New York Racing Association | 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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NYRA Announces New Partner For Concussion Management

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has announced a collaboration with the New York Institute of Technology's Center for Sports Medicine that establishes the CSM as the official concussion management team for NYRA.

The CSM will play a leading role in continuing to develop concussion protocols for jockeys at Belmont, Saratoga and Aqueduct.

“NYRA clearly prioritizes the health and safety of the world class athletes riding at their racetracks,” said Hallie Zwibel, D.O., medical director and director of the Center for Sports Medicine at New York Institute of Technology. “This collaboration is a reflection of that fact and will result in a concussion management plan that can serve as a national blueprint for thoroughbred racing.”

In December 2020, the Center for Sports Medicine launched a concussion baseline testing program for jockeys competing at the 2020-21 winter meet at Aqueduct. This program is ongoing, with additional baseline testing to be performed during the spring/summer meet at Belmont and the summer meet at Saratoga.

The Center for Sports Medicine has teamed in recent years with current and former jockeys, including Ramon Dominguez, who was force to retire in 2013 as the result.

“I am very encouraged that NYRA is collaborating with New York Institute of Technology to enhance jockey safety,” said Dominguez. “As awareness for concussion safety has risen, so has the level of protection for these amazing athletes and this collaboration continues those important efforts.”

“The Center for Sports Medicine is at the forefront of concussion science, research and prevention,” said Martin Panza, NYRA Senior Vice President of Racing Operations. “Dr. Zwibel and his team will be a tremendous addition as we work together to finalize comprehensive protocols to further protect jockeys in New York.”

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NYRA Establishing Concussion Protocols For Jockeys With Center For Sports Medicine

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and the Center for Sports Medicine at New York Institute of Technology today announced a collaboration that establishes the Center for Sports Medicine as NYRA's official concussion management team.

Accordingly, the Center for Sports Medicine will take a leading role in the continued development of concussion protocols for jockeys at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.

In addition to baseline testing, which is central to informing future treatment and concussion assessment, the Center for Sports Medicine will provide expert resources in the diagnosis of potential concussions as well as treatment plans for jockeys seeking a safe return to the racetrack. Further, the Center for Sports Medicine will provide continuing education for jockeys and NYRA personnel to ensure a more thorough understanding of concussion prevention.

The new collaboration underscores the Center for Sports Medicine's existing efforts to promote increased concussion safety. In recent years the Center for Sports Medicine has teamed with a number of current and former jockeys, including Ramón Dominguez, who was forced to retire in 2013 when he sustained head injuries during a race.

As a result of their work with current and former jockeys, the Center for Sports Medicine assisted The Jockeys Guild in the development of “return to ride” guidelines, which provide instruction on when injured jockeys can safely return to racing. Zwibel also serves as a medical consultant on a research project led by New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine assistant professor Milan Toma, Ph.D., which uses fluid dynamics to evaluate the safety of jockey helmets.

For additional information, visit NYRA.com.

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Cross Country Pick 5 Features Opening Weekend At Belmont Park, Action From Oaklawn

The New York Racing Association Inc. [NYRA] will host a Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday featuring racing from the first weekend of the Belmont Park spring/summer meet, along with action from Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/cross-country-wagers.

A full field of 12 maidens 3-years-old and up competing at 1 1/16 miles on the Widener turf course will start the sequence in Belmont's Race 6 at 3:34 p.m. Eastern. Mandatory has finished in the money in four of his five career starts, posting a 0-2-2 record, including earning a field-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure for a runner-up last out on March 14 at Aqueduct Racetrack for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. The Todd Pletcher-trained Shaftesbury, a $675,000 purchase at the 2019 Keeneland September Sale, has finished second in three consecutive starts, all at Gulfstream Park, and is 7-2 on the morning line.

Oaklawn will get in on the fun with a six-furlong starter allowance race for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs in Race 5 at 3:54 p.m. Sevier, 3-1 for trainer Coty Rosin, won his last two races at Oaklawn and will look for a third consecutive win. Greeley and Ben, trained by Karl Broberg, and I Belong to Becky both are listed at 7-2.

The sequence alternates back to Belmont with a seven-furlong allowance optional claimer contest for 4-year-olds and up in Race 7 at 4:08 p.m. The Chad Brown trained Looking At Bikinis will be making his first start of 2021, returning off a five-month break. Looking At Bikinis, who ran 11th in the 2019 Grade 1 Travers and fourth in that year's Grade 1 Cigar Mile, will be racing for just the third time since 2020 but is 2-1 on the morning line. The New York-bred T Loves a Fight will be making his 50th career start, listed at 15-1 for trainer Orlando Noda.

A full field of a dozen 3-year-olds and up will contest Oaklawn's sixth race, a six-furlong claiming contest, at 4:29 p.m. Balandeen, at 3-1 on the morning line, has finished in third in his last three races for trainer Juan Cano. Unscathed, listed at 9-2 for conditioner Genaro Garcia, also ran third last out in a claiming contest, finishing in the money in April at Oaklawn going the same distance as Saturday's race.

Belmont will wrap up the Cross County Pick 5 with the sequence's only stakes, as eight 4-year-olds and up will square off in the $100,000 Elusive Quality going seven furlongs on the Widener turf course. Eight-time stakes winner Therapist will look to win his seasonal debut for the third consecutive year and is listed at 7-2 for trainer Christophe Clement. Brown will send out three contenders in the eight-horse field, including 2-1 favorite Front Run the Fed, along with 4-1 Value Proposition and 12-1 selection Seismic Wave.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool. The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

Cross Country Pick 5 – Saturday, April 22:
Leg A: Belmont– Race 6 (3:34 p.m.)
Leg B: Oaklawn – Race 5 (3:54 p.m.)
Leg C: Belmont – Race 7 (4:08 p.m.)
Leg D: Oaklawn – Race 6 (4:29 p.m.)
Leg E: Belmont – Race 8 Elusive Quality (4:40 p.m.)

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