new york race track chaplaincy | Horse Racing Free Tips

Jockey Basketball Game for Charity Returns to the Spa

After a hiatus in 2020 due to COVID-19, the 13th Annual Charity Basketball Game featuring jockeys against horsemen will be held Wednesday, Sept. 1. Proceeds from the event, which will take place at the Saratoga Springs Recreation Center at 6:30 p.m., will benefit the programs of the New York Race Track Chaplaincy. Admission is free.

Hall of Famer Angel Cordero, Jr. will coach the jockey team, while 2021 Hall of Fame inductee Todd Pletcher will coach the horsemen team alongside trainer-turned-agent Kiaran McLaughlin. NYRA's Mitch Levites will do the announcing.

“We are delighted to be able to play the game this year,” said Humberto Chavez, lead chaplain and executive director of the New York Chaplaincy. “This is a cherished tradition, and everyone really missed it last year. The funds go to support the backstretch community and Saratogians are great supporters of those who take care of the horses behind the scenes.”

Raffle prizes for attendees will include an Apple watch and a custom, autographed Irad Ortiz, Jr. bobblehead. For more information or to sponsor the game, visit www.rtcany.org or call Eleanor Poppe at 516-428-5267.

The post Jockey Basketball Game for Charity Returns to the Spa appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Grooms, Hotwalkers Honored in New York

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) named a race for the New York Race Track Chaplaincy (NY Chaplaincy) Friday, June 4, allowing the organization to honor the groom and hotwalker who cared for the winning horse in that race. Trainer Bill's Mott's Aunt Kat (Uncle Mo) won, with Gustavo Solorio and Agripina Lara each receiving a trophy and a gift provided by the NY Chaplaincy as part of the winner's circle ceremony.

“These are the people who dedicate their lives to caring for Thoroughbreds and we are immensely grateful to NYRA for partnering with us to honor them in this manner, as they have done for many years,” said chaplain Humberto Chavez. “These individuals are rarely in the limelight and this ceremony, as well as similar tributes conducted at Aqueduct and Saratoga Race Course, is a real morale-booster.”

According to Chavez, approximately 800 stable workers live at Belmont Park and another 2,000 live off track.

The post Grooms, Hotwalkers Honored in New York appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

‘Champions Talk’: 2021 Fundraiser To Feature Five Champion Jockeys

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy announced today that the 2021 edition of its Champions Talk fundraiser will feature five retired champion jockeys who together won over 34,000 races (and landed four of them in the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame) when it premieres on the organization's YouTube Channel and Facebook page on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021.

Scheduled to participate in the round table discussion are: Ángel Cordero Jr., Chris McCarron, Richard Migliore, Laffit Pincay Jr. and Jorge Velazquez.

The initial version of Champions Talk aired on Aug. 5, 2020. With Tom Durkin serving as moderator, the panel included Cordero, jockey Ramón Dominguez, trainer Dale Romans and Thoroughbred owner Terry Finley.

The premiere and subsequent replays were seen by over 10,000 racing fans and it is still available for viewing at https://www.rtcany.org.

“Champions Talk was so popular that we decided to make it a permanent part of our calendar,” said Ramón Dominguez, the President of the Board of the New York Race Track Chaplaincy. “We are thrilled to have this star-studded lineup of riders and we know that fans will thoroughly enjoy hearing their tales and recollections from some of the most memorable races in the history of the sport.”

As part of the event, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., a three-time Eclipse award winner, will be the Chaplaincy's honoree in recognition of his dedication and support of the backstretch community in New York.

Durkin, the former New York Racing Association announcer, will once again serve as the moderator for the panel and the discussion will be held in the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion in Saratoga Springs.

In accordance with health protocols, a limited number of seats for the taping will be sold to the public and made available to sponsors. A reception will be held for those attendees, also at the Fasig-Tipton facility.

As was the case last year, this event will be the sole Saratoga fundraiser for the organization and viewers will be encouraged to make a donation to the New York Race Track Chaplaincy.

“The needs of the backstretch workers over the past year have been even greater due to the pandemic and we hope racing fans will once again demonstrate their generosity by supporting this event,” Chavez said.

Those wishing to sponsor the event, purchase tickets, or make a contribution can visit the NY Chaplaincy website at https://www.rtcany.org. Additional information is available by contacting the chaplaincy's development coordinator Eleanor Poppe at info@rtcany.org.

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy ministers to the heart and soul of the backstretch community with children's enrichment, social service, recreational, and educational programs, as well as non-denominational religious services.

The post ‘Champions Talk’: 2021 Fundraiser To Feature Five Champion Jockeys appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

New York Race Track Chaplaincy To Honor Irad Ortiz Jr.

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy will honor jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. for his generous and continued devotion to the backstretch community at its fundraiser during the 2021 Saratoga racing meet in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

“Since his arrival on the New York Racing Association circuit, Irad has demonstrated a deep appreciation for our backstretch community, and his actions have directly and indirectly improved the quality of life for those who make their living caring for horses,” said Humberto Chavez, the chaplain for the NY Chaplaincy. “He is immensely deserving of this honor.”

Ortiz, a native of Trujillo Alto in Puerto Rico, has won nearly 2700 races and earned nearly $200 million in purses in his career. He won the Eclipse Award as the nation's outstanding jockey in both 2018 and 2019. He also took home the title of the leading jockey of the 2020 Saratoga meet.

He won the 2016 Belmont Stakes aboard Creator and has won 11 Breeders' Cup races.

“Racing would not exist without the dedicated individuals who care for the horses,” said Ortiz. “It is a blessing and an honor to support them through the work of the NY Chaplaincy.”

Previous honorees have included Anne Campbell, Edgar Prado, Michael Dubb, Fay and David Donk, Marylou Whitney/John Hendrickson, Letty and Kiaran McLaughlin, Lisa and Kenny Troutt, Debbie and Terry Finley and, last year, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.

The honoree is presented with an original painting by equine artist Tom Chapman at a brunch typically held at the Saratoga National Golf Club in Saratoga Springs. The event was held virtually under a different format in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are extremely hopeful that we will be able to once again host our annual event in person and make the presentation to Irad,” said Chavez, “but we will go forward with it only when we can ensure the health and safety of our attendees. We will make those decisions when we get closer to August and will get the word out.”

The NY Race Track Chaplaincy, which will soon be expanding its services as it breaks ground on a dedicated building at Belmont Park, serves the NY backstretch community with children's enrichment, social service, recreational, and educational programming as well as non-denominational religious services.

Additional information may be found at www.rtcany.org.

The post New York Race Track Chaplaincy To Honor Irad Ortiz Jr. appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post