Aqueduct

Citing Section 910 of the New York Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law, the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) has announced that it will honor the 90-day suspension handed down to trainer Bob Baffert and that the conditioner is "prohibited from participating in any New York State horse racing activity through at least July 2, 2022." Section 910 reads: "§ 910. Reciprocity of licenses. All license denials, suspensions and revocations imposed by the pertinent racing and gambling authorities of other jurisdictions, including states, United States territories, and Canadian provinces...

The 2021-22 Aqueduct winter meet, which ran from Dec. 9, 2021 through Mar. 27, 2022, generated all-sources handle of $358,836,940, a 2.5% increase over the 2020-21 winter meet, NYRA announced Thursday. That figure was achieved despite running four fewer race days than 2020-21. Originally scheduled to be held over 56 days, NYRA was forced to cancel six race days during the 2021-22 winter meet due to adverse weather conditions. As a result, the winter meet was contested over 50 live race days. Average daily handle for the 2021-22 winter meet...

With a 60% majority of New York-bred foals now sired by out-of-state stallions, the board of directors for the New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund (NYTBDF) is reaching out to the state's stallion owners to try and spark incentivization ideas that might swing that balance back toward in-state sires. Chief among the concepts that have the most traction so far are 1) recalculating the splits of the fund so that more money flows to stallion owners; and 2) changing rules at tracks so that eligibility in New York-bred races...

Jockey Dylan Davis captured the first riding title of his career, posting 63 wins at the 2021-22 Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet that ran from Dec. 9 to Mar. 27. Rudy Rodriguez paced all trainers with 33 wins, while Klaravich Stables secured the owner's title with 10 wins. Davis, who is represented by agent Mike Migliore, finished nine wins ahead of runner-up Trevor McCarthy and 10 wins clear of third-place Kendrick Carmouche. "It's incredible. I'm grateful and honored. I've worked very hard for this," said Davis. "I'm grateful I can have...

The New York Claiming Championship series returns for the seventh year on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack with 10 starter stakes worth $620,000. The New York Claiming Championship is open to horses which have started for a prescribed claiming price in 2021-22. The 10-race series, each named after some of the most popular claiming horses to run at the Big A, features distances ranging from six furlongs to 1 3/8 miles. A total of 93 horses were entered across the 10 races. Robert Falcone, Jr. will saddle four starters on the...

Peter Proscia's Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher's Barese (Laoban), unbeaten in three starts against fellow New York-breds, tuned up for a tilt at the Apr. 9 GII Wood Memorial with a six-furlong work in 1:16.42 at Belmont Park Saturday. "He has really been a nice horse. We're pointing for the Wood and are excited for the opportunity," Staudacher said. A debut winner at Belmont last May for trainer Mike Maker, Barese returned with a 2 3/4-length victory in the Jan. 9 Rego Park S. and added the one-mile Gander...

The progressive Rotknee (Runhappy) took his current winning streak to three, running out an easy winner of Sunday's Damon Runyon S. at the Big A. Drawn widest in a field of five, the homebred showed the best early speed and angled over to the fence in the opening furlong, forcing odds-on Best Idea (Honor Code) to be checked for half a stride. Going strongly on the engine beneath Manny Franco, Rotknee turned them in a couple of lengths to the good and kept on gamely to become the seventh stakes...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) canceled Saturday's live racing program at Aqueduct Racetrack due to a powerful winter storm forecast that was set to impact the New York City metropolitan area throughout the day. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a winter weather advisory for the downstate region and the NWS forecast, which aligns with NYRA's independent weather services, called for accumulating snow with sustained high winds and gusts up to 50 mph. Saturday's featured $100,000 Correction S. will be brought back for Saturday, Mar. 19. Aqueduct was...

The unbeaten Morello (Classic Empire) pressed and pounced his way to a dazzling 4 1/2-length victory in Saturday's one-turn mile GIII Gotham S. at the Big A. Drawn wide in post nine, the even-money favorite Morello, a last out five-length winner of the local Jimmy Winkfield S. Feb. 6, was bumped hard at the start. Seemingly undeterred, he raced under a nice hold while a stalking second behind fellow two-for-two Dean's List (Speightstown) through an opening quarter in :23.47. He cruised up alongside the pacesetter approaching the quarter pole and...

BUSHER INVITATIONAL S., $242,500, Aqueduct, 3-5, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:39.65, ft. 1--VENTI VALENTINE, 118, f, 3, by Firing Line                 1st Dam: Glory Gold, by Medaglia d'Oro                 2nd Dam: Gayla, by Lord Gaylord                 3rd Dam: La Chela (Arg), by Utopico (Arg) O-NY Final Furlong Racing Stable & Parkland Thoroughbreds; B-Final Furlong Racing Stable & Maspeth Stable (NY); T-Jorge Abreu; J-Manuel Franco. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 4-3-1-0, $366,250. *1/2 to Espresso Shot (Mission Impazible), MSW, $516,625. 2--Shotgun Hottie, 120, f, 3, Gun Runner--Re Entry, by Malibu Moon. ($45,000 2yo '21...

Morello (Classic Empire) looks to take his perfect record to three-for-three and take his first steps down the GI Kentucky Derby trail in Aqueduct's GIII Gotham S. Saturday. A dominant debut winner going six panels at this oval Nov. 27, the $250,000 EASMAY purchase ran to the money with a five-length score in the Big A's Jimmy Winkfield S. Feb. 6. "Morello looks like he could potentially be something special," Dave Lyon of Blue Lion Thoroughbreds said. "I think it's just a perfect race set up for a horse like...

Without any public discussion among commissioners and in quick succession by unanimous voice vote, the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) Monday enacted a new rule designed to keep jockeys from stalling via filing appeals to get out of serving riding suspensions during the lucrative Saratoga Race Course meet. In similarly brisk fashion, the NYSGC also set into motion Feb. 28 the advancement of a proposed regulation to lift controversial pari-mutuel restrictions related to married jockeys competing in the same race. This measure must come back for a final vote...