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NYRA Announces 2021-22 Aqueduct Winter Meet Stakes Schedule

The New York Racing Association has released the 2021-22 Aqueduct winter stakes schedule, which includes 46 stakes races on offer worth nearly $6 million in purses. The 56-day Aqueduct winter meet begins Thursday, Dec. 9 and runs through Sunday, Mar. 27. Live racing will generally be conducted Thursday through Sunday through the end of February with a holiday break set for Dec. 20-29 and the addition of a special Presidents' Day card Monday, Feb. 21. March will then feature a Friday-Sunday schedule of live racing through the conclusion of the winter meet.

As previously announced, and in accordance with New York City requirements, fans seeking to enter Aqueduct must demonstrate proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Aqueduct will re-open to the public Thursday, Nov. 11, Opening Day of the 18-day 2021 Aqueduct fall meet, which runs through Sunday, Dec. 5. Admission to Aqueduct, which will be open to the public on live race days only, is free of charge. The gates will open daily at 11 a.m. First post during the Aqueduct fall and winter meets is 12:30 p.m.

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NYRA Releases Winter Stakes Schedule For Aqueduct

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the stakes schedule for the 2021-22 winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack.

With 46 stakes races on offer worth nearly $6 million in purses, the 56-day winter meet begins Thursday, Dec. 9 and runs through Sunday, March 27. Live racing will generally be conducted Thursday through Sunday through the end of February with a holiday break set for Dec. 20 – 29 and the addition of a special Presidents' Day card on Monday, Feb. 21. March will then feature a Friday-Sunday schedule of live racing through the conclusion of the winter meet on March 27.

As previously announced, and in accordance with New York City requirements, fans seeking to enter Aqueduct Racetrack must demonstrate proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Originally closed to the public during the height of the COVID-19 emergency in March of 2020, Aqueduct then became the site of a New York State mass vaccination center in January 2021. It will re-open to the public on Thursday, Nov. 11, Opening Day of the 18-day 2021 Aqueduct fall meet, which runs through Sunday, Dec. 5.

The Aqueduct winter meet stakes action commences on Saturday, Dec. 11 with the $100,000 Garland of Roses for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and up headed six furlongs on the main track. The 2021 NYRA stakes program draws to a close with the $100,000 Bay Ridge on December 30 for New York-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up and the $100,000 Alex M. Robb on Dec. 31 for New York-breds 3-years-old and up.

January racing will open on New Year's Day with the one-mile $150,000 Jerome, the first of three Kentucky Derby prep races at the Big A winter meet. The Jerome will offer 10-4-2-1 qualifying points to the top-four finishers.

The nine-furlong $100,000 Busanda for sophomore fillies on January 23 will provide 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top four finishers. The winter meet graded stakes calendar will open with the Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses on Jan. 29.

New York's road to the Kentucky Derby continues at the Big A winter meet with the nine-furlong Grade 3, $250,000 Withers on Feb. 5, offering 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers.

The Monday, Feb. 21 Presidents' Day card will be highlighted by the $100,000 Maddie May for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies going one mile. There will be no live racing on Thursday, Feb. 17 to accommodate the Presidents' Day card.

A total of 12 racing cards are set for March, featuring eight stakes' days, including two graded events. The centerpiece of the March racing calendar is the one-mile Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham on March 5, which provides 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top four finishers. The Gotham Day card includes the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap for 4-year-olds and up going six furlongs; the $250,000 Busher Invitational for 3-year-old fillies offering 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-four finishers; and the $125,000 Stymie for 4-year-olds and up.

The final weekend of the winter meet will feature a 10-stakes card on New York Claiming Championship Day, Saturday, March 26 and the $100,000 East View on Sunday, March 27.

Admission to Aqueduct, which will be open to the public on live race days only, is free of charge. The gates will open daily at 11 a.m. First post during the Aqueduct fall and winter meets is 12:30 p.m.

Fans visiting Aqueduct should use the Clubhouse Entrance to provide the required proof of vaccination. Preferred parking will be $10 daily in the Clubhouse lot and general parking with be in the Conduit lot. All parking fees must be paid via credit card.

For the complete winter meet stakes schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/stakes-schedule/

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NYRA Cares: NYRA Continues Support For Hope For The Warriors

Connecting with the organization Hope For The Warriors was the link that U.S.M.C. Staff Sergeant Ryan Anderson used “to regain my freedom,” as he put it.

In 2006, Staff Sergeant Anderson was diagnosed with PTSD and a mild Traumatic Brain Injury after being subjected to seven improvised explosive devices (IEDs) within a three-day span in Iraq. The injuries affected his ability to speak and eventually left him nearly unable to walk.

Back home, Staff Sergeant Anderson connected with Hope For The Warriors in hopes of finding a way to remain active. Starting with a hand cycle donated by the organization and combined with intensive rehabilitation and the support of his family, Staff Sergeant Anderson is now a marathon runner and working toward a dual master's degree in business administration and finance.

Welcome to another success story from Hope For The Warriors, the North Carolina-based organization that supports post 9/11 service members, veterans and military families in transitioning back to the civilian world. It's because of the inspiring story of Staff Sergeant Anderson and hundreds of others that the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is continuing its support of Hope For The Warriors.

To honor the organization and to commemorate Veterans Day, which is next Thursday, Nov. 11, NYRA and owner Harold Lerner are each donating $5,000 to Hope For The Warriors. The donations match those of previous years when NYRA and Mr. Lerner, a U.S. Army veteran, honored service members on Veterans Day.

“NYRA is proud to partner once again with Hope For The Warriors, an organization that provides much needed services to our veterans in the New York City area and around the country,” said NYRA's Manager of Community Relations Vanessa Rodriguez Payne. “Their work is absolutely crucial to helping post-9/11 veterans and military families regain their footing and thrive.”

United by Honor and Sacrifice

Hope For The Warriors calls itself, “a family, united by our shared conviction of honor and sacrifice.” It was founded in 2006 by military families aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, who witnessed firsthand what war does to service members and their families. The organization offers comprehensive support, health and wellness programs as diverse as the people it serves.

Its Warrior's Compass program provides comprehensive Transition Services for veterans starting new careers and opportunities for employers to find qualified candidates among service members, military spouses and veterans. That takes in everything from job training to candidate matching, mentoring, resume building and access to 1,500-plus companies looking to hire veterans.

The organization's scholarship program provides aid in continuing education at accredited universities, colleges or trade schools. And in cases where a veteran or family member is hesitant to seek mental health care treatment within their community or from the VA, a clinical team from Hope For The Warriors team provides short-term, stop-gap supportive services that engage the veteran or family in seeking treatment close to home.

Elsewhere, Hope For The Warriors' stability grant program provides short-term financial assistance when a veteran or service member is struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Still another program, Resilient Warrior, helps military members and families develop helpful coping tools to combat stress and become more resilient.

Staff Sergeant Anderson is thankful for those services. As a runner, the father of five now trains up to six days a week with an average of 18 to 20 miles, and has completed both the Boston and the Marine Corps marathons. And he is grateful that after his injury, he again has hope.

“It just means so much because Hope For The Warriors has given me so much after my injury,” Staff Sergeant Anderson said. “They've helped me get started from a hand cycle, all the way up to now I'm running marathons. I just couldn't do it without them. This organization has helped me to feel normal again, and I cannot thank them enough for everything that they do.”

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Aqueduct Racetrack Re-Opens To Fans On Nov. 11

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced that Aqueduct Racetrack will re-open to the public on Thursday, Nov. 11, Opening Day of the 2021 fall meet.

Originally closed to fans during the height of the COVID-19 emergency in March of 2020, Aqueduct then became the site of a New York State mass vaccination center in January 2021.

The vaccination center, which has distributed more than 300,000 COVID-19 inoculations to date, was a critical piece in the New York State led effort to quickly and efficiently vaccinate New Yorkers. The size and scope of the center, which occupied the entirety of Aqueduct's first floor, required the continued closure of the facility to the general public.

“We are proud to have partnered with New York State so that so many New Yorkers had easy access to these incredibly important vaccines,” said NYRA President and CEO Dave O'Rourke. “NYRA would also like to thank our loyal fans for their patience as we worked to bring them back to the Big A. Aqueduct is New York City's racetrack, and we couldn't be happier to finally be able to open the doors once again on Nov. 11.”

While the vaccination center will remain in operation, its footprint will be reduced and consolidated. Appointments are optional and walk-ins are currently being accommodated for COVID-19 vaccinations at Aqueduct. For additional information, and details on eligibility for booster doses, please visit https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/.

New York City has established strict vaccine requirements for nearly all indoor settings. Proof of vaccination is currently required to enter indoor entertainment venues, sports arenas, restaurants, movie theaters, music and concert venues, museums, aquariums and zoos, convention centers, exhibition halls, hotel meeting and event spaces, performing arts theaters, bowling alleys, arcades and a host of other settings.

This vaccine requirement is inclusive of fans, employees, vendors and anyone else who physically enters the venue. Accordingly, and in compliance with New York City law, anyone seeking to enter Aqueduct Racetrack must show proof of vaccination in order to gain admittance.

This program, called the Key to NYC, prohibits NYRA from allowing entrance to Aqueduct to anyone over the age of 12 who cannot demonstrate proof that the individual has received at least one dose of a vaccine. NYRA will accept the CDC vaccination card and the New York State Excelsior pass as proof of vaccination.

NYRA previously announced that the Belmont fall meet, originally scheduled to conclude on Oct. 31, will be extended to include three additional dates from Friday, Nov. 5 through Sunday, Nov. 7. These dates were originally scheduled to be run at Aqueduct Racetrack as opening weekend of the Aqueduct fall meet. As a result, the 15-day Aqueduct fall meet will now begin on Thursday, Nov. 11 and continue through Sunday, Dec. 5.

Admission to Aqueduct, which will be open to the public on live race days only, is free of charge. The gates will open daily at 11 a.m. First post during the Aqueduct fall meet is 12:30 p.m.

For additional information, visit NYRA.com.

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