Belmont Park

Feature courtesy of the New York Racing Association From the desk of his cramped office at the New York division of the Race Track Chaplaincy of America (NYRTCA) on Belmont Park's backstretch, Chaplain Humberto Chavez can gaze out the window at what he calls, "something we've been planning for and dreaming of for years." Directly north of the NYRTCA's current office, a team of New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) carpenters, electricians and plumbers are at work constructing the Chaplaincy's new 3,500-square-foot building, which will double the Chaplaincy's current space...

Tickets for the 2022 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will go on sale Feb. 10 at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster.com. Capacity for the June 11 Belmont Stakes card will be 50,000 fans. Fewer general admission tickets will be available for the festival following the construction of the UBS Arena, which reduced the size of the Belmont Park backyard. The capacity of Belmont Park is expected to expand in future years following the completion of a significant capital improvement project that will provide spectator access to the infield. In January, NYRA received...

Unbeaten Flightline (Tapit) tuned up for his expected 4-year-old debut in the Mar. 5 GII San Carlos S. with a four-furlong work in :47.80 (6/86) at Santa Anita Sunday. "I had him in :48 and one on my watch, but more important is the way he went," said trainer John Sadler. "He looked very comfortable and it was just a start on the road back. He'll return in the San Carlos, but the big goal is the [June 11 GI] Met Mile." Flightline, unchallenged in three lifetime starts, was tabbed...

Courvoisier (Tapit), last-out winner of the Jan. 1 Jerome S., tuned up for Saturday's GIII Withers S. with a five-furlong work in 1:02.41 (2/15) over the Belmont training track Friday. "He's doing well," trainer Kelly Breen said. "He breezed Friday by himself. It was a maintenance workout and he's good to go." Owned by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and James Spry, Courvoisier is a son of 2014 champion 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway). Jerome fourth-place finisher Unbridled Bomber (Upstart) was declared ready for the Withers following a...

As the calendar turns to 2022, the final crop of foals from legendary racehorse and sire Tiznow will become yearlings. Soon-turning 25, Tiznow has sired over 80 blacktype winners including 14 Grade I/Group 1 winners after nearly two decades as a cornerstone stallion at WinStar Farm. This year, the successful sire enjoyed his first full year of retirement. WinStar Stallion Manager Larry McGinnis said that Tiznow still shares a similar routine to the other stallions in the stud barn. "He does get a bit more leeway because he's a teacher's...

Marshall Allen has been named the winner of this year's Race Track Chaplaincy of America White Horse Award. Allen, an assistant trainer at Emerald Downs, saved the life of long-time horse owner Jim Foulkes, who had collapsed in the track's barn area last May. Allen began CPR and assisted EMTs when they arrived on the scene. To see Allen's story, click here. Also honored by RTCA White Horse nominations this year were: Julie Berry from Blue Grass Farms Charities; Jonathan Estrada from Belmont Park; Nick Garafola and Veronica Gallardo from...

Bob Baffert filed a legal response Friday to the New York Racing Association (NYRA)'s recent attempt to dismiss his amended civil complaint, in which the Hall-of-Fame trainer is fighting an allegedly "sham" hearing process initiated by NYRA to determine if he will be excluded from New York's premier tracks. The Dec. 10 filing in United States District Court (Eastern District of New York) rebutted and reargued a number of legal points that have already been volleyed back and forth by both sides since Baffert filed the initial version of his...

Rockefeller went wire-to-wire to win the GIII Nashua S. at Belmont Park Sunday. The bay colt, sent off at 4-5, sprinted out to the early lead and was pressed by Speaking (Mr Speaker) through a quarter in :23.02 and a half in :46.75. Cooke Creek rolled up four wide to challenge entering the lane, but the favorite shrugged off that foe in upper stretch and scampered clear to an authoritative victory. "I knew the other horses would break from there running, but we have a lot of speed, so Bob...

Five juvenile colts not quite up to the quality of the Breeders' Cup are signed on for Sunday's GIII Nashua S., being held this year at Belmont Park, and features runners based on either coast sent out by Hall of Fame conditioners. Shug McGaughey has won the Nashua but once in his illustrious career, sending out the tempestuous Coronado's Quest (Forty Niner) back in 1997. Courtlandt Farms' Judge Davis (Distorted Humor) carries the hopes of the stable into the final graded event of the fall meet. A debut fourth behind...

When pre-entries for the Breeders' Cup were announced last week it was no surprise that Chad Brown's contingent was dominated by turf horses. He has 11 entered for grass races and just three for dirt races. Since he went out on his own in 2007, Brown has established himself as the sport's best grass trainer and grass racing has always been his focus. Entering Sunday's races, he had won 1,316 turf races for a winning rate of 25% and 63.5% of his career wins had come on the grass. Brown...

In collaboration with Northwell Health, the New York Racing Association and the Backstretch Employee Service Team, a new health clinic will open for Belmont Park workers, it was announced Wednesday. The $200,000, 1,000-square-foot health clinic will provide a continuum of care and offer wellness programs for the thousands of backstretch workers at Belmont Park. The free program is part of Northwell's commitment to providing equitable care to all New Yorkers. "Clinics like this one are important because they allow quick access to care, before health issues become health care emergencies,"...

It had been an almost-unheard-of five years since trainer Chad Brown unsaddled the winner of Belmont's GII Hill Prince S., but Klaravich Stables' Public Sector (GB) (Kingman {GB}) put pay to that 'streak', racing within shouting distance of a surprisingly moderate tempo, then finishing with a telling late turn of speed to run his graded stakes winning skein to three Saturday afternoon on Long Island. A firming 33-10 chance after trading as high as 5-1 early in the wagering, the 170,000gns Tattersalls October yearling acquisition landed in third position and...