Tag: The Biz

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has announced the stakes schedule for the 2022 fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack, which will offer 33 stakes, 10 of them graded events, worth a total of $6.375 million.

As previously announced, the Belmont Park fall meet will be held at Aqueduct due to the construction of vehicular and pedestrian tunnels designed to provide access to the Belmont Park infield. The Belmont at the Big A meet will begin on Thursday, Sept. 15, and continue through Sunday, Oct. 30.

Following the conclusion of Belmont at the Big A., the 29-day Aqueduct fall meet will run from Friday, Nov. 4, through Saturday, Dec. 31.

The Aqueduct fall meet is highlighted by the Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile Handicap on Saturday, Dec. 3. The lucrative Cigar Mile Day card will include the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen for juveniles going nine furlongs and its filly counterpart race, the Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle at the same distance. Rounding out the card is the Grade 3, $200,000 Go for Wand Handicap for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up traveling one-mile.

The stakes action begins on Opening Day, Nov. 4, with the Grade 3, $150,000 Turnback the Alarm Handicap, a nine-furlong main track test for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up. The stakes continue into the weekend with a pair of $120,000 juvenile turf sprints [Atlantic Beach and Stewart Manor for fillies] on Saturday, Nov. 5, and a pair of $150,000 one-mile dirt routes for juveniles [Grade 3 Nashua and Tempted for fillies] on Sunday, Nov. 6.

The following two weekends see a quartet of $135,000 turf stakes with the Artie Schiller for 3-year-olds and up on Saturday, Nov, 12; the Winter Memories for sophomore fillies on Sunday, Nov. 13; the Gio Ponti for sophomores on Saturday, November 19; and the Forever Together for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up on Sunday, Nov. 20. The Nov. 20 card will also feature two $100,000 six-furlong sprints for New York-bred juveniles with the Key Cents for fillies and the Notebook.

Graded action continues at the Big A on Friday, Nov. 25, with a strong card led by the Grade 3, $300,000 Long Island for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up traveling 1 3/8 miles on the turf. The day will also include the Grade 3, $175,000 Comely for sophomore fillies going nine furlongs and the $150,000 Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship for sophomores and older sprinting six furlongs over the lawn.

Saturday, Nov. 26, offers an additional pair of graded events with the Grade 2, $300,000 Red Smith at 11 furlongs on turf for 3-and-up and the Grade 3, $175,000 Fall Highweight Handicap at six furlongs for 3-and-up, along with the $120,000 Central Park for juveniles. The weekend closes out with three stakes on Sunday, Nov. 27, with the six-furlong $150,000 Autumn Days on turf for fillies and mares 3-and-up, the nine-furlong $150,000 Discovery for sophomores over the main track, and the $120,000 Tepin at one-mile for juvenile fillies to close out turf stakes action for the year at NYRA.

The popular New York Stallion Stakes Series (NYSSS), open to progeny of eligible New York sires, returns to the Big A with four divisions offered this December. Sunday, Dec. 4, will feature the $125,000 NYSSS Thunder Rumble for 3-year-olds and up sprinting seven furlongs on the main track, as well as the $125,000 NYSSS Staten Island for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at the same distance.

Saturday, Dec. 10, will feature the $120,000 Garland of Roses for fillies and mares before the NYSSS returns on a stacked card slated for Saturday, Dec. 17. The day will feature four stakes for New York-bred and New York-sired horses, anchored by two $500,000 seven-furlong sprints for juveniles in the NYSSS Great White Way and the NYSSS Fifth Avenue for fillies. Rounding out the card are two $100,000 one-mile events for New York-bred sophomores with the Alex M. Robb and the Bay Ridge for fillies.

After a 10-day holiday break from Dec. 19 to Dec. 28, the stakes schedule concludes with the $135,000 Gravesend for 3-year-olds and up sprinting six furlongs on Friday, Dec. 30; and the $150,000 Queens County for 3-year-olds and up traveling nine furlongs on Saturday, Dec. 31.

For the complete Aqueduct fall schedule, visit this link.

The post Aqueduct Fall Meet Will Offer 33 Stakes Worth Over $6.3 Million appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A new era in the adjudication of in-race interference comes to North America next week.

In February, the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission (OHRC) became the first to announce an intention to adopt new interference rules modeled on the Category 1 interference philosophy in place across the vast majority of the developed racing world.

The rule changes were approved subsequently by the Oklahoma's legislature and governor, and will be in place across the state's tracks beginning Wednesday, September 14 at Remington Park.

“This is an exciting step,” said Patrick Cummings, Executive Director of the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation (TIF).

“We are now one step closer to global rules harmonization around in-race interference and I anticipate we will see both an increase in the consistency of decision-making and a decrease in what many believe, including stewards, are unjust demotions due to the way in which many states' rules are written.”

TIF has advocated for states to consider shifting to the Category 1 standard since 2018, publishing a white paper (“Changing The Rules”) late that year.

These new interference rules for Oklahoma will change how stewards determine if a demotion is warranted.

Under the old rules, which followed the philosophy known as Category 2, if a horse interfered with a rival at almost any point in a race, and the stewards believed that the horse that suffered the interference may have been cost a better placing, the horse that caused the interference could be demoted and placed behind the horse that suffered the interference.

With the Category 1 philosophy, the question the stewards consider regarding interference changes.

If the stewards determine interference occurred, they now must identify if the horse that suffered the interference would have finished ahead of the horse that caused the interference, had the incident never happened.

TRAINING THE OKLAHOMA STEWARDS

While the Category 1 philosophy has been actively discussed in seminars held by the Racing Officials Accreditation Program, the main accrediting body for most North American stewards, few active stewards have ever had formal training or guidance on interpreting the rules.

Kelly Cathey, Executive Director of the OHRC, went to top source he could find to oversee training Oklahoma's racing stewards, requesting assistance from the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Chief Stipendiary Steward, Kim Kelly.

“I met Kim in Saratoga in the summer of 2019 when he spoke on Category 1 extensively at several meetings and really got to thinking over the possibilities as we were updating our rules.”

Kim Kelly has served as chairman of the International Harmonization of Raceday Rules Committee (IHRRC) for the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) and assisted several major racing jurisdictions in making the transition in the last decade.

“When it came to identifying the right person to train our stewards,” Cathey said, “Kim was the go-to guy, and we were honored to have someone of his expertise leading the sessions.”

Kelly and his colleague, stipendiary steward Ken Kwok, led a series of Zoom meetings reviewing Category 1 procedures and in which dozens of races, both from Oklahoma, Hong Kong and other jurisdictions were viewed and discussed.

“We also had several guests from other states and representatives from ROAP join the sessions to get an understanding of the direction this is taking,” Cathey said. “Oklahoma is excited to be first in the U.S. to go this way and I think all stakeholders will appreciate the consistency this will bring to adjudicating races.”

For Kim Kelly, assisting a North American jurisdiction with the transition was the culmination of years in pursuit of global harmony on the interference rules.

“It was a great honor to be asked to assist the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission in their transition to the Category 1 interference interpretation. From the very first meeting, I was impressed and encouraged by how receptive the Stewards and Commission staff were to making this change happen,” said Kelly.

“A U.S. state's decision to shift to Category 1 represents significant progress in the international harmonization of a critical rule of racing. Standardized rules which significantly impact bettors and industry participants, such as owners, is something the IHRRC has been working at for many years.

“The OHRC's move follows that from the Japan Racing Association in 2013, both France Galop and Germany in 2017, as well as all jurisdictions in South America that switched during those years, and I would not be surprised if more in North America followed Oklahoma's lead.

“I would like to acknowledge the considerable drive and resolve demonstrated by OHRC Executive Director Kelly Cathey to ensure that the change to Category 1 in Oklahoma is a success.

“The IHRRC will continue to provide further assistance as needed to make the transition to Category 1 as seamless as possible.”

DANGEROUS RIDING PROVISION KEY ELEMENT FOR SAFETY

Expectations for Category 1 implementation include a reduction in the number of demotions which has previously occurred in jurisdictions transitioning to Category 1, including Japan, France and Germany.

“The question the stewards consider,” Cummings said, “is totally different. The stewards must be satisfied that if interference occurred, the horse suffering the interference was going to finish ahead of the horse causing it. While it's impossible to say how many, that standard will reduce overall demotions in Oklahoma and other states in the future.”

Data presented in TIF's 2018 paper reflected a total of 65 demotions across races run by the Japan Racing Association in the last three years the country operated under Category 2 rules. In the next five years, only 11 demotions occurred.

“Category 1 rules, however, are not a license for dangerous riding,” Cummings adds, “and Oklahoma importantly adopted a provision to account for incidents where jockeys ride in a dangerous manner.”

The wording of the rule Oklahoma has adopted is below:

“If the Stewards determine a Horse or its rider has caused interference and finished in front of the Horse it interfered with, and if not for the interference the Horse would have finished behind the Horse it interfered with, the interfering Horse shall be placed immediately behind the Horse with which it interfered. If the interference is a result of dangerous riding, the Stewards shall place the interfering Horse in last place.”

The OHRC defined “dangerous riding” as follows:

“Dangerous riding' means a rider causes a serious infraction by: (A) purposely interfering with another horse or rider; or (B) riding in a way which is far below that of a competent and careful rider and where it would be obvious to a competent and careful rider that riding in that way would likely endanger the safety of another horse or rider.”

The “dangerous riding” addendum is intended as a catch-all provision – if a jockey rides dangerously thinking they cannot be demoted, or even fully disqualified and being treated as if they finished last, think again. Stewards are empowered to have that option should it be needed.

“The jurisdictions which have shifted from Category 2 to Category 1 over the last decade have not experienced any increase in dangerous riding incidents,” said Kim Kelly. “Having this proviso in the rule, which largely mirrors the dangerous riding component in the model rule contained in the IFHA's International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering, affords the stewards a necessary tool should it be required.”

The post ‘Consistency Of Decision-Making’: Oklahoma Starts Category 1 Rules Next Week appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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The New York Racing Association on Monday announced that all-sources wagering handle at Saratoga Race Course surged to a record $878,211,963 million for the 2022 summer meet, eclipsing the previous record of $815,508,063, established in 2021, by 7.7 percent.

The record setting 40-day meet generated average daily handle of $21,955,299, which is also the highest such figure in the history of Saratoga.

On-track handle, which includes New York residents wagering via NYRA Bets, was $152,274,728, or 10.5 percent higher than the $137,765,882 wagered on-track in 2021.

Paid attendance in 2022 was 1,075,586, which is the seventh consecutive season with paid attendance north of 1 million, excluding 2020 when fans were not permitted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Average daily attendance was 26,890.

“This summer's record handle, incredibly strong attendance and the highest ever viewership of Saratoga Live on FOX Sports demonstrate the enduring and expanding appeal of Saratoga Race Course,” said NYRA President & CEO Dave O'Rourke. “NYRA extends our thanks and appreciation to the fans who visited Saratoga this summer or watched and wagered from home. We thank our owners, trainers and backstretch community for their dedication and commitment to the horses that make it all possible summer after summer here at the Spa.”

This summer featured 417 races, including 218 on dirt and 199 on the turf. Inclement weather forced 16 races off the turf. Average field size was 7.8. In 2021, 416 races were conducted, including 242 on dirt and 174 on the turf. Forty-five races were taken off the turf. Average field size was 7.7.

Among the highlights of the 2022 Saratoga meet:

• Klaravich Stables was the meet's leading owner; Chad Brown claimed the H. Allen Jerkens training title; and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. captured the Angel Cordero Jr. riding title.

• Runhappy Travers Day generated record-setting all-sources handle of $55,559,315 as 49,762 paying customers watched Epicenter win the 153rd running of Saratoga's signature race.

• Fans tuned in to Saratoga Live in record numbers as NYRA's flagship television program posted its highest ratings ever. Broadcast on the FOX Sports family of networks for the seventh consecutive year and presented by America's Best Racing and Claiborne Farm, Saratoga Live featured more than 225 hours of coverage and analysis from Saratoga Race Course. This year included the debut of the Jim Dandy on FOX, which also carried the Runhappy Travers for the fourth year in a row.

• Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez secured his record-extending 1,000th career win at Saratoga Race Course when he guided Precursory to victory for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott on August 25.

• Jockey Joel Rosario set a Saratoga record for most graded stakes victories in a single meet with 12, including his win aboard Epicenter in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers.

• Jackie's Warrior became the first horse to win a Grade 1 stakes three years in a row at Saratoga with his victory in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap on July 30. The trifecta included wins in the 2021 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial and 2020 Runhappy Hopeful.

• The Wilson Chute made its return to Saratoga Race Course after being dismantled 50 years ago. NYRA reconstructed the historic chute to allow for one-mile races to be contested on the main track.

• NYRA continued to make capital investments in Saratoga with the debut of the Paddock Suite, a climate-controlled hospitality area with sweeping views of the Saratoga paddock, located above the newly renovated Post Bar.

• In partnership with CDTA and Old Tavern Farm, NYRA launched the Saratoga Breakfast and Breeding Farm Tour, which sold out prior to the start of the season. Each Friday, guests enjoyed breakfast at Saratoga Race Course followed by a trolley ride to nearby Old Tavern Farm, where they embarked on a 90-minute guided walking tour of an active thoroughbred breeding farm.

• Saratoga Race Course hosted the Budweiser Clydesdales for the first time in more than 15 years. Thousands of fans turned out in mid-August to enjoy photo opportunities with the Clydesdales and to witness them parade on the main track in front of the grandstand.

• The Taste NY Pavilion at Saratoga Race Course featured a wide selection of New York craft beers, hard cider, wines and spirits from Brooklyn to the Adirondacks and Saratoga to Cooperstown as a showcase of the state's robust food and beverage industry.

 

Live racing on the NYRA circuit will resume on Thursday, September 15 with the opening of Belmont at the Big A. Headlined by four Grade 1 races and six “Win and You're In” qualifiers to the Breeders' Cup in November at Keeneland, Belmont at the Big A will feature 23 graded events among 41 stakes worth $9.9 million in total purses. Live racing will be conducted Thursday through Sunday.

The post Saratoga Meet Concludes With Record Handle, ‘Robust’ Attendance appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Racing showed declines in wagering and the number of race days during the month of August compared with August 2021, according to the economic indicators released Monday by Equibase. Year-to-date figures, however showed increases in both wagering and race days.

Wagering, which includes worldwide commingled betting on U.S. races, was down 0.86% compared with the same month last year while year-to-date figures showed a slight uptick at 0.24%. The number of race days also showed a retreat from the same month in 2021 at 3.96% but a 1.37% rise in the year-to-date category.

Purses for August 2022 rose 3.66% compared with the same month last year; year-to-date figures increased by double digits at 12.29%.

Average purses per race day were up 7.93% versus August 2021 and up 10.78% in year-to-date analysis.

The number of U.S. races dropped 3.95% in August. Year-to-date, there was a decrease of 0.25%.

The number of starts in August also declined 1.87%. Year-to-date, the figures were down 1.65%.

Thoroughbred Racing Economic Indicators For August 2022

August 2022 vs. August 2021
Indicator	August 2022	August 2021	% Change
Wagering on U.S. Races*	$1,194,876,167	$1,205,251,116	-0.86%
U.S. Purses	$130,206,874	$125,611,453	+3.66%
U.S. Race Days	437	455	-3.96%
U.S. Races	3,400	3,540	-3.95%
U.S. Starts	24,228	24,690	-1.87%
Average Field Size	7.13	6.97	+2.17%
Average Wagering Per Race Day	$2,734,270	$2,648,904	+3.22%
Average Purses Per Race Day	$297,956	$276,069	+7.93%

YTD 2022 vs. YTD 2021
Indicator	YTD 2022	YTD 2021	% Change
Wagering on U.S. Races*	$8,604,332,789	$8,583,460,027	+0.24%
U.S. Purses	$843,635,983	$751,274,418	+12.29%
U.S. Race Days	2,819	2,781	+1.37%
U.S. Races	22,805	22,862	-0.25%
U.S. Starts	163,766	166,515	-1.65%
Average Field Size	7.18	7.28	-1.41%
Average Wagering Per Race Day	$3,052,264	$3,086,465	-1.11%
Average Purses Per Race Day	$299,268	$270,145	+10.78%

2020 Comparisons:

August 2022 vs. August 2020
Indicator	August 2022	August 2020	% Change
Wagering on U.S. Races*	$1,194,876,167	$1,153,994,899	+3.54%
U.S. Purses	$130,206,874	$104,539,502	+24.55%
U.S. Race Days	437	445	-1.80%
U.S. Races	3,400	3,608	-5.76%
U.S. Starts	24,228	26,971	-10.17%
Average Field Size	7.13	7.48	-4.67%
Average Wagering Per Race Day	$2,734,270	$2,593,247	+5.44%
Average Purses Per Race Day	$297,956	$234,920	+26.83%

YTD 2022 vs. YTD 2020
Indicator	YTD 2022	YTD 2020	% Change
Wagering on U.S. Races*	$8,604,332,789	$7,306,542,949	+17.76%
U.S. Purses	$843,635,983	$518,929,044	+62.57%
U.S. Race Days	2,819	2,144	+31.48%
U.S. Races	22,805	17,794	+28.16%
U.S. Starts	163,766	140,029	+16.95%
Average Field Size	7.18	7.87	-8.75%
Average Wagering Per Race Day	$3,052,264	$3,407,902	-10.44%
Average Purses Per Race Day	$299,268	$242,038	+23.65%

2019 Comparisons:

August 2022 vs. August 2019
Indicator	August 2022	August 2019	% Change
Wagering on U.S. Races*	$1,194,876,167	$1,177,165,980	+1.50%
U.S. Purses	$130,206,874	$128,293,019	+1.49%
U.S. Race Days	437	515	-15.15%
U.S. Races	3,400	4,026	-15.55%
U.S. Starts	24,228	28,895	-16.15%
Average Field Size	7.13	7.18	-0.71%
Average Wagering Per Race Day	$2,734,270	$2,285,759	+19.62%
Average Purses Per Race Day	$297,956	$249,113	+19.61%

YTD 2022 vs. YTD 2019
Indicator	YTD 2022	YTD 2019	% Change
Wagering on U.S. Races*	$8,604,332,789	$7,792,183,885	+10.42%
U.S. Purses	$843,635,983	$775,637,725	+8.77%
U.S. Race Days	2,819	3,103	-9.15%
U.S. Races	22,805	25,225	-9.59%
U.S. Starts	163,766	185,746	-11.83%
Average Field Size	7.18	7.36	-2.48%
Average Wagering Per Race Day	$3,052,264	$2,511,178	+21.55%
Average Purses Per Race Day	$299,268	$249,964	+19.72%

* Includes worldwide commingled wagering on U.S. races.

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