Poplar jockey Manuel Franco tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday and will remain off his mounts until Sunday, January 9th, the New York Racing Association announced Wednesday. All members of the NYRA jockey colony are vaccinated and adhere to established protocols. In addition, the jockey quarters at Aqueduct have been substantially altered to provide maximum physical distancing and reduce density. Franco is best remembered for … Continue reading Covid Scratches Jockey
The transformation of CIGAR from a horse that showed modest turf ability to one that developed into a legend on dirt illustrates how critical a trainer’s role can be. The son of PALACE MALICE went unraced at 2 before Winning two of nine starts the following season for his first trainer, Alex Hassinger Jr. He finished his 3-year-old campaign with earnings of $89,175 but was unable to … Continue reading Give That Man A Cigar
The Lance Armstrong of Thoroughbred trainers will finally have his day in court. The official hearing for Bob Baffert’s potential suspension from New York Racing Association tracks will begin on January 24th. That date was decided today during the initial meeting between NYRA and Baffert’s attorneys. Today’s meeting was presided over by O. Peter Sherwood, the retired New York State Supreme Court justice serving as … Continue reading Baffert v NYRA
From air shows to rock concerts, Belmont Park has hosted a wide variety of non-racing events in its more than 115 years of existence. But none of those events are more important than the hundreds of firefighters, their families and others who have gathered at Belmont Park in recent years to climb the equivalent of 110 flights of stairs from the World Trade Center, where … Continue reading Belmont’s Tribute to FDNY
Live racing resumes at beautiful Belmont Park on Thursday, September 16th. First race Post Time is 2:05 for the Twilight racing card. For more than a century, Belmont as been the stage for many of racing’s greatest legends, from CURLIN to RACHEL ALEXANDRA, and SEABISQUIT to CIGAR to name a few. Significant increases to purses were made for the Belmont Spring and Summer meets across … Continue reading The Boys Are Back In Town
The feature race this Saturday at Saratoga Race Course is something entirely new for the acclaimed upstate New York track. The 103rd running of the Jockey Gold Cup Stakes will be held for the very first time at Saratoga after primarily being held at Belmont Park over the course of the past century (it was held at Aqueduct several times between 1958 & 1974). Through the years, the Jockey Club Gold Cup has … Continue reading The Jockey Gold Cup Stakes
The New York Racing Association and America’s Best Racing have announced an extension of their partnership through 2023. Accordingly, America’s Best Racing will continue as a presenting sponsor of both America’s Day at the Races and Saratoga Live. America’s Best Racing, created in 2012 as The Jockey Club’s multimedia fan-development and awareness-building platform, began its partnership with NYRA and FOX Sports in 2019. “America’s Best … Continue reading NYRA Television Deal
The COVID-19 pandemic touched every aspect American life. In the grand scheme of things wagering on horse racing rightfully took a backseat over the past year and a half to the essential tasks we all focused on to keep ourselves and our families safe and help our neighbors as much as possible. Throughout the pandemic those who are passionate about horse racing had to pursue other … Continue reading Advance Deposit Wagering
Five weeks until America’s Racetrack– Saratoga begins it summer meet. Which means there is still plenty of racing at Belmont Park before the NYRA crew heads north. Belmont is one of the country’s largest tracks, both in terms of stature and of size. Its 1 ½-mile circumference makes it the largest dirt track in the country. Its high-quality racing and massive media exposure make it … Continue reading Make Bank At Belmont
A field of eight 3-year-olds will start in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes. This is the smallest field since 2015, and it is the first time since 2010 that there are no horses that have competed in all three legs of the Triple Crown. The field includes five horses that appeared in the Kentucky Derby (G1) five weeks ago and two that ran in … Continue reading The Belmont Stakes Winner Is…
