Tag: The Biz

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has announced the stakes schedule for the 2023 spring meet at Aqueduct Racetrack, featuring 14 stakes worth nearly $2.8 million in total purses.

The 19-day spring meet will open on March 30 and continue through April 30. Live racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday except for April 9, when live racing and pari-mutuel wagering is prohibited by New York State in observance of Easter Sunday.

The Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap, a seven-furlong contest for older fillies and mares, will kick off the spring meet graded stakes action on Friday, April 7.

A blockbuster Wood Memorial Day card on April 8 will feature four graded stakes, topped by the 98th running of the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino. The nine-furlong test for 3-year-olds will offer 100-40-30-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers.

Wood Memorial Day will raise the curtain on Grade 1 racing on the NYRA circuit in 2023 with the $300,000 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses. In addition, the April 8 card will include a pair of Grade 3 races – the $250,000 Gazelle at nine furlongs for sophomore fillies offering 100-40-30-20-10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-five finishers; and the $200,000 Bay Shore, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores.

Opening Weekend of the spring meet, on Saturday, April 1, features the $125,000 Excelsior at 1 1/8 miles for older horses; followed by the $100,000 Top Flight for older fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles, on Sunday, April 2.

Closing weekend of the Big A spring meet offers the $100,000 Memories of Silver for 3-year-old fillies headed one mile on the turf. The spring meet will conclude on Sunday, April 30 with a race that moves over this year from Belmont Park, the $100,000 Affirmed Success at six furlongs for New York-bred older horses.

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

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Trainer Bob Baffert's lawyers have re-filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction against Churchill Downs, Inc., reports the Thoroughbred Daily News, in an attempt to allow the trainer to enter horses in the 2023 Kentucky Derby.

CDI banned Baffert from its properties from June of 2021 through the end of the Spring Meet in 2023, following the confirmation of the presence of betamethasone, a prohibited race-day substance, in Medina Spirit's bloodstream on the day of the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby in violation of the Commonwealth of Kentucky's equine medication protocols and CDI's terms and conditions for racing.

Baffert's lawyers initially filed suit seeking an injunction on Feb. 28, 2022, but it was withdrawn when Baffert had to start serving his 90-day suspension from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission about a month before the 2022 Kentucky Derby.

This lawsuit is a renewed motion for that same preliminary injunction, seeking to allow Baffert trainees to take part in the 2023 Kentucky Derby.

“Granting an injunction would work no hardship on Defendants,” the filing reads. “Numerous rules and regulations already safeguard CDI's interests in health, integrity, safety, and fairness. Baffert has already served his time for the mere allegation of a violation which has yet to be fully adjudicated, and there is no doubt among industry observers and even casual spectators that Baffert suffered consequences for the mere perception of wrongdoing.”

It continues: “The hardships Baffert will suffer absent an injunction far outweigh Defendants' abstract concerns. Eligibility for races on CDI tracks, including legendary stakes races like the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, are restricted by age. Defendants' suspension means those horses will lose their chance to compete in those races forever. If owners wish to enter their horses in those races, they must forego Baffert's services, causing substantial damage to Baffert's business. CDI's hypothetical, reckless, and empirically disproven allegations of harm pale in comparison to the continuing damage Defendants continue to inflict upon Baffert, his business, and his reputation.”

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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The New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc., and SUNY Cobleskill will team up to offer an accredited course for upper-class students in the Animal Science program to experience all aspects of the Thoroughbred breeding and racing industry.

The pilot program will be offered to 15-20 junior undergraduate students that have met prerequisites. The course, which runs from late August to early December, falls in line with the NYTB's goals to make outreach with students interested in equine studies and finding the next generation of the industry's workforce and leaders in racing and breeding.

NYTB President Tom Gallo and SUNY Cobleskill Associate Professor in Animal Science Raymond Whelihan collaborated to develop the program.

“I've been doing lectures there for years, probably going back 15 years and I've always wanted to do something for the students that really have an interest in the industry,” Gallo said. “It's one of the goals I've had as president, and being on the NYTB board for a long time, to do something meaningful with a lasting benefit for the program, for the state and for the New York breeding industry. With this level of students, they've already made up their mind and they've invested three years of school. Now we're going to give them a taste of every aspect of the industry.”

“The NYTB as an organization and many individual members have greatly assisted our students for literally the last three plus decades,” Whelihan said. “Members have opened up their farms to visits, have served on our academic advisory committee, welcomed our students for hands on experiences at sales and have travelled to the college to guest lecture. The Bachelor of Technology in Animal Science degree requires a full semester internship the final semester, and New York Thoroughbred farms and trainers have provided many internship opportunities over the years.”

The program's goals are to introduce students to every aspect of the Thoroughbred breeding and racing industry via a consistent schedule of Zoom session and on-site visits.

The course's tentative schedule:

August: Introduction to the racetrack and visits to the New York Racing Association administration offices and the National Museum of Racing in Saratoga Springs;
October: Breeding and sales – via Zoom and attendance at NYTB's October seminar and Fasig-Tipton Saratoga October mixed sale;
September: Racetrack in-depth backstretch visit at Saratoga Race Course and equine health visit via Zoom and at Rood & Riddle in Saratoga Springs;
November: Breeding farm visit in person and via Zoom.

“The program is essential to our industry because it allows our breeder membership organization and experienced members to work directly with students already interested in pursuing a career in the equine field,” said Najja Thompson, Executive Director of the NYTB.

“Giving them direct access and exposure to the multitude of jobs and careers in our industry. We are thankful to start this pilot program working with Ray Whelihan and SUNY Cobleskill. It has unlimited potential going forward in partnering with more schools in the future to help ensure a knowledgeable and dedicated workforce for the immediate future of Thoroughbred breeding and racing.”

“We're looking forward to working with the NYTB next fall and would like to thank the NYTB and its members for continually reaching out and providing meaningful immersion experiences for our students,” Whelihan said.

“I have to thank Tom Gallo as the driving force in connecting the industry to our academic program. Tom has visited the college many times over the years to guest lecture and offered his experience and encouragement, bringing a positive message to students. This initiative will serve to encourage students to pursue careers working in the New York Thoroughbred industry, energize a younger fan base and provide that crucial link, bridging academics and industry.”

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Turf racing is scheduled to return to Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans, La., for the “Road to the Derby Kickoff Day” card, to be held on Monday, Dec. 26.

With the portable rail set at 34 feet, fields will be limited to eight runners for the $100,000 Blushing KD and the $100,000 Buddy Diliberto Memorial. With the same parameters, turf racing will again be conducted on Dec. 31 with the runnings of the $100,000 Pago Hop and the $100,000 Woodchopper.

Racing over the Stall-Wilson turf course was put on hold early in the meet that opened Nov. 18 because of damage to the inner portion of the oval from the annual Jazz and Heritage Festival, which was followed by unusually rainy weather and then a drought. Similar problems occurred during the 2012-'13 racing season at Fair Grounds, leading to numerous races being taken off turf, sometimes several days after rains hit the area.

“Going forward from there, we will monitor the condition of the course and run a limited number of turf races as the course allows,” said executive director of racing Gary Palmisano, Jr. “If all goes well, as is expected, the racing office will look to add turf races to the new condition book, which starts Jan. 5.”

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