable was a force, winning the GII Jim Dandy S. and the GI Travers S. with Epicenter (Not This Time), who climbed to the top of the 3-year-old male division, and the Vanderbilt with Jackie's Warrior.

Ortiz started the season winning the GIII Schuylerville S. aboard Just City (Justify) on opening day and completed his campaign with a triumph in the GI Hopeful S. on closing day with Forte. He won eight other graded stakes at the meet, four of them Grade I's, and took the title by 15 victories over Flavien Prat and Luis Saez.

“It means a lot,” Ortiz said. “It's one of the best meets in the world. Every single day the crowds show up and they show so much respect to the jockeys. Coming back after the race, kids and all the people are calling your name and asking for goggles and autographs. That makes it so special. That makes it different than anywhere else. It means a lot. It's a lot of hard work. A lot of dedication. I have to thank the owners and the trainers for the big support.”

Louisville-based trainer Phillip Bauer, 37, did not win any graded stakes, but he had the best Saratoga season of his career, winning with 6 of 13 starters for Rigney Racing LLC. The six wins equaled his total of wins for the six previous seasons he competed at Saratoga. He had a win rate of 46% and was in the money with 54% of his starters.

“Pretty unbelievable,” Bauer said. “We came up here, obviously, with intentions of being competitive, but you never anticipate something like this. It's been a lot of fun.”

The post Sun Sets on Record-Breaking Saratoga Season appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

O'Rourke said that the main objective of the construction project is the building of two major tunnels to provide access to the Belmont infield, a massive expanse of land that has thus far gone unutilized. The tunnels, he said, will open up the possibility of hosting fans in the infield for major events like the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, but he added that the renovation will also pave the way for reconstruction of the Belmont dirt and turf courses and the installation of a synthetic track for winter racing. O'Rourke expounded on the importance of winterizing Belmont, as the plan is to consolidate racing operations at the track in the near future, shuttering Aqueduct, and also said this project is being undertaken at least in part to bring the Breeders' Cup back to Belmont, which last hosted the World Championships 17 years ago, in 2005.

Elsewhere on the show, which is also sponsored by Coolmore, Lane's End, XBTV, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, West Point Thoroughbreds and Legacy Bloodstock, the writers talked about the races for champion 3-year-old and Horse of the Year heating up, how 'TDN Rising Star' designations are made and the latest HISA legal back-and-forth. Click here to watch the show; click here for the audio-only version or find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

The post NYRA CEO Dave O’Rourke Talks Winterizing Belmont On Writers’ Room appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post