Tag: The Biz

Emerald Downs in Auburn, Wash., has announced 23 stakes worth $1,240,000 in purses for its 2023 live racing season that begins Saturday, May 6.

The 88th running of the $150,000 Longacres Mile anchors an Aug. 13 stakes quadruple-header featuring the $50,000 Emerald Distaff, $50,000 Muckleshoot Derby, and $50,000 Washington Oaks. The track's premier event for 3-year-olds and up, the Longacres Mile was captured in 2022 by KD Thoroughbreds Slew's Tiz Whiz over Lusk Racing's Papa's Golden Boy as Washington-breds took down the top two spots.

The older horse division begins with the $50,000 Budweiser Stakes (6F) on Sunday, June 25, followed by the $50,000 Governor's Stakes (6 ½ F) on Sunday, July 23, and the Longacres Mile.

The 2023 stakes schedule features eight stakes double-headers, the Super Sunday quadruple-header Aug. 14, and a closing day triple-header Sunday, Sept. 17, featuring the $70,000 Gottstein Futurity for the Northwest's top 2-year-olds.

The $50,000 Seattle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies and $50,000 Auburn Stakes for 3-year-old colts and geldings kick off stakes action on Sunday, June 18.

Seven stakes are offered for 2-year-olds—three apiece for fillies and colts and geldings—finishing with the Gottstein Futurity at a mile and one-sixteenth.

Washington Cup features four stakes—$50,000 Washington Cup Juvenile Colts & Geldings and $50,000 Washington Cup and $50,000 Washington Cup Juvenile Fillies on Sunday, Aug. 27, and $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic and $50,000 Washington Cup Fillies & Mares on Sunday, Sept. 17. The 2-year-old Washington Cup races are restricted to Washington-breds while the older horse events are open to Washington and British Columbia breds.

In addition to 21 Thoroughbred stakes, Emerald Downs offers two stakes for Quarter Horses—$30,000 John Deere Juvenile Challenge Championship for 2-year-olds and the 14th running of the $40,000 Bank of America Emerald Championship Challenge for 3-year-olds and up.

Opening day for the 2022 season is Saturday, May 6, coinciding with the 149th Kentucky Derby. The 52-day meet concludes Sunday, Sept. 17.

2023 EMERALD DOWNS STAKES SCHEDULE

Sun June 18 Seattle Stakes (3YOF) 6F $50,000
Sun June 18 Auburn Stakes (3YO) 6F $50,000
Sun June 25 Hastings Stakes (3&UP F&M) 6F $50,000
Sun June 25 Budweiser Stakes (3&UP) 6F $50,000
Sun July 9 Angie C Stakes (2YOF) 5 ½ F $50,000
Sun July 9 King County Express (2YO C&G) 5 ½ F $50,000
Sun July 16 Kent Stakes (3YOF) 6 ½ F $50,000
Sun July 16 Irish Day Stakes (3YO) 6 ½ F $50,000
Sun July 23 Governor's Stakes (3&UP) 6 ½ F $50,000
Sun July 23 WA St Legislators S (3&UP F&M) 6 ½ F $50,000
Sun Aug 6 WTBOA Lassies Stakes (2YOF) 6 ½ F $50,000
Sun Aug 6 WTBOA Lads Stakes (2YO C&G) 6 ½ F $50,000
Sun Aug 13 Muckleshoot Derby (3YO) 1 1/16 M $50,000
Sun Aug 13 Washington Oaks (3YOF) 1 1/16 M $50,000
Sun Aug 13 Emerald Distaff (3&UP F&M) 1 1/16 M $50,000
Sun Aug 13 Longacres Mile (3&UP 1M $150,000
Sun Aug 20 Bank of America EmD Chlg (3&UP) 440Y $40,000
Sun Aug 20 John Deere Juvenile Challenge (2YO) 350Y $30,000
Sun Aug 27 WA Cup Juvenile Filly (2YOF WA) 6 ½ F $50,000
Sun Aug 27 WA Cup Juvenile C&G (2YO WA) 6 ½ F $50,000
Sun Sept 17 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic (3& UP) 1 1/16 M $50,000
Sun Sept 17 WA Cup Filly & Mare (3&UP F&M) 1 1/16 M $50,000
Sun Sept 17 Gottstein Futurity (2YO) 1 1/16 M $70,000

The post Emerald Downs Announces 2023 Stakes Schedule Worth $1.2 Million appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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On Wednesday, as part of the FY 2024 Executive Budget Proposal, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced support for a plan by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) to modernize the racing facilities at Belmont Park.

NYRA has advanced — and Governor Hochul supports — a $455 million multi-year project to re-imagine Belmont Park with a modern grandstand alongside the hospitality offerings and amenities fans now expect from sports and entertainment venues. NYRA is also committed to updating and enhancing a variety of facilities for the backstretch community, including the construction of more new housing than at any point in Belmont Park's history. In addition, the project will unlock the 45-acre infield at Belmont Park for a variety of community uses.

Belmont Park was last renovated in 1968. It is the home of the Belmont Stakes, the final jewel of horse racing's Triple Crown. An American tradition inaugurated in 1867 at Jerome Park Racetrack and moved in 1905 to its now familiar home at Belmont Park, the Belmont Stakes has provided fans with some of the most exciting moments in sports history. From Secretariat's spellbinding 31-length victory in 1973 to American Pharoah successfully ending a 37-year Triple Crown drought in 2015, the Belmont Stakes is a revered annual event that captures the attention of the sports world.

The project to build a new Belmont Park is expected to generate $1 billion in construction-related economic activity, create 3,700 construction jobs, sustain $155 million in new annual economic impact, and support 740 new full-time jobs.

In response to the project's inclusion in the FY 2024 Executive Budget Proposal, NYRA President & CEO David O'Rourke issued the following statement:

“Horse racing in New York State has a champion in Governor Kathy Hochul, who clearly recognizes the important role the sport plays within the New York economy. Belmont Park stands at the center of the statewide racing ecosystem, and the project to re-imagine the facility will create jobs, drive tourism to the region and secure the future of thoroughbred racing across the state. The time is right to build a new Belmont Park for the benefit of New York State and we look forward to working with our legislative partners to ensure the Governor's proposal is enacted.”

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The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling Jan. 31 denying a request by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority to vacate a previous determination that the Authority's power was unconstitutional.

The ruling is the latest addition to a lengthy civil court battle led by the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, along with state affiliates in their quest to get rid of the national, centralized body. The lawsuit brought up a number of constitutional questions focusing on the Authority's relationship to the Federal Trade Commission, under which it is housed.

The Fifth Circuit court had made its decision on the Authority's status in November, after a federal district court had sided with the Authority and declared it constitutional. In late December, an amendment was added to a federal budget bill that was designed to address the appeals court's constitutionality concerns. The edit to the bill gave the Federal Trade Commission more oversight on rules made by the Authority.

After that change, the Authority went to the Fifth Circuit, asking a panel of appeals judges to vacate the court's previous decision in light of the new FTC oversight, and asking it to rehear the case in light of the new information.

Both requests were denied this week and a panel of federal judges remanded the case to the federal district court for examination.

The Authority issued the following statement late Tuesday:

“In the aftermath of the recent Congressional amendment, and without opining on the newly amended HISA law, the Fifth Circuit has sent the case back to the district court. Outside Louisiana and West Virginia, the Authority will continue enforcing the Racetrack Safety Program and preparing for the implementation of its Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program on March 27, subject to the Federal Trade Commission's approval of the rules.”

There are two other federal cases pending regarding the legal status of the Authority.

Read more at The Blood-Horse

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The California Horse Racing Board released its annual report on Tuesday, covering the fiscal year revenue of 2021-2022 and the California horse racing through the calendar year of 2022.

CHRB chair Dr. Gregory Ferraro lauded the efforts of the executive director Scott Chaney and deputy executive director Cynthia Alameda for their cooperation with the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority on racetrack safety rules: “The result has been federal regulations that reflect, in large part, that which is already in place here in California.”

Ferraro also praised the CHRB's efforts to improve equine safety and reduce catastrophic injuries on the racetrack.

“In the last three years alone, fatalities have been reduced 54 percent, from 144 in fiscal year 2018-19 down to 66 for the last fiscal year,” Ferraro wrote. “The CHRB website lists dozens of safety initiatives implemented over the years with the cooperation of racetracks, horse owners and trainers, jockeys, and practicing veterinarians.”

He also listed three new regulations under consideration for further prevention of equine fatalities: “The Board is moving to establish a rule for  those horses receiving multiple intra-articular injections. A separate rule will require mandatory examinations and greater scrutiny of horses returning to race or train after extended time off, and a third rule will require owners and trainers to inform the CHRB when their horse dies or is euthanized within 72 hours of leaving a facility regulated by the CHRB.”

Two additional safety measures the CHRB supports, Ferraro wrote, will likely be more difficult to accomplish: “Other racetracks are being asked to consider installing extensive video surveillance systems in their stable areas similar to the one already in place at Santa Anita. And given indisputable research findings that a horse's risk of serious injury increases in proportion to the miles of high-speed exercise the horse performs, whether in racing or training, the Board is considering a rule to limit the accumulation of high-speed exercises.”

The entire report can be viewed here: CHRB Annual Report 2021-22.

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