New York Racing Association | Horse Racing Free Tips

After Raising Purses, NYRA Hoping For Strong Winter Run at Aqueduct

It’s racing during the frigid winter months at a blue-collar racetrack, so Aqueduct may not always be the easiest sell. But New York Racing Association (NYRA) officials are expecting a strong five-month run once the track opens Nov. 6, counting on robust purses to convince owners and trainers to choose the Big A over options like Gulfstream and Oaklawn.

Typically, purses decrease once the fall meet at Belmont is over. Racing at Aqueduct handles less than it does at Belmont and there is a drop off in the quality. But this year, that won’t happen. Thanks to robust handle of late and the reopening of the casino at Aqueduct, NYRA was put in a position to raise purses. The higher purses went into effect Oct. 18 at Belmont, but will carry over to Aqueduct. NYRA Senior Vice President, Racing Operations Martin Panza said NYRA will dedicate about $2.5 million more to purses at Aqueduct than was the case a year earlier.

“If owners are struggling or looking to justify why they are in the game, I hope they realize that the purses are going to be pretty significant in New York this year,” Panza said. “Before we raised the purses, our claiming purses were pretty much higher than anyone else’s in the country. Now, we are going to spend an extra $2.3 to $2.5 million from Dec. 7 through the end of March. That is a lot of money and a lot of money for owners.”

While Aqueduct has always had good purses, the competition for horses in the winter has never been more fierce. With purses exploding thanks to the success of its casino, Oaklawn’s racing gets better every year. The success of Historical Horse Racing machines has helped Turfway Park improve its product. Gulfstream may not be able to compete with New York when it comes to purses, but its warm weather and abundant sunshine are powerful draws.

“With what has taken place in Arkansas and in Kentucky over the last year, year and a half, we’re going to pivot on a lot of our purses,” Panza said. “We want to be more competitive on the overnight purses or at least as competitive as those other facilities.”

Rather than raise purses across the board, Panza and his team have picked out certain categories to accentuate. The purse for a maiden special weight race has gone from $64,000 to $80,000, the pot for a $25,000 claiming race has been raised to $50,000 and a $40,000 maiden claimer will go for $43,000.

“How do you get owners to say ‘I’ve got 12 horses and instead of having all 12 at track XYZ, because of the purse levels, I’m going to send four or five to a trainer who will be running in New York in the winter?” Panza said. “That’s what we are hoping to accomplish with this.”

Field size at Aqueduct can be a problem and while that is not good for handle, Panza said it’s another reason why horsemen might want to chose New York.

“With our dirt racing, we average small fields and there is an opportunity for people to come in and take advantage of that, especially at these purse levels,” he said.

NYRA is so intent on keeping horses in New York and attracting new ones for the winter that it is about to embark on a marketing campaign to get the message out about the purses. It’s something, Panza says, that should have been done before.

“In the past, we have probably done a poor job of explaining the value of being here in the winter,” he said.

Panza is hopeful there will be a domino effect, that higher purses will lead to bigger fields which will result in a bigger handle.

“What we are doing will be an experiment to see if higher purses drive larger field size and if larger field size drives more handle,” he said. “Trainers here have asked us to take a look at this and we’re going to try it and see if it makes a difference.”

In March, there were justifiable fears that the purse levels at the NYRA tracks would eventually take a big hit. Revenues from VLT machines, which account for about 38% of the total amount of purse money, were cut off when the Aqueduct casino shut down Mar. 16 due to the coronavirus. Three days later, racing was halted in New York.

Once Belmont resumed racing in June, the handle numbers have been impressive. They were up during the spring meet at Belmont and were, essentially, even during Saratoga, even though there was almost no on-track wagering. During the first 17 days of the Belmont fall meet, handle has averaged over $10 million a day, a 27% increase over 2019 numbers.

Panza believes that the handle has been impacted by the extensive coverage NYRA now receives from the FOX Sports networks.

“A lot of what is happening here has to do with our TV strategy,” he said. “People are staying at home, working from home. Getting on FOX and having our signal out there allows us to reach a lot of people. We’re not on TVG, like we used to be, for five minutes every hour. We are on FOX and talking about our races for four, five, six hours a day and that has paid tremendous dividends. It’s no longer a case where they go to Belmont for a race when they are loading in the gate and then the race is over and they go to another track before you even know what the running order was. Because of FOX, we are able to give a much better presentation of our product.”

Panza said that if the handle numbers continue to go up, there may be another purse increase come the spring. For now, though, he is focused on Aqueduct.

“There is going to be a great opportunity for people to race for a lot of money here this winter,” he said. “The message we want to get out is that we have made a serious commitment to winter racing.”

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Jeffrey Cannizzo Leaving NYTB Post

Jeffrey Cannizzo, Executive Director of New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB), will be leaving the organization Jan. 1 to pursue a newly created opportunity with the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) as Senior Director of Government Affairs. He has served as Executive Director of NYTB since 2008. Previously, he had a successful 10-year career, working in business development and management consulting for Lockheed Martin, Dell and Microsoft.

“For almost 13 years along with our board of directors, Jeff has been instrumental in navigating the most challenging times for New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Racing. Jeff’s knowledge of the industry and his ability to forge consensus among regulators and elected officials has allowed the NYTB to reach new heights as an organization. These attributes will serve him well at NYRA, and we wish him all the best in the future,” said NYTB President, Thomas Gallo.

A search for a new Executive Director will begin immediately.

Cannizzo said, “New York’s breeding industry has flourished over the last decade, and I feel fortunate to have played a role in that success story. I’d like to thank the NYTB Board of Directors for their commitment to those working every single day on the 250 farms throughout New York. Thoroughbred racing is responsible for 19,000 jobs and more than $3 billion in annual economic impact to New York. The sport creates good jobs in every corner of the state and sustains hundreds of small businesses. NYRA is the engine of that economy and continues to set the standard for safety and integrity at its three historic tracks. I look forward to advocating on their behalf to help shape the future of Thoroughbred racing in New York.”

“Jeff’s knowledge and understanding of the Thoroughbred racing industry and its importance to the New York state economy make him an ideal fit to lead NYRA’s legislative efforts in Albany,” NYRA President and CEO Dave O’Rourke said. “NYRA remains the cornerstone of a sport that creates jobs and supports families throughout New York. Jeff’s ability to effectively communicate the industry’s many benefits to New Yorkers will be a valuable addition to the NYRA team.”

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Jeffrey Cannizzo Departs New York Thoroughbred Breeders For NYRA Position

New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB) announced Tuesday that Jeffrey Cannizzo, Executive Director, will be leaving the organization on January 1st, 2021 to pursue a newly created opportunity with the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) as Senior Director of Government Affairs.

Jeff has served as Executive Director of NYTB since 2008. Previously, he had a successful 10-year career, working in business development and management consulting for Lockheed Martin, Dell and Microsoft.

“For almost 13 years along with our board of directors, Jeff has been instrumental in navigating the most challenging times for New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Racing. Jeff's knowledge of the industry and his ability to forge consensus among regulators and elected officials has allowed the NYTB to reach new heights as an organization. These attributes will serve him well at NYRA, and we wish him all the best in the future,” said NYTB President, Thomas Gallo.

A search for a new Executive Director will begin immediately.

Jeffrey Cannizzo, NYTB Executive Director said: “New York's breeding industry has flourished over the last decade, and I feel fortunate to have played a role in that success story. I'd like to thank the NYTB Board of Directors for their commitment to those working every single day on the 250 farms throughout New York.” “Thoroughbred racing is responsible for 19,000 jobs and more than $3 billion in annual economic impact to New York,” Cannizzo continued. “The sport creates good jobs in every corner of the state and sustains hundreds of small businesses. NYRA is the engine of that economy and continues to set the standard for safety and integrity at its three historic tracks. I look forward to advocating on their behalf to help shape the future of thoroughbred racing in New York.”

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Radical Change, Status Quo, or Middle Ground for New York Whip Rules?

New York has lagged other racing states in addressing changes to whip use designed to be more humane to Thoroughbreds. But not being an early adopter of controversial new rules can sometimes be an advantage, because regulators are able to assess what is and isn’t working in other jurisdictions before making potentially radical modifications to long-standing practices.

That was the tone of discussion during the Oct. 19 teleconference meeting of the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC), which conducted what amounted to a 2 1/4-hour opinion-gathering dialogue on whether or not the state should adopt new whipping rules. No new regulations were proposed and no official vote on the matter was taken Monday.

Balancing perception versus reality was a chief topic though, as it has been in nearly every other jurisdiction where more stringent whipping rules have been implemented this year.

The NYSGC heard from stakeholders who want the status quo preserved, those who want the whip barred outright, and those who would be comfortable with a middle-ground compromise that preserves safety and competitiveness while eliminating the brutal imagery that is increasingly viewed as socially unacceptable and a hindrance to growing the sport’s fan base.

The discussion unfolded against the backdrop of changes that have either already been implemented or are in the process of being codified into rules in various jurisdictions. At the strictest end of the spectrum, New Jersey is banning whip use altogether, except in emergency safety situations. California, Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware and Ontario are in the midst of introducing new rules based on strike limits, and several of those models further incorporate the manner (underhanded or overhanded) in which a jockey can whip.

Detailed explanations were very much in order, because several NYSGC members said outright that they didn’t have a firm grasp of the state’s current whip-use policies. In particular, the concept of giving the horse a chance to respond after a certain amount of strikes needed to be clarified at the request of commissioners.

A panel of New York’s commission stewards–Braulio Baeza Jr., who is assigned to the New York Racing Association (NYRA) tracks, Erinn Higgins of Finger Lakes, and Carmine Donofrio, a state steward emeritus, kicked off the discussion by outlining the current state standards on whipping.

Right now, New York stewards have broad powers to use discretion in issuing whip violations for imprudent or harmful whip usage. There are rules regulating a more cushioned construction of riding crops, but the “five strikes before giving a horse a chance to respond” standard is just a policy that the stewards adhere to and not an official rule. In order to gain licensure, a jockey must read and sign an acknowledgment that clearly spells out these parameters.

Baeza estimated that NYRA stewards impose about 10 penalties annually for whipping infractions, while Higgins said so far this year the Finger Lakes stewards have issued four.

“Most of the perception issues that we are dealing with now are in the stretch,” Baeza said. “And I don’t know how else to put it: We don’t have a problem. [Why are we] trying to fix something that’s not broken right now?”

Donofrio agreed, and added that if New York allowed riders to only carry whips for emergency safety use, it would be problematic for stewards to adjudicate violations.

“What if the jock says, ‘I thought my horse was going to prop, I had to hit him?'” Donofrio asked. “Are you going to call him a liar?”

The Jockeys’ Guild, represented by a trio of Hall-of-Fame riders–Mike Smith, John Velazquez, and Javier Castellano–spoke supportively of keeping the status quo in New York. The bulk of their comments focused on being able to maintain safety on horseback.

“People say, ‘Use the reins,'” Smith said. “Well let me tell you something: Try pulling on a horse that weighs 1,200 pounds. And if it ain’t working, all you have next is the riding crop. That’s all we have. If you take that away, trust me—the game becomes twice as dangerous. If not more.

“I’m in a state right now, in California where I’m riding, [and] they have rules that are extremely strict,” Smith continued. “They’ve changed our style of the way you’re supposed to use your crop and it’s not working here. We’re having a lot of trouble with it. The system’s set up to fail. You’re having riders being suspended [and] fined for literally, absolutely nothing, and it’s ruining our sport out here. Listening to the stewards there in [New York] speak, is the best that I’ve heard since this thing’s been going on. You guys have got it right.”

Smith said that the more humane versions of cushioned whips have made a huge positive difference in recent years, and he added that he’s fine with rules that mandate giving a horse a chance to respond before further striking. But trying to administer only underhanded strikes and trying to keep count of the total number of hits a jockey has delivered during the entirety of a race is too difficult, he said.

Yet retired Hall-of-Fame jockey Chris McCarron argued that Smith is only partly right in his assessment.

“I could not agree more with Mike that the current riding crops are much kinder to utilize,” McCarron said. “However, I disagree with Mike on one point [where he explained] it can be difficult or impossible to strike the horse backhanded or underhanded, especially on the left side. I think we’re talking about world-class athletes here, and any change that may happen, I think these guys have the capabilities of adjusting to change.”

James Gagliano, The Jockey Club’s president and chief operating officer, said that while he respects the opinions of the men and women on horseback, it’s his organization’s duty to take a broader view on whipping that encompasses public perceptions as they relate to the longer-term health of the industry.

“In today’s world, things are changing,” Gagliano said. “To me and to The Jockey Club, we see a future where hitting an animal with a stick won’t be acceptable, and certainly not for urging [horses to run faster]. We recognize that these are difficult things to change. It’s going to take awhile.”

Matt Iuliano, the executive vice president and executive director of The Jockey Club, said his organization has amassed years of customer survey data to back up that point.

“We certainly didn’t enter into this decision lightly, to eliminate the use of the whip for encouragement,” Iuliano said. “It was a long and painful process that was developed over several years when attempts to regulate the use of the whip had done very, very little to change public perception on its use.

“I realize it’s a difficult pill to swallow because crops have been in racing for decades, if not centuries,” Iuliano continued. “But that perception of striking has changed. In the public’s eye, it’s something that has been a deterrent to them for greater participation of younger, new fans that may not have been to racing in the past. They see that as a significant barrier. And when we see it, that tells us it’s something that needs to be addressed.

“It’s a very, very difficult issue,” Iuliano summed up. “The representatives from the Jockeys’ Guild, they’re very informed. They have practical experience on the matter. But I think the time has come where we have to look at some of these other inputs that come into this decision, and begin to apply weight to those inputs.”

NYRA vice president of racing operations Martin Panza advocated for a middle ground approach that balances safety needs while addressing perception problems. He backed up his position by saying NYRA has been seeing increased criticism of whip use via social media feedback, and he said NYRA has been working with the Guild since January on trying to craft uniform policies that would apply nationwide.

“I think we all agree they need to use the whip. [Horses] are herd animals. They will not go up the rail through a hole on their own,” Panza said. “The jockey needs to be able to use the whip. We disagree with New Jersey with taking the whip away completely.

“[New York’s stakeholders] have an advantage, because currently, you’ve got Woodbine and California with rules in place that only allow a horse to be hit underhanded,” Panza explained. “And so we have the ability as a group to watch that for the next six months and see if, in fact, that is the right way to go.”

Panza said the nation’s top racing jurisdictions have an opportunity to set uniform policies that will have a trickle-down effect on smaller tracks within the nation’s racing hierarchy. Even though some state racing commissions have already adopted differing whip rules, he said it’s never too late to go back and tweak them for the sake of practical improvement.

Will Alempijevic, the executive director of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, said that New York’s stewards and jockeys are collectively doing a “great job” and that “there does not seem to be an issue from our constituents.” But, he added, the racing community should be mindful that “looking internally all the time is not necessarily the best path going forward, and we do need to look outward and grow the fan base.”

The NYSGC gave few clues at the end of the meeting as to when, how, or if it would be crafting new rules, although commissioner Peter Moschetti indicated that a complete whipping ban wasn’t likely. He also said that the commission needs to make sure that “bad behavior” doesn’t become “a business decision” for jockeys who decide that the benefits of breaking the whip rules to win a big race outweigh the penalties for doing so.

Panza underscored near the end of the meeting that, “The train’s left the station. California is at six strikes and it’s underhand. Kentucky [is mandating] six strikes, albeit overhand. Whether we like it in New York or not, we’re probably going to have to do something, or publicly we’re going to get attacked.”

In response to that point, NYSGC chairman Barry Sample asked rhetorically, “I’ve been hearing most of the day that in New York, we’re doing a good job. And now I’m hearing that if we continue to do the job that we’re doing, we’re going to get attacked?”

Panza answered by way of example: “I think when you run a Triple Crown and you can hit a horse six times in the [GI] Kentucky Derby, and six times in the [GI] Preakness [S.], and [then] you come to New York [for the GI Belmont S.] and you can hit him 30 times, I’m pretty sure NBC is going to bring that up.”

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