dave o'rourke | Horse Racing Free Tips

Belmont Park Re-Opens To Limited Spectators On Saturday, May 1

Following the issuance of detailed racetrack health and safety protocols by New York State, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced that Belmont Park will re-open to a limited number of spectators on Saturday, May 1.

In accordance with New York State requirements, spectators must purchase track admission in advance and adhere to strict health and safety protocols designed to mitigate the risk of COVID-19.

“NYRA has been working collectively toward this goal since the start of the pandemic and we are thrilled to be able to welcome fans back to Belmont Park,” said NYRA President & CEO Dave O'Rourke. “We thank our fans for their loyalty and support over this challenging year and look forward to the spring and summer ahead.”

In order to enter Belmont Park, in accordance with New York State requirements, all ticketed spectators must submit proof of a completed vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result.

Individuals are considered fully vaccinated by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)/New York State 14 days or more after receiving the second dose in a two-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or 14 days or more after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson / Janssen).

Individuals who are not fully vaccinated must present a negative result from a COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72-hours of the event start time or a negative antigen test collected within six hours of the event start time.

Ticketed spectators may submit proof of completed vaccination by presenting the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card or digitally through the New York State Excelsior Pass.

Ticketed spectators may submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test result by presenting a physical copy of the test result or digitally through the New York State Excelsior Pass.

NYRA encourages all ticketed spectators who have been vaccinated or tested in New York State to download the Excelsior Pass today, which can be found at https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/excelsior-pass.

NYRA will adjust admission protocols accordingly should the CDC/New York State alter COVID-19 vaccination and/or testing requirements.

Daily tickets to Belmont Park will be available for $15 and will include track admission, a reserved seat in the Clubhouse, a pocket program and reserved parking. Assigned seating is mandatory and groups will be physically separated within all seating areas to ensure social distancing. On-site wagering will be available. During opening weekend, all ticketed spectators will receive a Daily Racing Form free of charge.

Following opening weekend, Belmont Park will be open to limited spectators on all live race days.

All admission must be purchased in advance at nyra.com/belmont/tickets/.

There will be no walk-up ticket sales of any kind. In order to enter Belmont Park, tickets must be presented digitally via a mobile device through Ticketmaster.com or the NYRA Account Manager. For additional details, visit the NYRA digital ticket guide.

In accordance with New York State requirements, daily attendance is limited to 20 percent of seated capacity for outdoor areas.

In addition, all ticketed spectators must complete a health questionnaire and submit to a contactless temperature check prior to entering Belmont Park. The required health questionnaire will be emailed to ticketed spectators prior to the event date and must be completed within 12 hours of gates opening.

Facial coverings are mandatory at Belmont Park for all ticketed spectators and personnel at all times.

Saturday's stakes action at Belmont features a trio of graded events with the Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy for older horses at nine furlongs on turf; the Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay at 11 furlongs on turf for older fillies and mares; and the Grade 3, $200,000 Westchester at one mile on the main track for older horses. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

Gates at Belmont Park will open to the public at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Ticketed spectators can watch and wager on the 147th running of the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby from Churchill Downs following the conclusion of live racing at Belmont. Post time for the Kentucky Derby is slated for 6:57 p.m.

Food and beverage options will be available for purchase. During opening weekend, outside coolers are not permitted at Belmont Park. The Belmont Café is currently the site of a Northwell Heath vaccination center and is closed to the public.

Social distancing will be enforced throughout the property, including in the area surrounding the paddock and length of the apron.

For additional information on spectator protocols at Belmont Park, please visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/visit/plan-your-visit.

Ticketing information for the 2021 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will be released in the near future.

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Belmont’s Meet Begins Without Spectators; NYRA Working To Determine Re-Opening Date

The 48-day Belmont Park spring/summer meet will begin on Thursday, April 22, without spectators in attendance.

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will be able to determine when Belmont Park will re-open to spectators following the issuance of detailed guidance from New York State addressing health and safety protocols specific to racetracks.

“We are incredibly eager to turn the page on this pandemic and safely open Belmont Park to fans as quickly as possible,” said Dave O'Rourke, NYRA President and CEO. “Although Belmont Park will be closed to spectators throughout Opening Weekend, NYRA looks forward to seeing fans in the stands right back where they belong this spring and summer.”

The 48-day Belmont spring/summer meet boasts 59 total stakes races worth $16.95 million in total purse money.

“NYRA is committed to ensuring the safest possible environment for fans and will make any adjustments necessary so that the Northwell Health vaccination center operating at Belmont can continue to serve as many New Yorkers as possible,” O'Rourke added. “We thank Governor Cuomo and the state for paving the way for a successful summer at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.”

America's Day at the Races, the acclaimed national telecast produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, will present live racing throughout the Belmont Park spring/summer meet that will run Thursday through Sunday, July 11. Opening Day action from Belmont will feature on America's Day at the Races on FS2 from 1 – 5 p.m. Eastern.

Thursday's meet opener at Belmont includes five turf races on the eight-race card. In April, first post time at Belmont will be 1 p.m. Eastern.

For additional information please visit NYRA.com.

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Big A Already Given Over 180K COVID Vaccines

With live racing transitioning from New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) 's Aqueduct Racetrack to Belmont Park for the start of the spring/summer meet Apr. 22, Aqueduct will continue to serve as mass COVID-19 vaccination center. The New York State vaccination distribution center opened Jan. 18 and has provided more than 180,000 doses. Operating seven days a week, the Aqueduct site is now providing as many as 4,000 doses per day.

“This facility has vaccinated more than 180,000 individuals since January thanks to the teamwork displayed by employees from the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Department of Health, Division of Military and Naval Affairs, Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, New York State Police, Somos Community Care and the New York Racing Association, and I applaud all their efforts in this fight to help us end the pandemic,” said Patrick A. Murphy, Commissioner of the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.

Belmont also serves as vaccination distribution center, operated by Northwell Health. The vaccination hub, which also opened in January, will continue to administer vaccinations through Belmont's 2021 spring/summer meet.

“NYRA is proud to contribute to the mass vaccination effort to help turn the page on the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dave O'Rourke, NYRA President and CEO. “We thank all those who have been working at Aqueduct Racetrack and Belmont Park to protect their fellow New Yorkers during this public health crisis.”

Since April 2020, the Aqueduct parking lot has been the site of a drive-thru COVID-19 testing location.

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FOX Sports Extends NYRA Media Rights Through 2030, Acquires Stake In NYRA Bets

FOX Sports, a unit of Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA, FOX), and the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced Thursday an expanded partnership agreement that establishes FOX Sports as the official wagering partner of NYRA Bets and the leading media provider for elite thoroughbred racing through the next decade.

The prior FOX Sports/NYRA media rights agreement provided a FOX Sports subsidiary with an option to acquire a 25% stake in NYRA Bets, LLC (NYRA Bets), a leading Advance Deposit Wagering (ADW) platform launched in 2016 and available to customers in 30 states across the country. The FOX Sports subsidiary will exercise this option by the summer of 2021, pending final regulatory approval.

The newly announced agreement provides a FOX Sports subsidiary with a future opportunity to increase its equity interest in NYRA Bets.

As an unprecedented year interrupted live sports around the world, horse racing operated safely and continuously. NYRA Bets achieved record growth in 2020, as new fans engaged with horse racing by watching an unparalleled amount of coverage across FOX Sports' family of networks. Driven by a dramatic expansion in this live television coverage, NYRA Bets generated $225 million in wagering handle in 2020, a more than 100% increase compared to 2019.

“The remarkably rapid expansion of NYRA Bets, and the digital ADW wagering marketplace, make this an ideal opportunity for FOX Sports to deepen and broaden its investment in both premier media rights and the high-growth sports wagering industry. With our investment options in NYRA Bets, FOX is now uniquely positioned as the only media company with strategic stakes in digital bet-taking businesses in horse racing, sports betting, poker and casino gaming,” said Michael Mulvihill, FOX Sports' Executive Vice President, Head of Strategy and Analytics. “We're confident that our television partnership with NYRA will fuel continued growth for NYRA Bets in the years ahead ”

Dave O'Rourke, President and CEO, NYRA, underscored the importance of its partnership with FOX Sports to the sport in New York as well as across the country.

“FOX Sports has shown an unwavering commitment to the sport of horse racing over the past five years,” said O'Rourke. “The strength of our partnership with FOX Sports, and the continued expansion of our high-quality telecasts, has proven to be hugely beneficial for the New York racing community and the sport as a whole.”

The new agreement will extend FOX Sports' television rights with NYRA through 2030 and further expand exclusivity for daily racing at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.

Under the new deal, FOX Sports expects to air at least 700 hours of coverage each year from Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course and, outside of prior commitments, gives the network exclusive national broadcast rights at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course through 2030. NYRA will serve as the production arm for all horse racing events during the term of the partnership.

NYRA and FOX Sports began their collaboration during the first season of Saratoga Live during the 2016 summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course. The critically acclaimed show, broadcast daily from the grounds of Saratoga, aired 80 hours of live coverage on FS2 and coincided with the national launch of NYRA Bets. Since then, total coverage has grown to more than 700 hours in 2020. The NYRA Bets wagering handle has also grown – from $7.2 million in 2016 to over $225 million in 2020. Wagering through national ADW outlets increased 115% during that same period. Along with Saratoga Live, FOX Sports' NYRA television portfolio includes America's Day At The Races, airing in the spring, summer, fall and select dates throughout the winter racing season.

FOX Sports became the national television home for NYRA's Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course coverage in 2019. That same year, the brand furthered its commitment to horse racing by televising the Runhappy Travers to a national audience on the FOX broadcast network (FOX) for the first time in network history. Following a successful presentation in 2019, the Travers returned to FOX in 2020.

First held in 1864, the Travers is the most prestigious stakes race for 3-year-olds outside of the Triple Crown series and the traditional centerpiece of the annual 40-day summer meet at Saratoga Race Course. The race is named for William R. Travers, the first president of Saratoga Race Course who won the inaugural running in 1864 with a horse named Kentucky.

The new FOX Sports/NYRA agreement ensures that the Travers will air LIVE on FOX through 2030.

“NYRA is delighted to extend our relationship with FOX Sports,” said Tony Allevato, President, NYRA Bets. “We look forward to continuing to work closely with the FOX Sports team over the next decade to grow NYRA Bets while continuing to present the very best in horse racing coverage to more sports fans than ever before.”

The agreement does not include the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and the Belmont Stakes.

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