Marc Holliday Elected Chairman of NYRA Board of Directors

The New York Racing Association's Board of Directors has unanimously elected Marc Holliday as chairman following Thursday's regularly scheduled meeting of the board. Holliday replaces Michael Del Giudice, who retired from the NYRA Board in November.

Appointed to the NYRA Board in 2014, Holliday has chaired the NYRA Equine Safety Committee since 2015. He is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SL Green Realty Corp, which is New York City's largest owner of office properties. A graduate of Lehigh University, Holliday earned a master's in real estate development from Columbia University.

“I am honored to succeed Michael Del Giudice and grateful for his work returning NYRA to a period of sustained excellence and financial stability,” said Holliday. “Michael skillfully guided the association through a time of uncertainty, and NYRA today is as strong as any point in its history. Horse racing is an engine for the New York economy and deeply intertwined in the cultural fabric of the state. It is a privilege to play a role in the future of the sport I care so deeply about.”

A prominent horse owner and breeder, Holliday founded Blue Devil Racing Stable in 2006. Most notable among a number of Blue Devil stakes winners is the homebred Come Dancing (Malibu Moon), who won the GI Ketel One Ballerina S., GII Ruffian S., GII Gallant Bloom H. and GIII Distaff H. in 2019 on the NYRA circuit. The popular mare added the GII Honorable Miss S. to her ledger last year and is now in foal to Into Mischief.

“NYRA is in a strong position for continued success thanks to the commitment and leadership of the board of directors,” said NYRA President & CEO Dave O'Rourke. “On behalf of the entire organization, I thank Michael Del Giudice for his dedicated service and congratulate Marc Holliday on his new role.”

The post Marc Holliday Elected Chairman of NYRA Board of Directors appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Del Giudice Retires from NYRA Board; Holliday Named Interim Chair

Michael Del Giudice, the New York Racing Association (NYRA)'s Chairman of the Board of Directors, has retired from his post, NYRA announced Wednesday. The board's executive committee has appointed Marc Holiday to serve as interim chair until a full meeting of the NYRA board set for Dec. 16.

Del Giudice joined the NYRA board in 2003 and has served as its Chairman since 2017. He was also Chairman of the NYRA Reorganization Board of Directors from 2015 to 2017.

According to a release from NYRA, “During [Del Giudice's] tenure, NYRA returned to sound financial footing and improved the quality, safety, and integrity of its racing operations. Under the leadership of Mr. Del Giudice, NYRA completed a series of significant capital improvement projects to improve the fan experience and modernize racing, training and backstretch facilities at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.”

Holliday, a prominent owner/breeder and founder of Blue Devil Racing Stable, joined the NYRA Board in 2014. He has chaired the Equine Safety Committee since 2015. Holliday is also Chairman and CEO of SL Green Realty Corp, New York City's largest owner of office properties.

The post Del Giudice Retires from NYRA Board; Holliday Named Interim Chair appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

‘Grit And Toughness’ Have Propelled Come Dancing To Breeders’ Cup Swansong

Ending a career by winning a championship is a goal for many athletes, though only a select few have been able to conclude their career with a historic effort.

The ones who do stand out. Joe DiMaggio ending his career after winning his ninth World Series with the Yankees in 1951 is near the top of any going-out-on-top moments. Rocky Marciano capped his career the way he ended every single one of his professional bouts, with the then 32-year-old walking away after posting a 49-0 record and holding the heavyweight championship for nearly four years. Across other sports, from NFL Hall of Famer John Elway winning back-to-back Supers Bowls to NHL superstar Jean Béliveau winning his 10th Stanley Cup and taking off the sweater in 1971, there have been special finales.

On Saturday, Blue Devil Racing Stable's Come Dancing will run the 19th and final race of a storied career that has already featured five graded stakes wins. The Carlos Martin trainee will look to give her connections one final memory when she competes in Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint going seven furlongs on Keeneland Race Course's main track.

The 6-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon has given owner Marc Holliday, and New York racing fans, plenty of thrills, starting with her 7 ¾-length romp in the 2019 Grade 3 Distaff at Aqueduct Racetrack, earning a 114 Beyer Speed Figure. From there, she dominated the Grade 2 Ruffian, winning the one-mile contest over a sloppy track by 6 ¾ lengths in May 2019. Her next start saw her run second to eventual Eclipse Award Champion Older Dirt Female Midnight Bisou in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps on Belmont Stakes Day.

Not to be deterred, Come Dancing then rattled off back-to-back wins in the Grade 1 Ballerina in August 2019 at Saratoga Race Course before winning the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom back at Belmont. She capped her campaign with a sixth-place effort in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita. In this year's edition, she will face divisional contenders Gamine and Serengeti Empress among a formidable nine-horse field.

Martin said she handled the ship well from New York to the Bluegrass State, where she posted a three-furlong blowout in 36 seconds flat over Keeneland's main track on Sunday.

“She seems like she's handling her time at Keeneland and she's enjoying herself. Her coat looks great,” Martin said. “My team has done a great job helping me to get her to this point, so I'm really happy about everything.”

A great career almost was derailed after her winning debut as a juvenile in November 2016 at the Big A. Working toward her potential stakes debut in the Grade 2 Demoiselle she suffered a fractured pastern in her right front leg. Come Dancing did not race again until 13 months later, when she bested allowance company in December 2017 at Aqueduct.

That came as a relief to Holliday, who is a NYRA Board Member and the Chairman and CEO of SL Green Realty Corp, a New York City commercial real estate firm.

“I was fairly optimistic that she would race again,” Holliday said to the Thoroughbred Daily News last year. “The question was would she race up to her potential because we knew she had a ton of potential. She had a brilliant first race. To do what she's done since the injury is a testament to her grit and toughness and her ability to rebound from that injury.”

Come Dancing not only rebounded from that setback, she thrived, and that success continued in her current campaign, which included a second-place effort in the Grade 3 Vagrancy over a Belmont track rated good on Belmont Stakes Day in June and her first win of 2020 last out with a three-quarter-length score in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss Handicap over Lady's Island in the six-furlong sprint at Saratoga on September 6.

The millionaire mare will retire to become a broodmare following Saturday's race, but she has one more chance to compete at the highest level during the Breeders' Cup World Championships. She drew post 3 with jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., who was aboard for the Honorable Miss, back in the irons. She is listed at 8-1 on the morning line with Gamine from post 2 the 7-5 favorite.

“It's bittersweet because it's her last dance, but she's been so good to us, so we just want to see her go off on a high note and show the world what she can do on the biggest stage, so we're excited for the opportunity,” Martin said. “I think the post should be fine. She usually breaks pretty well. With Serengeti and Gamine going out there, she should be able to find a spot. I don't think there's a chance of us going up there with them [as a pacesetter], but I'll let Irad ride the race and hopefully have them set the table for us.

“We have a champion jockey and I think the instructions kind of go out the window in a race like this,” he added.

A victory would give both Martin and Holliday their first respective career wins in a Breeders' Cup. It would also allow Come Dancing to follow in the path of past champions with a sunset ride enmeshed in glory.

The post ‘Grit And Toughness’ Have Propelled Come Dancing To Breeders’ Cup Swansong appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Come Dancing Regains Winning Form In Honorable Miss

Blue Devil Racing Stable's Come Dancing sat patiently off a torrid pace and picked up a fifth graded stakes victory proving to be much the best in the 29th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Honorable Miss for fillies and mares going six furlongs over the main track at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Guided by jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., Come Dancing broke sharply from her inside post but took back into fourth as graded stakes winner Lady's Island threw down swift splits of 21.64 for the opening quarter and 43.81 for the half-mile over the fast main track.

Around the far turn, Come Dancing began making up ground and moved a path to the outside of multiple graded stakes winner Blamed and got her cue from Ortiz, Jr. at the quarter pole.

With Lady's Island to catch, Come Dancing was under an all-out drive and charged in between rivals and took command just past the eighth-pole. She hit the wire a three-quarter length winner, stopping the clock in a time of 1:08.74.

Lady's Island finished second, 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Blamed. Unholy Alliance, Pink Sands, Bye Bye J and Pacific Gale completed the order of finish.

Come Dancing's last victory took place in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom last September at Belmont Park. Prior to that effort, she won against graded stakes company at all three NYRA tracks taking the Grade 3 Distaff at Aqueduct Racetrack, the Grade 2 Ruffian at Belmont Park and the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga.

“I was happy to see that Irad was able to get her to break and settle and he had her in the clear when he made his move,” said trainer Carlos Martin. “The track has been very fast, but I just wanted to see the old Come Dancing give us a run like the champion that she is. It's very gratifying that Marc [Holliday, Blue Devil Racing Stable] brought her back. A lot of naysayers were saying she lost a step but hopefully she can come back and finish the year strong and we can be vindicated. I'm so happy for Come Dancing, she's a special horse for us.”

Ortiz, Jr., who picked up his tenth stakes win of the meet, was piloting Come Dancing for the first time since October 2018, where she was fifth in the Grade 1 Beldame.

“I'm happy to be back on her today,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “I haven't ridden her in a long time but she's as good as she's ever been. Hopefully, she stays sound and healthy.”

Ortiz, Jr. said a clean break from the gate was instrumental in the victory.

“I thought I had the best filly, so I tried to stay close and not give them a chance to steal the race,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “She broke well today. Last time she missed the break and today she broke good and sat a little closer and I think that was the key.”

Returning $4.70 as the post time favorite, Come Dancing enhanced her lifetime earnings to $1,186,783 and her record to 18-8-3-0.

Live racing returns Monday with a 14-race card to close out the 40-day Saratoga summer meet highlighted by the Grade 1, $250,000 Runhappy Hopeful at seven furlongs for 2-year-olds; and the $85,000 Lure, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for older horses. First post is 11:30 a.m.

Live racing will then move to Belmont Park for the 27-day fall meet, featuring 38 stakes worth $5.58 million in purse money, that will kick off on Friday, September 18 and run through Sunday, November 1

The post Come Dancing Regains Winning Form In Honorable Miss appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights