Corrected running times announced for Cigar Mile Day card

by NYRA Press Office

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced today that following a review of the December 1 Cigar Mile card at Aqueduct Racetrack, in conjunction with Teletimer, the official timing system for NYRA racetracks, that the running times of three one-mile races on the main track, including the Grade 3, $250,000 Go For Wand Handicap, have been adjusted.

The Teletimer system initiates timing of each race when the first runner crosses the timing beam, however, due to an auxiliary starting gate incorrectly parked on the outside fence of Aqueduct's main track during the first half of the card, the beam was not engaged resulting in the first three one-mile races being timed directly from the gate, without the customary run-up which on December 1 was 54 feet from the starting gate to the first beam.

The issue was recognized and addressed prior to the final one-mile race of the day, the Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile Handicap won by Patternrecognition.

Following the review, official times for the three one-mile races affected by timing issues have been corrected as follows:

Race 2, a maiden special weight for juveniles won by Kentucky Wildcat which was originally timed in splits of 25.85, 49.82, 1:15.30 and 1:41.41, is now corrected to 24.68, 49.14, 1:14.01 and 1:40.17.

Race 3, a $25,000 claiming event for older horses won by Stronger which was originally timed in splits of 26.08, 50.55, 1:16.62 and 1:42.92, is now corrected to 25.13, 49.78, 1:15.37 and 1:41.77.

In Race 6, the 79th running of the Go For Wand, Marley's Freedom earned a neck score in a race originally timed in splits of 25.27, 48.56, 1:13.34 and 1:38.35, which is now corrected to 24.52, 48.14, 1:12.14 and 1:37.50.

NYRA has reviewed the circumstances of this incident with stewards and staff and instituted additional protocols to prevent a similar error from occurring in the future.