Saratoga: Sunday Card Features Mandatory Payout Of Empire 6 Wager

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the Sunday, August 23 card at Saratoga Race Course will feature a mandatory payout of the Empire 6, which boasts a jackpot of $442,574 heading into Friday's nine-race card at the Spa.

Live coverage of all the races in the sequence will be available with Saratoga Live on FOX Sports and MSG+. Free Equibase-provided past performances will be available for races that are part of the Saratoga Live broadcast and can be accessed at https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

Sunday's Empire 6 sequence kicks off in Race 4 at 2:54 p.m. Eastern with a 1 1/16-mile New York-bred maiden claiming route on the inner turf featuring a field of eight led by No Salt, a sophomore son of Tonalist trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott.

In Race 5 [3:33 p.m. ET], a nine-furlong allowance route for New York-breds, a hard-knocking field of seven features Six Percent for trainer Jimmy Jerkens and last out off-the-turf maiden winner Too Early for conditioner Linda Rice.

A field of eight maiden claiming turf sprinters [and one main-track only entrant] take to the Mellon turf in Race 6 [4:09 p.m. ET] including Mia Bea Star for red-hot trainer David Donk and Silent Empress, a First Samurai bay looking to improve second-time out for conditioner Christophe Clement.

In Race 7 [4:43 p.m. ET], a field of seven sprint six furlongs in an optional-claiming affair on the main track in a wide-open race that includes 11-time winner Pete's Play Call for trainer John Toscano and the Rice-trained multiple stakes placed Mount Travers.

The Grade 1, $500,000 Diana [Race 8, 5:18 p.m. ET], at nine furlongs on the inner turf, will see the Chad Brown-trained Sistercharlie bid for history by becoming the first three-time winner of the historic event in its 82nd running. A salty field of six includes Sistercharlie's five-time Grade 1-winning stablemate Rushing Fall and Canada's reigning Horse of the Year and last-out Grade 2 Ballston Spa champ Starship Jubilee.

Closing out the sequence in Race 9 [5:51 p.m. ET] is a vexing New York-bred maiden claiming route on the Mellon turf as a field of eight looks to graduate at the Spa. Donk and Clement feature again with the Donk-conditioned Ringgood dropping in from restricted maiden special weight company at fifth asking, while the Clement-trained Allied Invasion will look to improve on his 62 Beyer Speed Figure second time out.

The Empire 6 requires the bettor to select the first-place finisher of the final six races of the card. On non-mandatory payout days, if one unique ticket exists, then 100 percent of the net pool, plus the jackpot carryover if applicable, will be paid to the winner. If there is no unique wager selecting the first-place finisher in all six races, then 75 percent of the day's net pool will be distributed to those who selected the first-place finisher in the greatest number of races. The remainder will be added into the jackpot and carried to the next day's Empire 6.

For more information on the Empire 6, please visit http://www.nyrabets.com.

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‘We Cannot Let Our Guard Down’: BEST To Reemphasize Proper Use Of PPE At Saratoga

The Backstretch Employee Service Team (BEST) will team up with the Northeast New York Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (NENY-COSH) on Aug. 24-25 to provide one-on-one demonstrations on the proper use of personal protective equipment to the essential workers of the backstretch at Saratoga Race Course. The demonstrations will re-emphasize the continued best practices that have been in place at the racetrack since early March. Each worker in attendance will receive a PPE kit including a mask with filtering respirator, gloves, and hand sanitizer. The project was made possible with the help of a grant from the Hispanics in Philanthropy Essential Fund.

PPE has been supplied, free of charge, to the horsemen and the workers since the start of the pandemic. The New York Racing Association (NYRA) and New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Assocation (NYTHA) teamed up earlier this month to distribute 25,000 masks at Saratoga Race Course and Belmont Park, bringing the total number of masks and gloves donated to the backstretch community to more than 200,000.

This initiative is the most recent in the ongoing effort to protect the workers from Covid-19. BEST has been working with the NYRA, NYTHA, and the New York division of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America since early March to address the issues created by the pandemic. The organizations formed a Task Force Mar. 10 and created the “Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Plan,” developing policies regarding testing, medical care, quarantine and the mandatory use of PPE, as well as setting up a communication network with the horsemen and the workers, and organizing distribution of PPE, medical supplies, food, and clothing for those in need.

“Since the start, we have been working hard to make sure the workers have everything they need, and this is an ongoing and collective effort,” BEST Executive Director Paul Ruchames said. “We are thrilled that, as of today, we have no active positives in our backstretch community. But we will continue to be vigilant. A key component in keeping the backstretch workers safe is education. NENY-COSH will review the facts about PPE with our workers – how to wear it, how to store, when to discard it.”

The Task Force expanded its Plan and exceeded New York State requirements when Saratoga Race Course opened in July, mandating that everyone working at the upstate track produce a negative Covid-19 test before being allowed on the grounds. This policy includes jockeys, valets, NYRA employees, trainers and their staff, outside vendors, and media. As is the policy at Belmont Park, everyone licensed and approved to be on the property are required to wear a mask, practice social distancing and submit to a daily temperature check.

Signs in English and Spanish are posted across the backstretch as a daily reminder to follow these protocols, and there is a hotline to call should anyone have concerns about Covid-19.

As a result of this diligence, there are currently zero positive cases of Covid-19 at Saratoga Race Course and downstate at Belmont Park.

“NYTHA is committed to improving the lives of the workforce on the backstretch, and our mission has never been more focused than during the fight against Covid-19,” NYTHA President Joe Appelbaum said. “We want to thank NENY-COSH for providing this valuable service to the workers, and the Gaming Commission, NYRA, BEST, and the Chaplaincy for their collaboration during difficult times. We are proud of the hard work and dedication that have gone into this effort, and of our horsemen and workers for their willingness to cooperate and comply.”

Added Ruchames, “Thanks to the partnership with NYRA and NYTHA and the guidance of the New York State Gaming Commission and the Governor's Office, we have been able to contain Covid-19 at our racetracks. But we cannot let our guard down.”

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Saratoga’s First Post Delayed On Friday Due To AmTote Technical Issue

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has delayed first post for Friday's nine-race card at Saratoga to 2:10 p.m. Eastern due to an ongoing technical issue with AmTote, NYRA's tote system provider.

Friday's card, which was slated to begin at 1:10 p.m. Eastern, includes the $85,000 Skidmore, a 5 ½-furlong turf sprint for 2-year-olds in Race 3.

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Aqueduct’s Fall Meet To Cover 18 Race Days, Include 11 Graded Stakes Events

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced race dates for the 18-day Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet, offering 29 stakes, including 11 graded events, worth $3.41 million in purse money, that will kick off on Friday, November 6 and run through Sunday, December 6.

Opening weekend of the Big A fall meet, which coincides with the Breeders' Cup set for November 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course, begins with the $100,000 Tempted for juvenile fillies and $80,000 Atlantic Beach for juvenile turf sprinters on November 6.

The opening weekend stakes action continues on November 7 with the Grade 3, $100,000 Turnback the Alarm Handicap and the Grade 3, $100,000 Nashua for 2-year-olds on November 8.

The Saturday, November 14 card will feature the $100,000 Artie Schiller for turf milers 3-years-old and up and the $100,000 Notebook, a six-furlong sprint for New York-bred juveniles. The following day offers the $100,000 Winter Memories at 1 1/16-miles on turf for sophomore fillies and the $100,000 Key Cents for New York-bred juvenile filly sprinters.

The Grade 3, $100,000 Red Smith, a 1 3/8-mile turf marathon for 3-year-olds and up continues the graded stakes action at the fall meet on Saturday, November 21. Two divisions of the New York Stallion Stakes Series will take centerstage on Sunday, November 22, featuring the $100,000 Thunder Rumble, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up, and it's filly counterpart, the $100,000 Staten Island, also at seven-eighths on the main track.

Thanksgiving Week at the Big A will feature three days of exciting racing action beginning Friday, November 27 through Sunday, November 29 with 10 stakes worth $1 million.

A trio of stakes on November 27 includes the Grade 3, $100,000 Comely sophomore fillies at nine furlongs; the $100,000 Gio Ponti at 1 1/16-miles on the turf for sophomores; and the $100,000 Forever Together also at 1 1/16-miles on the turf for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

The Saturday, November 28th card boasts four stakes keyed by a pair of Grade 3 tests including the $100,000 Long Island at 11 furlongs on the turf for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up along with the $100,000 Discovery for at nine furlongs for 3-year-olds. The card is bolstered by the $100,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship at six furlongs for 3-year-olds and up and the $100,000 Central Park for juveniles at 1 1/16-miles on the turf.

Sunday, November 29 is slated for three stakes, led by the Grade 3, $100,000 Fall Highweight Handicap, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and upward. The card will also feature the $100,000 Autumn Days at six furlongs on the turf for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up and the $100,000 Tepin at 1 1/16-miles on the turf for juvenile fillies.

Closing Weekend of the Big A fall meet features seven stakes worth $1.4 million beginning on Saturday, December 5 with the 32nd renewal of the Grade 1, $250,000 Cigar Mile for 3-year-olds and up, headlining a lucrative card which includes a pair of prestigious Grade 2, $150,000 nine-furlong events for juveniles in the Remsen and its filly counterpart, the Demoiselle, as well as the Grade 3, $100,000 Go for Wand Handicap for fillies and mares at a mile.

The New York Stallion Stakes Series will offer a pair of rich races for 2-year-olds on Sunday, December 6 with the Great White Way for juvenile males and the Fifth Avenue for juvenile fillies, with purses of $250,000 each. Sunday's Closing Day card will also include the $100,000 Garland of Roses at six furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

Following opening weekend, live racing will be conducted Thursday through Sunday with the exception of Thanksgiving Week, when live racing will not be offered on Thanksgiving Day, November 26.

New York state currently requires all racetracks to operate without spectators in attendance to combat the spread of COVID-19. NYRA will issue updated guidance regarding COVID-19 health and safety protocols for jockeys, trainers and owners in the near future.

America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the Aqueduct fall meet with coverage to air on FOX Sports and MSG Networks.

DATE
RACE
Gr.
2020 PURSE
AGE
DISTANCE
Fri., Nov. 6
Tempted
100,000
F2YO
1 Mile
Fri., Nov. 6
Atlantic Beach
80,000
2YO
6 F (Turf)
Sat., Nov. 7
Turnback the Alarm (Hdcp)
III
100,000
F&M 3&UP
1 1/8
Sat., Nov. 7
Stewart Manor
80,000
F2YO
6 F (Turf)
Sun., Nov. 8
Nashua
III
100,000
2YO
1 Mile
Sat., Nov. 14
Artie Schiller
100,000
3&UP
1 Mile (Turf)
Sat., Nov. 14
Notebook (NYB)
100,000
2YO
6 Furlongs
Sun., Nov. 15
Winter Memories
100,000
F3YO
1   1/16 (Turf)
Sun., Nov. 15
Key Cents (NYB)
100,000
F2YO
6 Furlongs
Sat., Nov. 21
Red Smith
III
100,000
3&UP
1 3/8 (Turf)
Sun., Nov. 22
New York Stallion Series
100,000
3&UP
7 Furlongs
Thunder Rumble Division (Restricted)
Sun., Nov. 22
New York Stallion Series
100,000
F&M 3&UP
7 Furlongs
Staten Island Division (Restricted)
Fri., Nov. 27
Comely
III
100,000
F3YO
1 1/8
Fri., Nov. 27
Gio Ponti
100,000
3YO
1   1/16 (Turf)
Fri., Nov. 27
Forever Together
100,000
F&M 3&UP
1   1/16 (Turf)
Sat., Nov. 28
Long Island
III
100,000
F&M 3&UP
1 3/8 (Turf)
Sat., Nov. 28
Discovery
III
100,000
3YO
1   1/8
Sat., Nov. 28
Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship
100,000
3&UP
6 F (Turf)
Sat., Nov. 28
Central Park
100,000
2YO
1   1/16 (Turf)
Sun., Nov. 29
Fall Highweight (Hdcp.)
III
100,000
3&UP
6 Furlongs
Sun., Nov. 29
Autumn Days
100,000
F&M 3&UP
6 F (Turf)
Sun., Nov. 29
Tepin
100,000
F2YO
1   1/16 (Turf)
Sat., Dec. 5
Cigar Mile (Hdcp)
I
250,000
3&UP
1 Mile
Sat., Dec. 5
Remsen
II
150,000
2YO
1   1/8
Sat., Dec. 5
Demoiselle
II
150,000
F2YO
1   1/8
Sat., Dec. 5
Go For Wand (Hdcp)
III
100,000
F&M 3&UP
1 Mile
Sun., Dec. 6
New York Stallion Series
250,000
2YO
7 Furlongs
Great White Way Division
Sun., Dec. 6
New York Stallion Series
250,000
F2YO
7 Furlongs
Fifth Avenue Division
Sun., Dec. 6
Garland of Roses
100,000
F&M 3&UP
6 Furlongs

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