New York Racing Association

Rainy Belmont Fall Meet Sees Handle and Attendance Declines
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Contact: Dan Silver

The 2009 Belmont Park Fall Championship Meet, permeated by inclement weather and races washed off the turf, saw declines in handle and attendance figures. The 2009 Meet ran 33 days, four fewer than the 2008 Meet, yet saw 81 percent more races taken off the turf (38 in 2009 compared to 21 in 2008). A total of 119 turf races were run at the 2009 Fall Meet compared to 143 in 2008. ... more

Dominguez, Pletcher, Bromans Win Belmont Park Titles
Sunday, October 25, 2009
By Jenny Kellner

Todd Pletcher Jockey Ramon Dominguez continued to dominate the competition in New York with his fifth straight riding title and trainer Todd Pletcher won his 20th individual training title as Belmont Park’s 33-day Fall Championship Meet concluded Sunday. Dominguez, New York’s leading rider, won two races on Sunday’s card to finish with 39 victories, five more than Rajiv Maragh. John Velazquez finished third with 32 winners ... more

Banrock Victorious in Mohawk
Sunday, October 25, 2009
By Ashley Herriman

Banrock With a dream trip over a soft turf course, Nyala Farm’s Banrock emerged victorious Sunday afternoon in the 31st running of the $150,000 Mohawk Stakes, the only major New York-bred turf stakes race for 3-year-olds and up the talented gelding had not previously won ... more

Haynesfield Wins Empire Classic; Dominguez Sweeps Final Four
Saturday, October 24, 2009
By NYRA Press Office

Haynesfield With darkness descending and the finish line lit by artificial light, Haynesfield held off the relentless charge of Ruffino by a desperate three-quarters of a length Saturday to win the 34th running of the $250,000 Empire Classic at Belmont Park. The dramatic victory gave Belmont’s leading jockey, Ramon Dominguez, a sweep of the final four stakes races on the New York Showcase Day card. He won the Sleepy Hollow aboard Fenway Faithful, the Iroquois on Rightly So, the Hudson on Driven by Success and finished off his own personal Pick 4 (worth $1,461 to his faithful backers) with Haynesfield ... more

Belmont Park Notes
Friday, October 23, 2009
By NYRA Press Office

Quality Road Edward P. Evans’ Quality Road, runner-up to Summer Bird in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup in his most recent start, will work five furlongs over the training track Monday morning with John Velazquez aboard as he prepares for the Grade 1, $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. ... more

New York Racing Continues at Aqueduct
Friday, October 23, 2009
Contact: NYRA Press Office

Aqueduct Racetrack, the only racetrack in New York City, opens for the 39-day Fall Meet on Wednesday, October 28. First race post is 12:30 p.m. and gates open at 11:00 a.m. unless otherwise indicated. Aqueduct boasts free admission and free general parking seven days a week. ... more

NYRA Live Chat with Andy Serling Tonight - 8pm EST
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
By Ashley Herriman

Andy Serling Beginning on Friday, October 23, The New York Racing Association, Inc., (NYRA) will host hour-long live, online chat sessions with key industry figures. Building on the success of Andy Serling’s Twitter website (Twitter.com/andyserling), the popular race analyst will host the first chat in the series this Friday. In the future, other individuals, from NYRA executives to New York trainers and jockeys, are expected to host sessions ... more

Operation Red Dawn Ends Drought in Knickerbocker
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
By John Scheinman

Operation Red Dawn In the week leading up to the Grade 3, $106,500 Knickerbocker, trainer Christophe Clement lamented that his ultra-consistent but hard-luck 7-year-old gelding Operation Red Dawn should win more races. On Thursday, in the 53rd running of the 1 1/8-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds and up ... more

NYRA Teams Again with Community for Elmont Cleanup Day
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
By Jenny Kellner

Local community groups, backstretch workers, church organizations and employees of The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will team up again on Saturday, October 31, in the second Elmont Cleanup Day. ... more

Belmont Runners Take on Track Records
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
By John Scheinman

Birdrun One track record was tied and another broken on a beautiful fall day of racing Wednesday at Belmont Park. In the first race, Repole Stable’s Super Shape took charge from the start and then shook off a challenge in the stretch from Todd Got Even to draw off by 2¾ lengths and equal the Belmont Park 6½-furlong main track record of 1:14.46 ... more

Belle Allure More Than Just Good Looking in Athenia Win
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
By Ashley Herriman

Belle Allure Proving that she’s got talent to match her looks, Belle Allure (IRE) gutted out her first U.S. stakes win Wednesday afternoon in the delayed 33rd running of the Grade 3, $106,500 Athenia Stakes going 1 1/16 miles over Belmont Park’s inner turf course ... more

BelmontStakes.com Selected as Finalist For AGA Communications Awards
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Contact: Dan Silver

BelmontStakes.com has been named a finalist in the Best Website category at the 2009 American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Communications Awards, scheduled to be held Tuesday, November 17 in Las Vegas. The website was launched this past May by The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and is dedicated to the prestigious third jewel of thoroughbred racing’s storied Triple Crown, which was run this year for the 141st time on Saturday, June 6 at Belmont Park. ... more

New York Showcase Day Highlights Best State Has to Offer
Sunday, October 18, 2009
By Ashley Herriman

In addition to all the top-quality state-bred thoroughbred action carded for Saturday, October 24 at Belmont Park, the very best of the Empire State from food to entertainment will also be highlighted on the New York Racing Association’s annual New York Showcase Day. ... more

Belmont Park Notes
Sunday, October 18, 2009
By NYRA Press Office

Haynesfield Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25 mark the final days of racing at Belmont Park for The New York Racing Association, Inc.’s 2009 Fall Championship Meet. The meet’s final highlight is Saturday’s annual New York Showcase Day program, featuring seven state-bred stakes races worth a total of $1 million ... more

Belmont Park Notes
Friday, October 16, 2009
By NYRA Press Office

Flashing Regrouping after a third-place finish behind Informed Decision in the Grade 3 Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes, Godolphin Racing’s Flashing zipped a bullet five furlongs in 59.72 on Thursday at Belmont Park. ... more

Aqueduct Fall Handicapping Challenge Filling Up Fast
Thursday, October 15, 2009
By Brian Skirka

A limited number of spots are still available for the 2009 Aqueduct Fall Handicapping Challenge taking place Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15 in Aqueduct Racetrack’s Equestris Restaurant. Registration concludes Sunday, November 1, and interested players should contact Kathy Locke (718-659-2373 or klocke@nyrainc.com) ... more

Belmont Park Notes
Monday, October 12, 2009
By NYRA Press Office

Court Vision IEAH Stables President Mike Iavarone woke up Monday morning with a flu bug, but nothing could bring him down following the tremendous performance of his horses this past weekend. Recent IEAH purchase Diamondrella won the Grade 1, $400,000 First Lady Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland, turf star Court Vision returned to the races a ridgling and took the Grade 1, $600,000 Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes, and Burley’s Gold put in a big run to finish second to Girolamo in the Grade 2, $150,000 Jerome at Belmont Park ... more

Miss Catalyst Rocks Pebbles
Sunday, October 11, 2009
By Ashley Herriman

Miss Catalyst Gulf Coast Farms’ and Arianne De Kwiatkowski’s Miss Catalyst scored her first stakes victory Monday afternoon at Belmont Park, winning the 17th running of the $110,000 Pebbles Stakes by a neck ... more

Girolamo Dominant in Grade 2 Jerome
Sunday, October 11, 2009
By John Scheinman

Girolamo Girolamo’s reputation preceded him, but on Sunday at Belmont Park he blew right by the hype in the stretch and showed he is one serious racehorse. Traveling wide the entire way, Girolamo sat patiently behind multiple graded stakes winner Kensei, moved to the front on the far turn and pulled away in the stretch to win the 140th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Jerome by 1¼ lengths ... more

Belmont Park Notes
Sunday, October 11, 2009
By NYRA Press Office

Homeboykris After joining in a boisterous celebration Saturday in the Belmont Park winner’s circle, trainer Richard Dutrow, Jr. suddenly appeared to be in a hurry. His fast and poised 2-year-old Homeboykris had just come from off the pace to win the 138th running of the Grade 1, $400,000 Champagne, and after the track photographer had snapped all his pictures, Dutrow said he had to get down to the Belmont film room. He had good reason to want to get in front of a monitor ... more

Homeboykris Proves a Sharp Buy, Wins Champagne
Saturday, October 10, 2009
By John Scheinman

Homeboykris Trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. has had plenty of success working with the eagle eye of bloodstock agent Nick Sallusto in the past, and the two teamed up again with another big find in Homeboykris. Sallusto helped Dutrow acquire champions Benny the Bull and Stardom Bound, as well as top turf miler Kip Deville and Sunshine Millions and Swale Stakes winner This Ones for Phil ... more

Devil May Care Gets Serious With Grade 1 Frizette Win
Saturday, October 10, 2009
By Jenny Kellner

Devil May Care Glencrest Farm’s Devil May Care made the jump from maiden winner to Grade 1 winner with style Saturday afternoon at Belmont Park, taking the lead at the top of the stretch and holding off a furious late challenge from favored Awesome Maria to win the 62nd running of the $400,000 Frizette Stakes by a head ... more

Take The Points Takes Over Jamaica
Saturday, October 10, 2009
By Ashley Herriman

Take The Points Starlight Partners’ Take the Points became a dual Grade 1 winner Saturday afternoon at Belmont Park, grabbing the lead in the stretch to take the 60th running of the $300,000 Jamaica Handicap by a head. Slightly keen at the start of the race, Take the Points ran along in fourth as favored Courageous Cat led through a quarter mile in 24.84 seconds before he relinquished the lead to Chapin Beach. ... more

Belmont Park Notes
Saturday, October 10, 2009
By NYRA Press Office

Quality Road Trainer Todd Pletcher said that while he was also considering the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile for last Saturday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup runner-up Quality Road, his next start would probably be in the $5 million Classic, both to be run on Saturday, November 7 at Santa Anita. “I’ll discuss it further with his owner, Mr. [Edward] Evans, but the Classic is the most likely scenario,” Pletcher said. ... more

Godolphin Having Banner Year at New York Tracks
Friday, October 9, 2009
By John Scheinman

Saeed bin Suroor There are less than 20 horses in the Godolphin Racing barn at Belmont Park at any one time, but they are about as good as racehorses get, and, oftentimes, seem to be winning every important race in sight. After a relatively slow start at the spring meet at Belmont Park, the stable, founded in 1992 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of the United Arab Emirates, picked up enormous momentum this summer at Saratoga Race Course that has continued into the Belmont Park Fall Championship meet ... more

NYRA Expands 2010 Saratoga Meeting By Four Days
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Contact: Dan Silver

On the heels of a successful 2009 race meet at Saratoga Race Course, The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will expand the 2010 season by four days, a revision that will remain in place for the foreseeable future. Next year’s Saratoga meet will begin on Friday, July 23 and consist of 40 racing days. It will feature a Wednesday through Monday live racing schedule that will go through Labor Day, Monday, September 6. ... more

Belmont Park Notes
Sunday, October 4, 2009
By NYRA Press Office

Summer Bird Belmont Stakes, Shadwell Travers and newly minted Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Summer Bird was his usual self Sunday morning – alternately snoozing and peering alertly out his stall door, depending on when you caught him. “He was bouncing and playing this morning, and he ate up everything last night,” said trainer Tim Ice ... more

Pletcher Sweeps 2-Year-Old Stakes: Jerkens Wins Kelso
Sunday, October 4, 2009
By NYRA Press Office

Le Grand Cru Hall of Famer H. Allen Jerkens sent out Le Grand Cru to win the 29th running of the $250,000 Kelso and trainer Todd Pletcher saddled the winners of both 2-year-old stakes Sunday afternoon at Belmont Park ... more

Summer Bird Makes History in Jockey Club Gold Cup
Saturday, October 3, 2009
By Jenny Kellner

Summer Bird Back in May, a handsome chestnut son of 2004 Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone arrived at Belmont Park with a little-known trainer, no jockey, and just one victory from four races on his resume. Four months later, that same chestnut colt – a little bigger, a little stronger, and whole lot richer – has a chance to do what no 3-year-old has in 20 years: win the Belmont Stakes, Shadwell Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup in the same year. ... more

Interpatation Closes the Loop in Joe Hirsch Turf Classic
Saturday, October 3, 2009
By Ashley Herriman

Interpatation Maybe 43-1 longshot Interpatation was just building up to it. Although the 7-year-old son of Langfuhr had not won a race in more than two years, his previous record in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational indicated he might be capable of the upset he delivered on Saturday afternoon at Belmont Park, leading almost all the way in the $600,000 race and denying heavily favored Gio Ponti his fifth straight Grade 1 victory ... more