Monday, June 15 2009
DURAN DURAN DURAN AT GGF CLOSING WEEKEND
ALBANY -- Jockey Francisco Duran had to be sad Sunday was closing day at Golden Gate Fields.
Duran was on fire during the final weekend of the 2008-2009 racing season, riding three winners on Saturday and three more on Sunday. Duran recorded his back-to-back triples without the aid of a single betting favorite, which meant his fans went home with their pockets full.
Monday, May 25 2009
Jockey Cruz Notches 2,000th North American Career Victory
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (May 24, 2009) – Jockey Manoel Cruz, 39, rode his 2,000th North American career winner on Sunday at Calder Race Course when he guided J C Stable’s 4-year-old gelding Catch Rikki to victory in the seventh race for trainer Larry Pilotti. It was a dramatic day for Cruz, who rode four second-place finishers on the card before getting the milestone 2,000th win.
“They told me yesterday (Saturday) that I was getting close,” said Cruz, who rode four winners at Calder on Saturday to get him to win 1,999. He finished first in the last race on Saturday, which would have been victory number 2,000, but was disqualified for interference in the stretch and subsequently placed second.
Monday, May 11 2009
With Start of Calder Comes a New Season of “The Apprentice”
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (May 10, 2009) – The jockeys’ room at Calder Race Course annually includes a contingent of apprentice riders, young athletes getting their start in a sport that has often led to successful competition at racetracks around the country and even Eclipse Awards. The current condition book lists ten apprentice jockeys at Calder, including five “three-star” bug riders, meaning they enjoy a ten-pound weight allowance.
Among those riders is 22-year-old Jose Angel Garcia, who won his first race on the United States mainland at Calder on Saturday when he guided the 5-year-old gelding Deisel Power to a 7 ½ length victory and a $24.60 win payout in the seventh race.
Monday, May 04 2009
Steve Brauner Named Calder Director of Sales & Service
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (May 4, 2009) – Calder Race Course has named Steve Brauner its new Director of Sales & Service. He will lead group sales, sponsorships and various revenue-generating initiatives for racing and future casino operations.
A native of Flushing, NY, Brauner brings a wealth of experience in the local market, having worked for two major South Florida sports franchises during the last 11 years. Most recently, he served as the Corporate Development Director for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League. Prior to that, Brauner was the Director of Season and Group Ticket Sales and Project Sales for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and Dolphin Stadium, located just south of Calder.
Monday, April 27 2009
Trainer Boulanger Saddles First Horse, Finishes Second
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (April 26, 2009) – Former jockey Gary Boulanger saddled his first horse as a trainer at Calder Race Course on Sunday, a 6-year-old mare named Tinkerbuck in the 11th race, and she finished second.
Boulanger, the leading rider of the 1994 and 1995 Calder Meet and the 1994-95 Tropical Meet, was seriously injured in a 2005 spill at Gulfstream Park. He suffered a ruptured spleen, broken ribs, and a detached tendon in his left elbow from the spill. A blood clot was also removed from his brain and part of his skull had to be removed to prevent cranial pressure. He was lucky to be alive, but he would never ride in races again.
Wednesday, April 22 2009
Youbet.com to Carry Signal for the 2009 Calder Race Course Meet
Burbank, CA, April 22, 2009 – Youbet.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: UBET) announced today that it will be carrying the signal from Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens, Florida beginning Friday, April 24.
“We are very pleased to offer the full Calder Race Course content to our customers for the first time in over a year; it is another example of how Youbet.com continues to work to provide the broadest product offering to our customers,” said Youbet.com Chief Executive Officer Michael Brodsky. “The agreement between us and Churchill Downs is another step in the continued cooperation between our companies, and we are looking forward to providing additional content from Churchill Downs and others over the near and long-term. For racing to prosper in the future, it is critical that signals be made available through as many channels as possible and providing the Calder meet to the ADW community is a step in the right direction. Our belief is that content should be ubiquitous, and then it is Youbet.com’s job to provide the best customer experience in the industry.”
Friday, March 20 2009
Calder Race Course Announces 2009 Calder Meet Stakes Schedule
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (March 20, 2009) – Calder Race Course is pleased to announce its stakes schedule for the 2009 Calder Meet, a program that includes renewals of the Summit of Speed and Festival of the Sun and the 28th runnings of the Florida Stallion Stakes series.
The 2009 Calder Meet stakes schedule features 28 stakes races worth a total of $4,125,000. Nine of the stakes carry Graded status by the American Graded Stakes Committee, including the Grade I $350,000 Princess Rooney Handicap to be run on the Summit of Speed program on July 11. Calder’s longtime cornerstone event, the Festival of the Sun, is scheduled for Oct. 17.
Wednesday, February 18 2009
Final Public Appearance by Calder Mascot this Saturday
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Feb. 17, 2009) – One of Calder Race Course’s miniature horse mascots, Lightning, will make her third annual appearance at the “Purina Walk for the Animals” on Saturday, February 21 from 9 a.m. to noon in downtown Miami’s Bayfront Park. The event is a significant fundraiser for the Humane Society of Greater Miami. Lighting’s presence always attracts a lot of attention to the event and helps encourage donations for the Humane Society.
Entertainment starts at 9 a.m. and includes a kids’ corner with interactive games, K-9 demonstrations, Paw Art, face painting and businesses promoting animal products and welfare. The Humane Society also offers reduced rate micro-chipping onsite. Miami-Dade County Commissioner Sally Heyman serves as Grand Marshall with University of Miami President Donna Shalala serving as the “Leader of the Pack.”
Monday, February 09 2009
Calder STABLE IMPROVEMENTS UNDERWAY
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Feb. 09, 2009) – Calder Race Course announced today the application of a new elastomeric coating to sixty (60) barn roofs in the track’s stable area, a project that will help reduce stable temperatures normally hiked by the South Florida sun.
Calder Vice President & General Manager of Racing John Marshall commented, “This is a very important project towards improving the quality of work life in our barn area. We anticipate the treated stables to be up to 10 degrees cooler in comparison to similar conditions of past summer months.”
Tuesday, December 23 2008
Churchill Downs Incorporated Reaches One-Year ADW Agreement
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Dec. 22, 2008) – Officials of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) (“CDI”) and representatives of the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (“FHBPA”) have come to an agreement on the distribution of live racing signals from Calder Race Course (“Calder”) to national advance-deposit wagering (“ADW”) platforms.
The one-year agreement covers the remainder of the current Tropical Meet at Calder, ending Jan. 2, 2009, and the 2009 Calder and Tropical meets.
Sunday, December 21 2008
Calder to Offer “Park & Walk” to Dolphin Stadium
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Dec. 21, 2008) – Calder Race Course, located just north of Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, will offer its “Park & Walk” option to college football fans attending the FedEx Orange Bowl on Jan. 1 and the FedEx BCS National Championship on Jan. 8.
The Calder gates open at 11 a.m. and parking for cars is just $10 each. The cost to park buses, limos and recreational vehicles is $30 each. Overnight parking is not allowed.
Saturday, December 20 2008
JOHN MARSHALL VICE PRESIDENT OF RACING FOR CALDER RACE COURSE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Dec. 19, 2008) – Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) (“CDI” or “Company”) today announced that John T. Marshall has been named vice president and general manager of racing for Calder Race Course (“Calder”) in Miami. He will report to Calder President and General Manager Tom O’Donnell and begins his new role effective Jan. 19, 2009.
Marshall joins CDI from The Meadows Racetrack in Pennsylvania, where he previously served as vice president and general manager. Prior responsibilities at The Meadows include tenures as assistant general manager and as human resources manager for both the track and its four associated off-track betting facilities.
