Monday, June 18 2012
BELMONT PARK NOTES: Sunday, June 17, 2012
ELMONT, N.Y. – Contested, a five-length winner of the Grade 1 Acorn on Memorial Day, on Sunday posted her final workout prior to next Saturday’s Grade 1 Mother Goose, traveling six furlongs in 1:11.97, handily, on the Belmont Park main track.
Jim Barnes, an assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, flew in from California Saturday night to observe the workout.
Thursday, June 14 2012
CELEBRATE FATHER’S DAY AT BELMONT PARK
ELMONT, N.Y. – Belmont Park is the perfect place to celebrate Father’s Day this Sunday, June 17, with special activities for Dad planned to augment The New York Racing Association, Inc.’s (NYRA’s) regular Family Fun Day presented by Coca-Cola in the backyard.
For Dad, NYRA has hired a master barber who will offer hot lather shaves and neck trims free of charge in the Festival Tent, with a masseuse on hand as well. Habana Premium Cigar will also be stationed in the Festival Tent, handing out free cigars to the first 500 patrons who visit the tent. Family Fun Day presented by Coca-Cola features an extreme rock wall, inflatable obstacle course, game field and relay races, plus a band on the backyard stage.
HILL PRINCE THE GOAL FOR HOWE GREAT
ELMONT, N.Y. – Howe Great, a Grade 3 winner who was originally entered in a Wednesday stakes at Indiana Downs, will instead head to Belmont Park for Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Hill Prince, a one-mile turf race for 3-year-olds.
Victorious in a pair of stakes on turf at Gulfstream Park this winter, including the Grade 3 Palm Beach in March, Howe Great was fifth in Keeneland’s Grade 1 Blue Grass in April, his first start on a synthetic surface. He returned to turf for his most recent start, finishing third in the Grade 2 American Turf on May 4 at Churchill Downs after breaking outwardly.
7.67 MILLION WATCH BELMONT ON NBC
NEW YORK – June 12, 2012 – Viewership for the Belmont Stakes on NBC soared, despite the scratch of Triple Crown-hopeful I’ll Have Another, topping last year by 12%, and 2010 by 62%. Saturday’s viewership is the highest for a non-Triple Crown Belmont since 2005 on NBC, and the second-best for a non-Triple Crown Belmont in Nielsen People Meter history (dating back to 1988).
The average viewership for this year’s three Triple Crown races on NBC (Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont) is up 2% from last year’s three races, is the best for a non-Triple Crown year since 2005, and the second-best for a non-Triple Crown also dating back to 1988.
7.67 MILLION WATCH BELMONT ON NBC
NEW YORK – June 12, 2012 – Viewership for the Belmont Stakes on NBC soared, despite the scratch of Triple Crown-hopeful I’ll Have Another, topping last year by 12%, and 2010 by 62%. Saturday’s viewership is the highest for a non-Triple Crown Belmont since 2005 on NBC, and the second-best for a non-Triple Crown Belmont in Nielsen People Meter history (dating back to 1988).
The average viewership for this year’s three Triple Crown races on NBC (Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont) is up 2% from last year’s three races, is the best for a non-Triple Crown year since 2005, and the second-best for a non-Triple Crown also dating back to 1988.
Tuesday, June 12 2012
BELMONT PARK NOTES; Sunday, June 10, 2012
ELMONT, N.Y. – Union Rags, winner of Saturday’s 144th running of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes, was a happy horse this morning in Michael Matz’s barn at the Fair Hill training center in Elkton, Md., the trainer reported.
“He was looking out the door, waiting to get outside,” said Matz of Union Rags, who departed Belmont Park several hours after his neck victory over Paynter in the 1 ½-mile “Test of the Champion.” “He got out [to the paddock], had a little roll, started to eat some grass and watched the other horses walk to the track and training.”
Sunday, June 10 2012
TRANSCRIPT OF 144TH BELMONT STAKES POST-RACE PRESS CONFERENCE
THE MODERATOR: Okay. We are now joined live in the interview room by the winning jockey and trainer of Union Rags on the left, jockey John Velazquez, his second the Belmont Stakes victory, having captured the Stakes with Rags to Riches. Michael, his second Triple Crown race victory. Of course, he won in the Kentucky Derby in 2006 with Barbaro. Mrs. Phyllis Wyeth, by the way, preferred that just John and Michael handle this session. So we'll just have the winning rider and trainer.
Congratulations, gentlemen. Fine performance and, Michael, my first question for you: As great a career as Union Rags has had to date, there's been some disappointment here and there mixed in. Tough trip loss in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. And in a Kentucky Derby in where which he didn't have the opportunity to make his best run. Does this kind of make up for the mishaps of the past?
TRINNIBERG TURNS BACK CURRENCY SWAP TO TAKE WOODY STEPHENS PRESENTED BY VISITNASSAUCOUNTY.COM
ELMONT, N.Y. – A resolute Trinniberg, dogged through the early going by Currency Swap, put away his rival in the Belmont Park stretch and went on to a 1 3/4-length victory in Saturday’s 28th running of the Grade 2, $400,000 Woody Stephens presented by VisitNassauCounty.com.
Sent right to the front by jockey Willie Martinez, Trinniberg zipped through an opening quarter-mile in 22.30 seconds and a half in 44.73 with 9-1 shot Currency Swap right off his flank. Shaking off his challenger’s bid as they straightened for home, Trinniberg quickly put two lengths between himself and Currency Swap and was never threatened as he crossed the wire in 1:22.26 for the seven furlongs.
BELMONT CROWD OF 85,811 BREAKS NON-TRIPLE CROWN DAY RECORD; SIXTH LARGEST EVER AT BELMONT PARK
ELMONT, N.Y. – A crowd of 85,811 wagered $13,777,920 on Belmont Stakes Day races today, the second largest Belmont Stakes Day on-track handle ever, trailing only the $14,461,402 wagered in 2004 when Birdstone broke the Triple Crown bid of Smarty Jones.
The on-track handle was also the third largest ever at Belmont Park, behind only the $14,742,521 wagered on Breeders’ Cup Day 2005 and the 2004 Belmont Stakes Day handle. It easily eclipsed the previous non-Triple Crown Day record of $10,581,093 set in 2001 by 30.2 percent and was up 36.4 percent over $10,098,573 in 2011.
DOMINGUEZ SWASHBUCKLING ABOARD DESERT BLANC
ELMONT, N.Y. – With a masterful display of derring-do, jockey Ramon Dominguez charged Desert Blanc down the stretch of the Belmont Park inner turf course and right between his front-running rivals Saturday to win the 111th running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodford Reserve Manhattan for 3-year-olds and up.
The reigning, two-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey, in his first ride aboard Desert Blanc, kept a snug hold on his mount while tracking favorite Hudson Steele through a half-mile in 49.42 seconds and six furlongs in 1:13.61 in the 1 ¼-mile race. As Papaw Bodie, ridden by Rosie Napravnik, engaged the leader turning for home, Dominguez turned Desert Blanc loose.
TAPITSFLY EARNS GRADE 1 IN LONGINES JUST A GAME
ELMONT, N.Y. – The 5-year-old Tapitsfly, who earned her first graded stakes victory in March, scored at racing’s highest level Saturday at Belmont Park with a front-running, stakes-record victory in the Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Just a Game for turf fillies and mares.
Ramon Dominguez prompted Tapitsfly, a Frank L. Jones, Jr. homebred, to take a clear lead from the rail, and the gray daughter of Tapit set honest fractions of 23.47, 46.44, and 1:09.48 as Wallis tracked in second. After Wallis capitulated at the top of the stretch, Tapitsfly extended her advantage, then turned back the stretch run of even-money favorite Winter Memories to prevail by 2 ¼ lengths. Hungry Island finished an additional 1 ¾ lengths behind in third.
CAIXA ELETRONICA ELECTRIFIES IN TRUE NORTH VICTORY
ELMONT, N.Y. – Caixa Eletronica came flying down the middle of the stretch Saturday afternoon to collar Justin Phillip in the final yards and win the 34th running of the Grade 2, $400,000 True North Handicap at Belmont Park.
Last of eight as Pacific Ocean led through a sizzling opening quarter-mile in 21.80 seconds, Caixa Eletronica was still almost 12 lengths behind Justin Phillip when he took command at the top of the stretch. Asked for run by jockey Javier Castellano in midstretch, the 7-year-old son of Arromanches responded with a powerful late kick that carried him under the wire in 1:09.52 for the six furlongs, three-quarters of a length ahead of Justin Phillip.
