New York Racing Association

Withers Day to Include $98k Double Pick 6 Carryover
Friday, February 3, 2012
By Jon Forbes

The Saturday Pick 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack will feature a $98,922 double Pick 6 carryover and three stakes, including the 132nd running of the Grade 3, $200,000 Withers. The sequence begins with race 5, which has a scheduled post time of 2:13. The Withers, the fifth leg of the Pick 6, is headed by Godolpin Racing’s Alpha, who looks to post consecutive stakes victories at the Big A, having taken the Count Fleet on January 7 ... more

NYRA Paddock Analyst Maggie Wolfendale Joins Twitter
Friday, February 3, 2012
By Ashley Herriman

Maggie Wolfendale Maggie Wolfendale, paddock analyst for The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), has joined Twitter and will share her paddock observations using the handle: @MaggieWolfndale and the hashtags #belmont, #saratoga, and #aqueduct depending on the track to which the tweet pertains. ... more

McClain Honored as One of Top 25 Influential Black Women in Business by The Network Journal
Friday, February 3, 2012
By Dan Silver

Ellen McClain Ellen McClain, executive vice president and chief operating officer of The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), has been named one of 2012’s “25 Influential Black Women in Business” by The Network Journal (TNJ). “It is a wonderful honor to be named to this list by The Network Journal,” said McClain, ... more

Will Alpha Reign Supreme In Withers?
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
By Jenny Kellner

Alpha On the first Saturday in May, only 20 hopefuls will get to line up in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby. On Saturday afternoon at Aqueduct Racetrack, seven 3-year-olds will try to take a big step on the road to the Derby in the 132nd running of the Grade 3, $200,000 Withers. “The Withers is an important race because it’s graded and you don’t get to run in the Derby unless you have those graded stakes earnings,” said Kiaran McLaughlin, who will saddle Alpha, the even-money favorite on the morning line, in the 1 1/16-mile Withers... more

Plans In The Works For Inaugural Belmont Stakes Blue Ribbon 5 Kilometer Run For Prostate Cancer
Thursday, February 3, 2012
Contact: Mike Polansky

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), the Elmont Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Long Island Running Club and Integrated Medical Foundation are joining forces to stage the inaugural Belmont Stakes Blue Ribbon 5 Kilometer Run for Prostate Cancer. . The Run will be held on Sunday evening, June 3, 2012 at Belmont Park, with NYRA’s Sam Grossman “Sam the Bugler” calling everyone to the post at 7:15 PM... more

NYRA’S Joanne Adams To Be Honored By Kidney And Urology Foundation Of America
Thursday, February 2, 2012
By Ashley Herriman

Joanne Adams Joanne Adams, Director of Community Relations for The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), will be honored by the Kidney and Urology Foundation of America (KUFA) at its inaugural “Top 25 Champions for a Cure” Reception Benefit on Tuesday, February 7, 2012, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The awards reception, hosted by The Woodlands Country Club, Woodbury, N.Y, will honor 25 individuals who have advocated in search of a cure for prostate cancer and/or kidney disease... more

Dominguez Reclaims Outright Lead In Jockey Standings Following 4-Win Wednesday At Big A
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
By Jon Forbes

Ramon Dominguez Ramon Dominguez reclaimed the lead in the Aqueduct Racetrack inner-track jockey standings by winning four races on Wednesday. Fourth in race 1 and without a mount in race 2, Dominguez picked up his first winner in race 3 when he guided Ms. Bird Watch ($3.70) to victory and capped his own rolling $22.20 Double with a score in race 4 aboard Princess Mara ($10.60)... more

Nicole H Tops Correction Crowd
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
By Ashley Herriman

Nicole H off a repeat victory in the New Year’s Day Interborough Stakes, Nicole H will try to maintain her momentum as she heads a field of seven female sprinters in Saturday’s 73rd renewal of the six-furlong, $100,000 Correction Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. Winner of four of her last five starts, Nicole H is a perfect 3-for-3 over the inner track, having taken the Garland of Roses in her final start of 2010 in addition to the last two runnings of the Interborough... more

Repole Entry Takes On Toughies In Toboggan
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
By Jon Forbes

Calibrachoa In 2011, Calibrachoa earned his first graded stakes victory with a half-length triumph in the Grade 3, six-furlong Toboggan. Saturday, Calibrachoa will be joined by fellow Repole Stable color-bearer Caixa Eletronica when he makes a title defense at Aqueduct Racetrack in the $150,000 race... more

NYRA Notes
Sunday, January 29, 2012
By NYRA Press Office

Redding Colliery Assistant trainer Artie Magnuson reported that “everything is great in Barn 11” following Redding Colliery’s victory in the $75,000 Evening Attire, one of a trio of victories on Saturday for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin at Aqueduct Racetrack. “That was really special,” said Magnuson of Redding Colliery, who was making only his second start in 14 months... more

NYRA To Offer New $150K Guaranteed Late Pick 4 On Fridays At Aqueduct
Sunday, January 29, 2012
By Jon Forbes

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will offer a new $150,000 Guaranteed Late Pick 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack beginning this Friday, February 3, and continuing through April 20, the final Friday of the meet. The Late Pick 4 spans the final four races on the card and requires bettors to select four consecutive winners... more

Love And Pride The Queen Of The Affectionately
Saturday, January 28, 2012
By Jon Forbes

Love And Pride Love and Pride took control at the start and never looked back in the $75,000 Affectionately for fillies and mares, running away to a 7 ½-length victory over Bahia Beach on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack. Leaving from post position 1, Love and Pride quickly secured the lead in the opening strides and was taken in hand by jockey Cornelio Velasquez to set fractions of 24.92, 49.41, and 1:13.54... more

Redding Colliery Looks Sharp In Evening Attire
Saturday, January 28, 2012
By Jenny Kellner

Redding Colliery Tested at top of the stretch by 4-5 favorite I Want Revenge, the front-running Redding Colliery battled back along the inside and went on to a two-length victory Saturday afternoon in the $75,000 Evening Attire at Aqueduct Racetrack. Making only his second start in 14 months, the 6-year-old son of Mineshaft went straight to the lead under jockey Alan Garcia and set comfortable fractions of 23.87, 47.81 and 1:11.63 seconds with the favorite in close pursuit... more

Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation Unveils New York Retraining Program
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Contact: Ashley Herriman; Andy Belfiore

Organizations from every corner of the Thoroughbred industry have come together to support a new program created by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation to develop second careers for horses racing at New York Racing Association tracks. The program, forged from a $225,000 start-up grant from the Harriet E. Pfleger Foundation, will provide rehabilitation and retraining for as many as 100 horses a year... more

NYRA Notes
Friday, January 27, 2012
By NYRA Press Office

Alpha Godolphin Racing’s promising sophomore Alpha will likely turn in a work for next Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Withers Stakes Sunday or Monday at Belmont Park. A comfortable winner of the Count Fleet at the Big A on January 7 despite some gate trouble, Alpha has been schooling in the gate regularly since the race and will continue that work this week in preparation for 1 1/16-mile Withers, said Art Magnuson, assistant to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin... more

Apprentice Jockey Profile: Jose I. Rodriguez
Friday, January 27, 2012
By Jenny Kellner

Jose I. Rodriguez It may be the middle of winter in New York City, but for apprentice jockey Jose I. Rodriguez, being able to ride at Aqueduct Racetrack these days is a dream come true. “When I was growing up in Puerto Rico, we used to listen to the races on the radio,” said Rodriguez, 21, shortly after winning Thursday’s fourth race aboard D’ Sauvage for his fourth victory of the inner track meet... more

NYRA Statement Regarding New York State Comptroller Audit Report And Press Release
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
By Dan Silver

The following is a statement regarding the Audit Report 2011-F-16 and the corresponding press statement released by the Office of the New York State Comptroller on Tuesday, January 24, 2012. The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) took very seriously the recommendations ... more

Inherit The Gold Adds Haynesfield Stakes To Big A Tally
Sunday, January 22, 2012
By Jon Forbes

Inherit The Gold Inherit the Gold made his eighth appearance in the Aqueduct Racetrack winner’s circle on Sunday, coming from off the pace to post a 6 ¼-length victory in the $75,000 Haynesfield for New York-breds 4-years-old and up. The 6-year-old gray gelding settled 3 ½ lengths behind the pacesetter in fourth, ahead of just one horse, the slow-starting Spa City Fever, through opening fractions of 23.44 and 48.42... more

NYRA Apprentice Jockey Profile: Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Friday, January 20, 2012
By Jon Forbes

Irad Ortiz, Jr. Apprentice Irad Ortiz, Jr. has a long way to go if he wants to emulate famous Puerto Rican jockeys Eddie Belmonte, Angel Cordero, Jr., and John Velazquez, but winning 70 races from 630 mounts on The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit in 2011 was a pretty good start. Originally from Trujillo Alto in Puerto Rico, Ortiz is a graduate of that country’s Escuela Vocacional Hípica, a school for prospective jockeys. His grandfather, also named Irad Ortiz, was a jockey, and so is his uncle, Ivan Ortiz... more

Havre de Grace Led Champions Who Took New York Road to Eclipse Honors
Wednesday, January 20, 2012
By Jenny Kellner

Havre de Grace Led by 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace, a number of horse racing’s newest champions turned in outstanding performances on The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit en route to being honored with Eclipse Awards Monday night in Beverly Hills, Calif. ... more

King and Crusader Conquers Jimmy Winkfield On Short Rest
Monday, January 16, 2012
By Ashley Herriman

King and Crusader King and Crusader, winner of a one-mile optional claimer at Aqueduct Racetrack on Friday, bounced back quickly to take Monday’s $75,000, six-furlong Jimmy Winkfield Stakes. Patiently ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, King and Crusader sat a wide trip in third through opening fractions of 22.48 and 45.42 set by favored Yo Koffy who was pressed by Deliburnsky... more

Havre de Grace’s Woodward Voted NYRA’S ‘Race Of The Year’
Monday, January 16, 2012
By Jon Forbes

Havre de Grace Fans have voted the 2011 Grade 1 Woodward Stakes, in which Havre de Grace became the second female to win the race in its 58-year history, as The New York Racing Association, Inc.’s (NYRA) Race of the Year. Havre de Grace’s Woodward received 37 percent of the vote, with the Foxwoods King’s Bishop, won narrowly by Caleb’s Posse over Uncle Mo, checking in second with 23 percent... more

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