NEW YORK RACING ASSOCIATION
UNDER 20’S CLAIMING CHALLENGE 2019-20 AQUEDUCT WINTER MEET

The Under 20’s Claiming Challenge is open to all trainers stabled at NYRA facilities with a total number of horses not to exceed 20 in their care nationwide at the start of the contest. The contest will run during the Aqueduct Winter meet. The contestants will earn points in all winners’ claiming races. Trainers who wish to participate must sign up prior to the start of the meet and agree to abide by the rules of the contest.

RULES

1. A trainer shall be eligible if the initial total number of horses in that trainer’s care equals no more than 20 nationwide and the trainer is stabled at NYRA facilities. Any trainer allotted 21 stalls or more will be ineligible for the contest.
2. Stall allotments for the 2019 Aqueduct Winter Meet will be used to determine eligible trainers.
3. Eligible trainers must fill out a contest application and turn it into the NYRA racing office by 3:30 pm Saturday, November 30, 2019. The application will include the roster of horses that the trainer wishes to make eligible for the contest.
4. On Thursday, December 5th, the racing office will post all eligible trainers in the contest and will give each trainer a copy of their approved eligible contest horses. There can be no more than 20 horses on a trainer’s roster at any given time. Only roster horses can earn the trainer points. Thus, a trainer’s stable may grow above 20 horses but not all will be eligible for the contest.
5. Trainers can grow their roster list by claim only. After a horse is claimed, he will be added to the trainer’s roster at the trainer’s request. The roster once again cannot grow above 20 for contest purposes.
6. A trainer may replace a claimed horse who was on his/her roster with another claimed horse that was claimed in his/her name. The trainer must request the horse to be added to his/her roster; this is not done automatically.
7. The request to add a horse to the roster must be done before the next race of said horse. No horse can be added after that race.
8. A trainer may replace an injured horse on the roster up until Monday, February 24th, 2020 via the claim box in his/ her name. To be considered as injured, the horse must show no workouts or races between the day of injury and August 15th, 2018.
9. The contest starts Thursday, December 12th, 2019 and ends Sunday, March 29th, 2020. Points will be tallied and records will be checked by April 19th, 2018 after which awards will be granted.
10. Points will only be earned in claiming races for winners. Horses in for a tag in an allowance optional claiming race will qualify for contest points. Points are not earned in maiden, allowance, starter allowance, or stakes races.
11. A horse that ends up on the stewards’ list for poor performance (beaten 25+ lengths) will not earn the trainer points for that race.
12. A dead heat will result in points paid out according to the same method as purse structure. For example, a dead heat for 2nd place would result in points for 2nd and 3rd place being added together, then divided equally between the two horses that dead heated.
13. Horses that are running for 50% or less of the claiming price from their most recent start will only be eligible to earn 50% of the typical points for that race.
14. Horses can only earn contest points for 2 races within a given 30 day time span. A horse may enter in additional races during that timeframe, but will not earn contest points for those additional races.
15. Trainers may be declared ineligible if they do not abide by the rules of the contest.

Standings will be updated on the overnight

The Senior Vice President of Racing Operations and Board of Stewards retain the right to review any actions pertaining to this contest that are detrimental to racing.

CONTEST POINT STRUCTURE

TRAINER BONUSES
The top eight trainers in the contest will share in a prize pool of $80,000.

1st Place  -  $18,000
2nd Place -  $15,000
3rd Place  -  $13,000
4th Place  -  $11,000
5th Place  -  $9,000
6th Place  -  $7,000
7th Place  -  $4,000
8th Place  -  $3,000

DEADLINES

November 30, 2019  -  All contest applications must be in no later than 3:30 pm
December 5, 2019 -  The list of eligible contest trainers posted with eligible contest horses
December 12, 2019  -  Contest begins, Opening day Aqueduct Winter meet 
February 24, 2020 -  No additional horses may be added to earn contest points (unless a claimed horse replaces a horse out of training as outlined above)
March 29, 2020 -  Contest ends, Closing day Aqueduct Winter meet
April 19, 2020 -  Awards scheduled paid out

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Jorie Gorski, Keith Doleshel or Rob Driscoll
Belmont Park Racing Office 718-659-2235

The New York Racing Association, Inc.
Aqueduct - South Ozone Park, NY • Belmont Park - Elmont, NY • Saratoga Race Course - Saratoga Springs, NY
Christopher Kay, CEO and President - Martin Panza, SVP of Racing Operations