Aqueduct

IGNITER (c, 3, Volatile--Malibu Prayer {GISW, $618,026}, by Malibu Moon), after being featured in TDN's Second Chances series, broke his maiden by a length during the Belmont At The Big A meet in late September. The homebred was off for two months, then was entered in the GII Remsen Stakes at the Big A Dec. 6 where he posted a sixth-place finish behind GII Risen Star Stakes entrant Paladin (Gun Runner) and recent Sam F. Davis Stake hero Renegade (Into Mischief). Well-backed at a shade over even-money here, the colt...

After being implemented and put into effect on Thursday, NYRA, citing a need to upgrade its tote system, announced Friday that the new "guardrail rails" put in place regarding Computer Assisted Wagering (CAW) will not go into effect until Feb. 11. With winter weather having knocked out the Saturday and Sunday cards at Aqueduct, the 11th is the next scheduled day of racing. "The guardrails requiring CAW activity to cease at 1 MTP have been suspended today to allow for technical upgrades to the tote system," read a NYRA statement....

Neither the Suncoast Stakes nor the Sam F. Davis Stakes, both run at Tampa Bay Downs, are graded stakes races, but that doesn't seem to bother trainer Todd Pletcher. He has made it no secret that he loves to put some of his best 3-year-old candidates on the Tampa route to Churchill Downs, and he will be doing so again on Saturday. Zany (American Pharoah), currently ranked No. 1 in the TDN's Top 10 poll for the GI Kentucky Oaks, will make her 3-year-old debut in the Suncoast, where she...

Having already been forced to cancel its live racing program for Saturday, Feb. 7, officials at Laurel Park have called off the card for Sunday, Feb. 8, citing continuing frigid temperatures across the Mid-Atlantic region. Live racing is expected to resume at Laurel on Thursday, Feb. 12, with a first post of 12 p.m. ET. The previously canceled card for Feb. 7 will not be redrawn and will be conducted that afternoon. Sunday's scheduled races will be listed as guaranteed extras on the overnights throughout next week. These races will...

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has released revisions to the stakes schedule as well as a plan for additional race days to account for the weather-related cancellations at Aqueduct, the group announced via press release. In addition to NYRA, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB), will request approval from the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) to conduct four additional days of live racing Wednesday, Feb. 11, Thursday, Feb. 19, Thursday, Feb. 26 and Thursday, Mar. 5.  An additional card for...

With drastic winter weather--arctic temperatures and extremely low wind chill values, according to the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA)-continuing to plague much of the country, NYRA has cancelled live racing Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 31-Feb. 1 at Aqueduct Racetrack. Racing has not been held at Aqueduct since Jan. 23. The 24th, 28th, and 29th were all originally carded but had to be cancelled due to the frigid temperatures. NYRA is working with the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB) to schedule and...

Racing at Aqueduct was cancelled Wednesday through Friday by the New York Racing Association (NYRA) in advance of forecasted arctic temperatures and extremely low wind chill values hitting the New York metro area. NYRA, in consultation with the Jockeys' Guild, New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB), will request formal approval from the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) to conduct live racing on Wednesday, Feb. 4 with additional make-up days to be determined at a later date. Aqueduct Racetrack will be closed to...

On Thursday in Palm Beach, Bob Duncan was honored with a Special Eclipse Award for Career Excellence acknowledging his contribution to the sport of horse racing through his work at the starting gate. I loudly applaud the NTRA, DRF and National Turf Writers & Broadcasters for recognizing Bob's unique talent and gift to racing with this award. I applaud Bob himself for his approach to his craft and the shining example he has set in handling horses with respect as partners in winning races. Bob and his craft are known...

With winter weather on the way, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will move the live racing program scheduled for Sunday, January 25 at Aqueduct Racetrack to Wednesday, January 28, pending approval from the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC), the organization announced Wednesday. In a press release, NYRA says, "due to a winter storm with the potential to bring significant snowfall and arctic temperatures to the New York metropolitan area on Sunday, NYRA, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB) have...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has canceled the remainder of Saturday's nine-race card at Aqueduct Racetrack following Race 4 due to inclement weather in the New York City area affecting track conditions. The $135,000 Ladies S., which was slated as Race 8 on Saturday, will be brought back on Friday, Jan. 30 with entries to be taken on Saturday, Jan. 24. Live racing will resume Sunday at Aqueduct with an eight-race card. First post is 12:40 p.m. ET.

Right to Party (Constitution), third beaten 9 lengths going six furlongs in his debut Dec. 13, went two better Saturday to break his maiden second time out. Relegated to the back after a bumpy beginning, the 5-2 second choice trailed the field up the long backstretch run in his first stretch out to the mile distance. Saving ground around the far turn and picking up momentum and positions, Right to Party hit the top of the lane and tipped out to close past late leader Dr. Sinatra (Speightstown), rallying to...

The already struggling racing and breeding industries in New Jersey were hit by potentially devastating news on Wednesday when it was reported that there are bills afloat in the state capital in Trenton that could eventually allow Monmouth Park to reduce its meet to 25 days a year. Is this the beginning of the end for one of the sport's most iconic and picturesque tracks? Not necessarily. (I'll get to that later). But it's hard not to be pessimistic about Monmouth's future. As with so many things that have become...