The New York Race Track Chaplaincy announced Wednesday that it will pay tribute to Tracy and Todd Pletcher for their generous and continued support of the New York backstretch community. The couple will be honored at the Chaplaincy’s 16th annual fund-raising brunch to be held on August 16th at the Saratoga National Golf Club in Saratoga Springs, NY. “The Pletchers have demonstrated a deep commitment … Continue reading In Todd & Wife They Trust
For all of the sun and fun rolled into summertime racing, the fall/winter racing season in the northeast occasionally brings inclement weather. Unlike baseball, Horse Racing usually goes on before, during, and after a rain/snow storm and there are some general handicapping concepts that you should keep on hand for… a rainy day. First off, keep in mind that racetracks can be like apples and … Continue reading Dirty Money
The Daily Racing Blog wishes the incomparable Johnny Velazquez a belated Happy Birthday. The Hall Of Fame jockey celebrated his 51st lap around the solar track yesterday (Thanksgiving). A native of Puerto Rico, Johnny V as he’s affectionately known, is Thoroughbred racing’s all-time leading money Winning jockey, with career purse earnings of more than $446 million from 6,357 Wins. A Winner of three Kentucky Derbies, Velazquez has Won … Continue reading Belated Birthday Greetings
The 12th and final race of the card, on the last day of racing at Saratoga this summer was also the last call at The Spa for track announcer John Imbriale. Imbriale will retire as NYRA’s full-time track announcer at the end of 2022. While he will step away from the microphone at Saratoga Race Course and Aqueduct Racetrack, Imbriale will continue to serve as … Continue reading New NYRA Announcers
Nicholas Philip Zito grew up near Aqueduct Racetrack. His father would take him to the track as a young lad. But back in the day there were age restrictions on admission to the track. So the elder Zito would leave young Nicholas with a friend of his, who just happened to be a security guard at the Big A. It was there and then that Zito felt he found his calling. … Continue reading A Classic New York Bred
We previously wrote here about being introduced to the wonderful world of horse racing via Uncle Louie. And while Uncle Louie may not have been a blood relation, he was somehow integrated as a part of the family. It was the type of situation where you didn’t ask HOW he was your Uncle until later in life, and by then it didn’t matter. What did, and still does … Continue reading Experience The Track
It was a long, long time ago, but I remember it like it was (almost) yesterday. I was 15-16 and I was at the Saratoga Race Course with my Uncle Louie. And while I had been to this fabled course as a wee lad on a few occasions, I had never been given a race program. My Uncle Louie felt it was time to ramp up my … Continue reading Remember Your First Time ?
Monday the Daily Racing Blog wrote about the basics of the Breeders’ Cup Championships, and it’s history. We mentioned how the end-of-year event rotates each season to different iconic racing venues. This year being Keeneland. So, in what has become an annual question since its inception- why hasn’t the oldest race course in America ever hosted this extravaganza? That’s right, Saratoga has never been home to the Breeders’ Cup. The … Continue reading Why No Breeders Cup At Saratoga?
There’s a bit of a twist in the New York racing schedule this fall. NYRA and crew always return downstate following the end of the Saratoga meet on Labor Day. But this year, instead of the usual fall meet at Belmont Park, racing will move to Aqueduct for a 28-day fall meet which will be referred to as Belmont at the Big A. A construction project … Continue reading Belmont At The Big A
The New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced that the all-sources wagering handle during the 2022 summer meet at Saratoga surged to a record $878,211,963. That WOW number eclipsed the previous record of $815,508,063, established last year, 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 … Continue reading Toga 22′ By The Numbers
