Aqueduct Racetrack

While retaining announcing duties at Belmont Park, John Imbriale will retire as the full-time announcer at the New York Racing Association at the end of 2022, the organization announced Sunday. Frank Mirahmadi will take over the race calling duties at Saratoga Race Course and Chris Griffin will become the primary track announcer at Aqueduct Racetrack beginning in 2023. Imbriale's 43-year tenure with NYRA dates to 1979 when he won a New York Daily News contest, which gave him the opportunity to call a race and work with the NYRA press...

Trainer Mertkan Kantarmaci won his fourth straight title in the New York Racing Association's "Under 20s Claiming Challenge" at the recently concluded winter/spring meet at Aqueduct Racetrack. Launched in 2018, the challenge is open to local trainers with 20 or fewer horses nationwide. Kantarmaci topped the standings, racking up 133 points in the unique contest that highlighted horses' performances in winners' claiming races on the main track. Randi Persaud was second with 83 points, with Edward Barker [68] and A.C. Avila [65] rounding out the quartet who cracked the 60-point...

4th-Aqueduct, $77,600, Msw, 2-8, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:38.47, ft, 15 1/2 lengths. MO DESSERTS (f, 3, Nyquist--Frozen Treat, by Dynaformer) was third behind Monday's Ruthless S. third-place finisher Dealing Justice (Commissioner) and the reopposing O'Gotten Girl (Competitive Edge) in her six-furlong debut at this oval Jan. 10. The 6-5 second choice prompted the pace from the rail as 4-5 favorite O'Gotten Girl was narrowly in front. Mo Desserts grabbed command nearing the far turn and, while the favorite kept her company on the bend, she shrugged off that foe at...

The name of brilliant 1-21 Aqueduct winner A LONGLONGTIMEAGO  (c, 3, Maclean's Music--Carried Away, by Dixie Union) is another direct quotation from Don McLean's 1971 legendary song "American Pie"--just like DAY THE MUSIC DIED, another winning horse by Maclean's Music commented upon in this column. In the case of the name of this brave 3-year-old colt, the line in question is the very first, and magic, verse: A long, long time ago I can still remember how that music Used to make me smile And I knew if I had...

Total handle on the 157 race days held at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course meets in 2020 was $1,813,935,091, the New York Racing Association announced Sunday. The average daily handle of $11,553,727 was a 19% increase over 2019. Since New York racing resumed June 3 through the end of 2020, all-sources handle totaled $1,586,344,888, a $7,059,402 increase over the same period in 2019. Average daily handle from June 3 through the end of 2020 was $13,443,601, marking a 16% increase over the same period in 2019. With...

The average daily handle from all sources at the recently concluded Aqueduct fall meet was $9,261,276--an increase of 12.8% from the 2019 meet--the New York Racing Association announced Tuesday. The 2020 fall meet, which was conducted over 18 race days, generated all-sources handle of $166,702,976. The 2019 fall meet, which was conducted over 25 race days, generated all-sources handle of $205,249,710. A total of 175 races were run in 2020, 58 fewer than the number of races run in 2019. Of the 175 races run during the fall meet, 107...

Chad Brown earned his ninth consecutive leading trainer title at the Belmont Park Fall Meet, which concluded Sunday. Brown won 22 races during the 27-day stand. Jose Ortiz won 40 races to take the leading rider title for the first time. "I'm just happy I can go out there and do what I love the most and be successful. I work very hard for it and I'm happy to be getting good opportunities," Ortiz said. "It means a lot. Belmont is a great place to race and I think it's...

All-sources handle rose sharply Friday at Aqueduct compared to the second Friday in March last year as the track held races without spectators due to the Coronavirus pandemic. A total of $4,614,051 was bet on a nine-race card, compared to $3,585,745 on Friday, Mar. 8, which was also a nine-race card. "The health and safety of employees, fans, horsemen and the backstretch community is paramount," said NYRA's Patrick McKenna in a statement sent to TDN Friday evening. "In addition to closing Aqueduct to all fans, we have taken additional steps...

The New York Racing Association announced the cancellation of Thursday's live racing program at Aqueduct Racetrack due to dangerously high winds forecast to impact the New York City metropolitan area throughout the day. The National Weather Service is calling for sustained high winds throughout the afternoon with wind gusts forecast to exceed 40 mph. In the interest of the safety of all participants, NYRA has canceled live racing. Aqueduct Racetrack will remain open for simulcasting. Live racing will return at Aqueduct Friday, Feb. 28. The eight-race card will kick off...

Tracy Farmer's Sir Winston (Awesome Again), upset winner of last year's GI Belmont S., is expected to start in Aqueduct's Jazil S. at Aqueduct Jan. 25. The Mark Casse trainee was last seen finishing 12th in the Woodchopper S. over yielding Fair Grounds grass Dec. 28. "The problem was I was trying to get him ready for the [GI] Pegasus [World Cup Invitational]," Casse said of Sir Winston's disappointing effort in New Orleans. "It's not easy to find a spot for a Belmont Stakes winner. No conditions. He's trained well...