​2021 edition of ‘Champions Talk’ to feature five champion jockeys

by NYRA Press Office

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy announced today that the 2021 edition of its Champions Talk fundraiser will feature five retired champion jockeys who together won over 34,000 races (and landed four of them in the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame) when it premieres on the organization’s YouTube Channel and Facebook page on Wednesday, August 11, 2021.

Scheduled to participate in the round table discussion are: Ángel Cordero Jr., Chris McCarron, Richard Migliore, Laffit Pincay Jr. and Jorge Velazquez. 

The initial version of Champions Talk aired on August 5, 2020. With Tom Durkin serving as moderator, the panel included Cordero, jockey Ramón Dominguez, trainer Dale Romans and Thoroughbred owner Terry Finley.

The premiere and subsequent replays were seen by over 10,000 racing fans and it is still available for viewing at https://www.rtcany.org. 

“Champions Talk was so popular that we decided to make it a permanent part of our calendar,” said Ramón Dominguez, the President of the Board of the New York Race Track Chaplaincy. “We are thrilled to have this star-studded lineup of riders and we know that fans will thoroughly enjoy hearing their tales and recollections from some of the most memorable races in the history of the sport.”

As part of the event, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., a three-time Eclipse award winner, will be the Chaplaincy’s honoree in recognition of his dedication and support of the backstretch community in New York.

Durkin, the former New York Racing Association announcer, will once again serve as the moderator for the panel and the discussion will be held in the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion in Saratoga Springs. 

In accordance with health protocols, a limited number of seats for the taping will be sold to the public and made available to sponsors. A reception will be held for those attendees, also at the Fasig-Tipton facility.  

As was the case last year, this event will be the sole Saratoga fundraiser for the organization and viewers will be encouraged to make a donation to the New York Race Track Chaplaincy. 

“The needs of the backstretch workers over the past year have been even greater due to the pandemic and we hope racing fans will once again demonstrate their generosity by supporting this event,” Chavez said.

Those wishing to sponsor the event, purchase tickets, or make a contribution can visit the NY Chaplaincy website at https://www.rtcany.org. Additional information is available by contacting the chaplaincy’s development coordinator Eleanor Poppe at [email protected].

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy ministers to the heart and soul of the backstretch community with children’s enrichment, social service, recreational, and educational programs, as well as non-denominational religious services.