Thursday, July 15 2010

NYRA EXPANDS IN-HOUSE DRUG TESTING PROGRAM, CLOSES SECURITY BARN

ELMONT, N.Y. -- The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced plans today to expand and enhance its in-house drug testing program to detect illegal performance-enhancing substances in thoroughbred race horses utilizing state-of-the-art science, technology, and procedural processes. As a result, NYRA’s backstretch security barn, initiated in May 2005, will become obsolete and will cease operations as of opening day at Saratoga Race Course, Friday, July 23.

The expanded program includes random out-of-competition testing designed to effectively deter the use of blood doping agents such as Erythropoietin (EPO), bronchial dilators, and other emerging threats. Out-of-competition testing will focus primarily on claimed horses, horses shipping in and out of NYRA tracks, horses running in stakes races, and other random occurrences.

Friday, June 18 2010

“REVENGE” BREEZES FOR RETURN IN SUBURBAN

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – I Want Revenge continued preparations Thursday morning for his return to racing, breezing seven furlongs out of the gate at Aqueduct Racetrack.

With jockey Ramon Dominguez filling in for I Want Revenge’s regular rider, Joe Talamo, whose flight from California was delayed, the strapping dark bay colt went to the gate just after the renovation break in company with the Rick Dutrow-trained Golden Spikes and Deciphering Dreams, a 2-year-old. After stumbling slightly at the start, I Want Revenge quickly got in gear and tracked his stablemates through the early going, coming wide into the stretch to finish up in 1:27.27.

Wednesday, May 26 2010

STATEMENT BY NYRA CHAIRMAN C. STEVEN DUNCKER ON $25 MILLION LOAN TO NYRA

ELMONT, N.Y. – The following is a statement from NYRA Chairman C. Steven Duncker on the $25 million loan to NYRA:

The Board of Directors of the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) along with its management and dedicated employees are grateful for the State legislature’s approval last evening of a $25 million loan which guarantees world class thoroughbred racing at Belmont Park, Saratoga Race Course and Aqueduct Racetrack.

Monday, April 26 2010

DOMINGUEZ, ASMUSSEN, GOLDEN TOPS AT AQUEDUCT SPRING MEET

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Ramon Dominguez won his eighth straight riding title on The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit and Steve Asmussen emerged atop the trainer standings for his first meet title Sunday at the conclusion of the 19-day Spring Meet at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Dominguez finished the meet with 27 winners, eight more than runner-up David Cohen.

Saturday, April 24 2010

AFLEET AGAIN A SWIFT STUNNER IN WILD WITHERS

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Afleet Again charged down the middle of the stretch past Ibboyee and favored D’ Funnybone and onto a 24-1 upset in the 131st running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Withers for 3-year-olds Saturday afternoon at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The gray son of Afleet Alex, who in his most recent appearance at Aqueduct finished last in the Grade 3 Gotham, broke sharply under jockey Abel Mariano and sat in fourth as Castaneda, under pressure from D’ Funnybone, rocketed through fractions of 21.60 and 43.82. Rounding the turn, Ibboyee began moving up on the outside past the pacesetters and into command at the top of the stretch, but Afleet Again closed fastest of all on the outside and went on to win by 1 ½ lengths.

NEW YORK WATCH: BILOXI

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – If not for a chance telephone call, owner John Fort of Peachtree Stable might have never purchased Biloxi, who overcame greenness to break his maiden on April 24 at Aqueduct Racetrack and become the eighth horse featured in the recently introduced “New York Watch” series, at http://www.nyra.com/nywatch/Biloxi.html.

Prior to the 2008 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Fort made a trip to Taylor Made Farm to visually inspect horses in the farm’s consignment. After scouting 30 yearlings, Fort left the farm, only to remember he had never looked at a particular Tiznow colt.

AQUEDUCT RACETRACK NOTES: Friday, April 23, 2010

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Albert Fried Jr.’s Giant Moon appears to have finally overcome the foot troubles that have affected him throughout his career, but trainer Richard Schosberg faces a new challenge in finding a spot for the horse to return to the races following nearly a year layoff.

Under serious consideration is the 82nd running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Westchester on Friday, April 30, Opening Day at Belmont Park, but with 2009 Met Mile winner Bribon expected to head a talented field in the one-mile race, Schosberg remains undecided on whether to start the 5-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway, who has not run since May of last year.

Friday, April 23 2010

PRADO WINS FIVE ON THURSDAY CARD AT AQUEDUCT

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado had a banner afternoon Thursday at Aqueduct Racetrack, riding five winners from seven mounts to move into third place in the current New York Racing Association Inc., (NYRA) jockey standings with 15 wins.

Prado’s first winner came in the third race aboard Al Gold’s Rule by Night ($6.40), who edged away late to score in a six-furlong optional claimer for 3-year-olds. In race 5, Prado prevailed by a neck aboard Vinnies Wild Tale ($6.50), then kicked off the late Pick 3, leading gate-to-wire atop longshot Eighttofasttocatch ($29.60) in race 7, a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance.

RULE BY NIGHT RULES AGAIN

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Rule by Night, who was the third horse featured in the recently introduced “New York Watch” series, located online at http://www.nyra.com/nywatch/index.html, continued his winning ways at Aqueduct Racetrack Thursday afternoon, zipping to a 2 ¼-length victory over Storm On the Moon in a six-furlong optional claimer for 3-year-olds.

Ridden by Hall of Famer Edgar Prado, Rule by Night sat just off an opening quarter in 22.83 set by Storm On the Moon, then took command on the far turn before repelling a challenge and edging clear through the stretch. The Malibu Moon colt, whose 7 ¼-length maiden victory in January landed him in the select group of promising colts and fillies that have recently cleared the maiden and allowance ranks at The New York Racing Association, Inc.’s (NYRA) three racetracks, covered the six furlongs in a brisk 1:10:30.

Wednesday, April 21 2010

D’ FUNNYBONE NOT JOKING AROUND IN WITHERS

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – With four Grade 2 wins on conventional dirt, D’ Funnybone has been one serious racehorse since arriving in trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr.’s barn.

Last summer, the son of D’wildcat won the 6 ½-furlong Saratoga Special and the seven-furlong Futurity at Belmont Park by a combined margin of more than 15 lengths; this year, D’ Funnybone quickly established himself as a top 3-year-old sprinter with eye-catching victories at Gulfstream Park in the Hutcheson and Swale, both at seven furlongs.

DR. W OUTGAMES MR. FANTASY IN BILLY REDCOAT STAKES

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Seemingly beaten at the eighth pole, a tenacious Dr. W battled back through the final yards and upset heavily favored Mr. Fantasy to win the $60,000 Billy Redcoat Stakes Wednesday afternoon at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Mr. Fantasy, last year’s Grade 3 Withers winner who was making his second start off a lengthy layoff, quickly assumed a narrow lead over Dr. W in the seven-furlong stakes for New York-breds, taking the field through a quarter-mile in 22.91 and a half-mile in 45.36.

Sunday, April 18 2010

MR. FANTASY HOPES TO MAKE IT SNAPPY VS. STATE-BREDS

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – A graded stakes winner on the comeback trail, a son of Freud who closed out his 2009 campaign with a good-looking victory in the New York Stallion Series (NYSS), and a homebred gelding looking for his fourth straight win are all part of a wide-ranging field of 10 New York-breds assembled for Wednesday’s $60,000 Billy Redcoat Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack.

A winner of his first two starts by a combined margin of 19 lengths, Mr. Fantasy got some serious Triple Crown hype last year after finishing third to I Want Revenge in the Grade 3 Gotham and then bouncing back with a sharp victory in the Grade 3 Withers at Aqueduct. The Withers, however, in which Mr. Fantasy earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 102, was his final start of the year as the son of E Dubai eventually was found to have an ankle chip, undergoing surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation before returning to training in January at Palm Meadows.