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Emerald Downs Announces Claiming Bonuses For 2022

Emerald Downs in Auburn, Wash. has announced a new incentive program for its 52-day race meeting in 2022.

Beginning with opening day May 15, 2022, all 3-year-olds and older that ran in any claiming race at least once at any track—including Emerald Downs—since Jan. 1, 2021, receive a $1,000 bonus ($750 to the horse owner, $250 to the trainer) in the horse's first start in any claiming race at Emerald Downs which must occur before July 1, 2022.

“It's important to extend bonuses to all horses,” track president Phil Ziegler said. “We appreciate shippers, of course, but we also recognize that some of our owners and trainers race exclusively at Emerald Downs. This bonus money helps offset their off-season expenses. For the horses that go out of state in the off season, this helps with the expense of bringing them back to Emerald Downs.”

Emerald Downs recently announced a 10 percent purse increase for the 2022 meeting—the track's second 10 percent increase since 2019.

Emerald Downs also announced other incentives for 2022:

• Initial stall bedding will be provided for all horses arriving prior to starting day.

• All hot walkers will be free throughout the season.

• Participation money on any race that has eight or more starters increased to $300 (horses finishing sixth through last).

“We recognize the economic demands of owners and trainers,” Ziegler said. “Thoroughbred racing is exhilarating and exciting, but the cost of doing business is a difficult obstacle. Higher purses and less expenses are extremely important.”

Opening day for Emerald Downs' 52-day meeting is Sunday, May 15. The stable area opens in March. The stakes schedule, featuring the 87th running of the Longacres Mile (G3), will be released in December.

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Holiday Tradition Continues At Aqueduct With Toys For Tots

As often happens with the best ideas, this one started simply.

It dates to a few weeks prior to Christmas 1947 when Major Bill Hendricks of the United States Marine Corps Reserve admired a rag doll that his wife, Diane, had crocheted out of yarn. So how then, Diane wondered, could they give it to a needy child in time to “have a good Christmas?”

Major Hendricks didn't know of an agency that distributed toys. So the next day, he and a fellow Marine made a proposal to their superiors for an annual Marine Corps-sponsored holiday toy drive.

“Don't fail” was the only advice they got.

They didn't – with the best proof of that set for this weekend [Saturday, Dec. 4 and Sunday, Dec. 5] when Marines will be at Aqueduct on behalf of Toys for Tots, the national organization Hendricks co-founded, to collect new, unwrapped toys that will be given as holiday gifts to disadvantaged children in the community. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, now in its 74th year of giving, also collects monetary donations, which it uses to purchase toys.

Unlike 2020 when NYRA's Toys for Tots collection was entirely online because the COVID-19 pandemic had closed racing to fans, this upcoming campaign marks a return to a longstanding holiday tradition at the Big A. You can give this year online – and in-person at donation boxes at Aqueduct's main clubhouse entrance, as well as the Turf and Field entrance.

Fans can donate at https://www.toysfortots.org/donate/ – via credit card with a secure one-step process; or by selecting and donating toys via the organization's virtual toy box. You can donate with a check made out to the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation, and mailed to: U.S. Marine Corps; Attention: GySgt, John Sardine; 605 Stewart Avenue; Garden City, NY 11530.

“This year, fans will be able to give in person at the track or virtually, allowing us to continue the tradition of working with the Marine Corps Reserve to make sure children throughout New York City and across Long Island receive toys for the holidays,” said Vanessa Rodriguez Payne, NYRA Community Relations Manager. “New York racing fans and our employees have generously supported Toys for Tots for years, and we're thrilled to encourage that giving spirit again in 2021.”

As part of its support of the Toys for Tots Foundation, NYRA is making a financial contribution to the organization. Toys for Tots is also supported by generous contributions from the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and thoroughbred owner Harold Lerner.

“NYTHA is proud to once again support the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots Foundation and the tireless work they do in bringing joy to children,” said NYTHA President Joe Appelbaum. “Our horsemen are a vital part of our local communities, and we have no greater joy than supporting the children of our friends and neighbors during the holidays, and all year round.”

Lerner cited the age-old mission of ensuring that the holidays be special for children as his impetus for supporting Toys for Toys.

“Lending a helping hand to our fellow New Yorkers is more important than ever,” he said. “The children receiving gifts should know that there is a community that cares about them.”

One of the attractions of supporting Toys for Tots is that the charity ensures that the funds and toys collected go to children in that area. That way, everything collected at Aqueduct next weekend will be distributed to New York families.

The Toys for Tots Foundation is also a Top-Rated Charity in terms of donation dollars that go directly to its mission. More than 97 percent of donations go directly to their mission of providing toys and other gifts to less fortunate children.

Last year, Marines distributed a record 20.2 million toys to 7.4 million less fortunate children throughout the nation during the Toys for Tots campaign. Collecting and distributing that many toys in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated what Lt. Gen. Jim Lester, President and CEO of Toys for Tots, described as public support for which the organization is “beyond grateful.”

“The need in 2020 was much greater than the supply in terms of the number of families with children seeking our support ,” said Lt. Gen. Lester. “The support we received made a difference to families who are struggling and provided joy and hope when they needed it the most. We were absolutely blown away by the donations we received.”

For more information on the United States Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation, visit www.toysfortots.org.

About The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation
The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a not for profit organization authorized by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Department of Defense to provide fundraising and other necessary support for the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. Now in its 74th year, Toys for Tots provides joy and a message of hope to economically disadvantaged children through the gift of a new toy during the Christmas holiday season. Their gifts offer these children recognition and a positive memory they will cherish for a lifetime. Many of the gifts they provide, such as books, games and sports equipment, make a significant contribution to the educational, social and physical development of these children.

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‘Shout For Survival’: Paralyzed Jockey Freddy Tylicki Takes The Stand In Lawsuit Against Fellow Rider

Jockey Freddy Tylicki, a former champion apprentice, has been confined to a wheelchair since a racing incident at Kempton in October of 2016. The 35-year-old has filed a £6 million (about US$6.77 million) lawsuit against rider Graham Gibbons, with Tylicki alleging that rider's negligence breached the “duty of care” owed by one jockey to another.

Testimony in the case began on Monday in the High Court before Judge Karen Walden-Smith, according to BBC Sport.

Tylicki was on the stand to relive the moment of his life-altering injuries, watching video of the incident from multiple angles while on cross-examination by Gibbons' attorney, Patrick Lawrence.

Tylicki and his mount, Nellie Deen, were against the inside rail, while Gibbons and the eventual winner Madame Butterfly were to the outside. Tylicki made a move to go up the inside, and there were several moments before the two horses made contact.

“After I squeezed and I couldn't get upsides him, the pressure was just building up and building up and building up,” said Tylicki. “I took a pull and shouted 'Gibbo.' It was a shout for survival if I'm honest because I knew what was going to happen next. But there was no response.”

Gibbons' defense contends that the contact was not caused by his actions, and instead was “a racing accident occasioned by the horses coming together, as described, as they travelled at speed around the bend.”

Gibbons' attorney added: “If what we say is a racing incident of the type that occurred here, albeit one with absolutely tragic consequences for one of the jockeys concerned, if that type of incident will tend to generate litigation and interest from the lawyers, then it is not difficult to see that that will have multiple ramifications which may create all sorts of difficulties for professional sport, not just horse racing.”

The hearing is scheduled to continue for four more days, and will include testimony from Gibbons, as well as jockeys Jim Crowley and Pat Cosgrave, who also took part in the race. Top jockey Ryan Moore prepared expert testimony for Tylicki's team, while Gibbons' team will have testimony from steward and former amateur jockey Charlie Lane.

Kentucky Racing Shifts To Turfway Park; Four $100,000 Stakes During 2021 Holiday Meet

Thoroughbred racing on the Kentucky circuit shifts from Churchill Downs in Louisville to its sister track Turfway Park Racing & Gaming, 94 miles to the northeast in Florence, on Thursday, Dec. 2 at 6:15 p.m. (all times Eastern) for the 16-day Holiday Meet.

The Holiday Meet covers a five-week stretch every Thursday-Sunday through Friday, Dec. 31 with the exception of no racing on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) or Christmas Day (Dec. 25). The first of eight races every Thursday-Saturday is 6:15 p.m. Sunday's eight-race programs will start at 1 p.m. Only seven races will be staged on New Year's Eve (Dec. 31).

Following the Holiday Meet, Turfway will commence its 38-day Winter Meet on Jan. 1, which will continue for 14 weeks through Saturday, April 2 – the new date for its marquee race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, the Jeff Ruby Steaks (Grade 3) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles now worth $600,000, a $350,000 boost from the 2021 renewal.

The Jeff Ruby Steaks, which offers 170 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby (Top 4 Points: 100-40-20-10), is the centerpiece of a revitalized stakes program thanks to increased interest by Kentucky horsemen and Churchill Downs Incorporated's investment and redevelopment of Turfway Park, which is scheduled for completion and to reopen next summer.

Turfway Park will present 24 stakes events – four during the Holiday Meet and 20 during the Winter Meet – that total $3.55 million. Four stakes are scheduled for the Holiday Meet and another 20 will be run during the Winter Meet. Each is worth a minimum $100,000 and there will be at least one stakes race carded weekly. Fourteen of the stakes have been brought back from an extended hiatus.

In addition to the Jeff Ruby Steaks, the $125,000 John Battaglia Memorial at 1 1/16 miles on March 5 will offer 17 “Prep Season” points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby (Top 4 Points: 10-4-2-1). The $250,000 Bourbonette (Listed) on April 2, now 1 1/16 miles, and $125,000 Cincinnati Trophy, now one mile, on March 5 will offer qualifying points for 3-year-old fillies on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks (Top 4 Points: 100-40-20-10 and 10-4-2-1, respectively).

A total of six stakes cumulatively worth $1.7 million highlights the Jeff Ruby Steaks Day card on closing day, which falls five weeks in advance of the Kentucky Derby.

Horsemen will compete for $4.974 million (all purses include prize money from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund) offered in Director of Racing Tyler Picklesimer's 127-race Holiday Meet condition book. Maiden special weight races are worth $62,000 and allowance races range from $63,000 to $68,000.

The average starters per race during last year's Holiday Meet was a strong 10.5, which produced highly competitive racing over the track's Tapeta synthetic surface. Installed during the summer of 2020, the Tapeta surface has received positive reviews from horsemen and jockeys alike and has proven to be a fair and rewarding surface for horseplayers.

Gerardo Corrales, who has ridden in the U.S. since 2015 after graduating from the Laffit Pincay Jockey Training Academy in his native Panama, is back to defend his Holiday Meet and Winter Meet riding titles from a year ago. He won 15 races during the Holiday Meet and another 40 at the Winter Meet.

There will be several new additions to the jockey colony including journeyman riders Joe Rocco Jr. and Joe Talamo.

“I'm excited to stay home this winter,” said Talamo, who shifted his tack from California to Kentucky in 2020. “I've been trying out different winter gloves and scarves to get ready for the winter in Kentucky. With the purse money that keeps going up at Turfway, I think it was a good decision to stay home.”

Rocco, who's been a fixture on the Kentucky circuit since 2012, typically spent his winter at Oaklawn but will stay “home” for the Turfway meet.

“As your kids start to get older, it gets harder leaving each winter,” Rocco said. “I think it'll be a good change staying at Turfway.”

Other Kentucky riders that are scheduled to be in the Turfway jocks room include Rafael Bejarano and Chris Landeros.

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Bill Morey was the 2020 Holiday Meet leading trainer with six wins, while Wesley Ward dominated the 2021 Winter Meet trainer standings with 21 wins, nine more than Morey. In addition to Morey and Ward, trainers Brad Cox, Tommy Drury Jr., Mike Maker, Michael McCarthy and Mike Tomlinson are slated to have Turfway divisions this year.

“We'll mainly be based at Fair Grounds and Oaklawn this winter but we'll have a few horses that we keep in Kentucky to run at Turfway,” Cox said.

Turfway Park's wagering menu will feature a 15-percent takeout, 50-cent Pick 5 that starts in Race 1 each night as well as the 15-percent takeout 20-cent Single 6 Jackpot on Races 3-8. Also, there are two 14-percent takeout, 50-cent Pick 4 sequences on each card with the first offered on Races 2-5 and the second on Races 5-8.

The Single 6 jackpot will be paid only if there is a single winning wager with six winners placed at the required minimum bet value. If there are multiple winning wagers with six winners in the six-race sequence, 90 percent of the net money wagering into the pool will be paid, and the remaining 10 percent will carry to the Single 6 jackpot. If there are no tickets will all six winners, 100 percent of the pool will carry to the Single 6 jackpot.

Win, Place, Show, Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Daily Double and Pick 3 wagers will be offered every race (on all races that qualify under Kentucky statutes for minimum field size) and the $1 Super Hi-5 will once again be offered in the last race.

Racing fans can wager on racing from Churchill Downs via www.TwinSpires.com, the official advance-deposit wagering service for Churchill Downs Incorporated and its family of racetracks. Also, fans of Turfway Park racing are encouraged to download the Churchill Downs LIVE app. The Churchill Downs LIVE app is available free of charge on streaming services such as Amazon, Apple TV and Roku. Fans can download the Churchill Downs LIVE app for full access to a free HD live stream of the simulcast signal for all Churchill Downs Incorporated-owned racetracks, including Turfway Park.

Jimmy McNerney will describe the racing action throughout the Holiday and Winter Meet.

For more information, visit www.turfway.com.

2021 TURFWAY PARK HOLIDAY MEET STAKES SCHEDULE

4 stakes cumulatively worth $400,000

Date	Running (Last)	Grade	Purse	Race	Conditions	Distance	Surface
Saturday, Dec. 4	35^th	Black Type	$100,000	Holiday Inaugural	3&up, f&m	6 F	Tapeta
Saturday, Dec. 11	33^rd (2011)	Black Type	$100,000	My Charmer	3&up, f&m	1 1/16 M	Tapeta
Saturday, Dec. 18	26^th (2019)	Black Type	$100,000	Prairie Bayou	3&up	1 1/16 M	Tapeta
Sunday, Dec. 26	28^th (2011)	Black Type	$100,000	Gowell	2yo f	6 F	Tapeta

* All purses include prize money from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund

2022 TURFWAY PARK WINTER MEET STAKES SCHEDULE

20 stakes cumulatively worth $3.15 million

Date	Running (Last)	Grade	Purse	Race	Conditions	Distance	Surface
Saturday, Jan. 1	24^th (2012)	Black Type	$100,000	Holiday Cheer	3&up	6 F	Tapeta
Saturday, Jan. 8	29^th (2013)	Black Type	$100,000	Turfway Prevue	3yo	6 ½ F	Tapeta
Saturday, Jan. 15	23^rd (2013)	Black Type	$100,000	Likely Exchange	4&up, f&m	1 M	Tapeta
Saturday, Jan. 22	31^st (2013)	Black Type	$100,000	Leonatus (formerly the Presidents)	3yo	1 M	Tapeta
Saturday, Jan. 29	28^th (2012)	Black Type	$100,000	Wishing Well	4&up, f&m	6 ½ F	Tapeta
Saturday, Feb. 5	38^th	Black Type	$100,000	Forego	4&up	6 ½ F	Tapeta
Saturday, Feb. 12	35^th (2012)	Black Type	$100,000	Valdale	3yo f	6 ½ F	Tapeta
Saturday, Feb. 19	31^st (2012)	Black Type	$100,000	Dust Commander	4&up	1 1/16 M	Tapeta
Saturday, Feb. 26	38^th (2011)	Black Type	$100,000	Wintergreen (formerly the Fairway Fun)	4&up, f&m	1 M	Tapeta
Saturday, March 5	41^st	Black Type	$125,000	John Battaglia Memorial Road to the Kentucky Derby Points: 10-4-2-1	3yo	1 1/16 M	Tapeta
Saturday, March 5	36^th	Black Type	$125,000	Cincinnati Trophy Road to the Kentucky Oaks Points: 10-4-2-1	3yo f	1 M	Tapeta
Friday, March 12	3^rd (1990)	Black Type	$100,000	Big Daddy (formerly the Daniel Boone)	4&up	6 F	Tapeta
Saturday, March 19	26^th (2011)	Black Type	$100,000	Queen	4&up, f&m	6 F	Tapeta
Saturday, March 26	2^nd (1988)	Black Type	$100,000	Serena's Song (formerly the Tea House)	3yo f	6 F	Tapeta
Saturday, April 2	51^st	III	$600,000	Jeff Ruby Steaks Road to Kentucky Derby Points: 100-40-20-10	3yo	1 1/8 M	Tapeta
Saturday, April 2	40^th	Listed	$250,000	Bourbonette Oaks Road to Kentucky Oaks Points: 50-20-10-5	3yo f	1 1/16 M	Tapeta
Saturday, April 2	21^st	Listed	$250,000	TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic	4&up	1 1/8 M	Tapeta
Saturday, April 2	35^th	Black Type	$200,000	Latonia	4&up, f&m	1 1/16 M	Tapeta
Saturday, April 2	35^th	Black Type	$200,000	Rushaway	3yo	1 1/16 M	Tapeta
Saturday, April 2	8^th	Black Type	$200,000	Animal Kingdom	3yo	6 F	Tapeta

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