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Record Overnight Purses at Belmont Spring/Summer Meet

The upcoming 48-day spring/summer meeting at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, will offer the richest overnight purse structure in the history of the New York Racing Association, the organization said Thursday.

Open-company maiden allowance races will feature purse money of $90,000, while first-, second- and third-level allowance races will be worth $92,000, $94,000 and $96,000, respectively. New York maiden special weight races will carry prize money of $75,000, while horses bred in the Empire State will benefit from an $85,000 purse for non-winners of two/ $45,000 claiming and an $80,000 purse for the non-winners of one category. NYRA has also written races for $250,000 claiming, which offer purses of $100,000. Bottom-level, open $10,000 claimers will run for $28,000.

“NYRA is pleased to be able to offer the highest overnight purse levels in the history of Belmont Park,” said Martin Panza, NYRA Senior Vice President of Racing Operations. “These increases come at an important time in support of horsemen and will drive the industry forward as we emerge from the challenges wrought by COVID-19.”

Referencing the state-bred program, Panza added: “There has never been a better time to race or breed right here in New York state. The New York-bred program continues to thrive, and the purses and incentives that will begin this spring will continue through the summer at Saratoga making an investment in New York-breds all the more enticing.”

Joe Appelbaum, president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA), also welcomed the news.

“It's gratifying to see these significant purse increases to the overnight and NY-bred races,” said Appelbaum. “These races are the foundation of the NYRA racing program and the continued investment in them has proven to be successful.”

Unlike the 2020 spring/summer meeting, which was conducted behind closed doors due to COVID-19 protocols, the 2021 meet is likely to be open to a limited number of spectators following a Feb. 10 announcement by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

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TERF Opens Grant Awards Cycle

The Thoroughbred Education and Research Foundation (TERF) has announced the opening of their 2021 grant awards cycle. TERF aims to support students in pursuit of education in Equine Medicine and to fund research efforts which improve the lives of Thoroughbred horses. Those selected to receive this year's grants will reflect TERF's strategic focus and vision to support and promote equine education and research. Applications will be accepted through Apr. 1 and additional information can be found at www.terfusa.org.

In 2020, TERF awarded $108,000 in grants to nine different organizations. TERF's grants reflect the values set forth by its founders Herb and Ellen Moelis. TERF's current board includes Gretchen and Roy Jackson, the Moelises, Anita Motion, Scott Palmer VMD and Josh Pons, among others.

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TRF Launches Partnership with Dept. of Juvenile Justice in Ocala

Building on more than 35 years of experience “Saving Horses and Saving Lives” in partnership with Correctional Facilities across the United States, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) has established its first-ever partnership with a Department of Juvenile Justice program.

Presented as a live-streaming launch event, the TRF and the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice will introduce the new equine program, TRF Second Chances Juvenile Program at CSI-Ocala, to a national audience Feb. 23. The event will feature remarks from the Secretary of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and include a tour of the new equine program facility constructed at the Center for Success and Independence (CSI), a juvenile residential commitment program operated by Youth Opportunity Investments in Ocala, Florida. The audience and media in attendance will meet the TRF retired racehorses and the equine program instructor, learn about the skills-based and therapeutic curriculum and hear examples of the positive outcomes for the youths in the program.

“The launch of the Juvenile Program in Ocala represents a meaningful milestone in the long history of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation”, said Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation Executive Director, Pat Stickney. “The TRF Second Chances Juvenile Program at CSI-Ocala is the first of its kind in the United States and it represents the beginning of a new chapter for our flagship program. The partnership with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice has been the critical catalyst in our long-held dream of placing the retired Thoroughbred racehorses of the TRF in an environment where they can positively influence the lives of young people. This new program will set a new standard for the impact of the TRF horses by changing the trajectory of the lives of young people who are deemed at risk.”

Event Details:
Location: TRF Second Chances Juvenile Program at CSI-Ocala
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 23
Time: 10 a.m. ET (30 min duration)
Access: Streaming live on TRF YouTube and on Facebook and Twitter
No Tickets or RSVP Required.

Details at: https://www.trfinc.org/juvenile-at-csi-ocala/

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Keeneland and Partners Providing Vaccines to Hispanic Stable Staff

Keeneland is collaborating with the University of Kentucky and other community partners to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to medically under-served populations, including Hispanic workers in Keeneland's stable area and on local horse farms. In an effort to address access and equity issues with the availability of the vaccine, Keeneland will host a mobile pop-up clinic at the Keene Barn and Entertainment Center this Saturday, Feb. 20, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The goal is to provide vaccines to the Hispanic population in racing's community.

Kentucky's Department of Public Health is allocating 500 vaccine doses at no cost. The clinic will also return to the site for booster shots.

Click here for more details and other clinic locations and dates.

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