David O'Rourke

Officials at the New York Racing Association (NYRA) have announced a charitable campaign in support of the trainers, staff and backstretch workers impacted by the early Tuesday barn fire at the Saratoga Casino Hotel Harness Track. The initiative will first include a $50,000 contribution from NYRA to the Saratoga Harness Horseperson's Association (SHHA) to assist those affected by the fire. Additionally, NYRA will host a fundraiser on opening day of the meet at Saratoga Race Course July 3 where fans will have the opportunity to purchase a specially designed T-shirt....

In a Zoom call with members of the racing media, NYRA lifted the curtain Friday regarding the drop in Computer Assisted Wagering play after the racing organization put certain "guardrails" in place intended to limit the wagers of the CAW players. In July 2021, NYRA became the first racing organization in the United States to establish a timing restriction for CAW activity, shutting off the win pool to CAW players with two minutes to post. A more significant step was taken in Dec. 2025 when CAW players were not allowed...

The New York Racing Association has created the Belmont Stakes Scholarships, a new initiative that will award five $3,000 scholarships annually to graduating seniors pursuing higher education, NYRA announced Tuesday. The students will be selected from the Sewanhaka Central High School District, which includes Sewanhaka High School, Elmont Memorial High School, Floral Park Memorial High School, H. Frank Carey High School, and New Hyde Park Memorial High School. Applications for the scholarship are now open, with awards supporting students who will attend an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or...

Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine has commenced a comprehensive three-year study to improve detection of Thoroughbred racehorse injuries with data provided by horses seen by Ruffian Equine Specialists, which is located next to Belmont Park, the New York Gaming Commission said through a Tuesday press release. The study, funded by New York State and The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), will build on previous international research and the ongoing industry goal to prevent fatal musculoskeletal injuries. State-of-the-art standing computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) machines will...

Trainer Kevin Bond, whose Facebook page sported an antisemitic comment regarding Rob Reiner, has been charged with conduct detrimental to the best interests of racing and to the New York Racing Association's Business Operations, as well as a breach of his stall application, NYRA revealed Friday. NYRA has issued a notice of hearing and Statement of Charges to Bond. The hearing has been set for Friday, March 6. Bond, who has made 75 starts in his career, but just one in 2026, will be allowed to continue training pending final...

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....

After announcing in December at the Global Symposium on Racing in Tuscon, Arizona that it would be taking steps to limit Computer Assisted Wagering (CAW play) within the coming months, NYRA announced Friday that the new rules will go into effect on Feb. 5. Calling the measures new "guardrails," NYRA revealed at the Arizona symposium that all CAW play will eventually cease at one minute to post in all pools. CAW players can still bet after the one-minute time limit, but they will be restricted to six bets or fewer...

The nearly four-year rebuild of the new Belmont Park is scheduled to hit a significant milestone by the end of February, when training on the innermost Tapeta track is set to open. Glen Kozak, the New York Racing Association (NYRA)'s senior vice president of operations and capital projects, delivered that news nugget Friday as part of a broader overview of the track's $455-million reimagining during a meeting of the New York State Franchise Oversight Board (FOB). Before delving into details, Kozak underscored an overall message of "on schedule [and] on...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is opening an investigation into antisemitic comments allegedly made on social media by young trainer Kevin Bond, son of long-time New York-based trainer H. James Bond and his wife, Tina, who is the president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA). The aggressively antisemitic remarks allegedly attributed to Bond were in response to a Facebook post regarding the murder of Hollywood producer, director, screenwriter, and actor Rob Reiner and his wife over the weekend. Kevin Bond reached out to TDN, saying his...

Come January of next year, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) will limit Computer Assisted Wagering (CAW) play one minute to post in nearly all pools, according to NYRA president and CEO David O'Rourke during Tuesday's Global Symposium on Racing in Tuscon, Arizona. By far the most aggressive step taken yet to manage CAW play by any track operator in the country, this will mean that all CAW players will be limited to a maximum six-bets per second when they bet into the NYRA product within one minute to post...

Governor Kathy Hochul accompanied New York Racing Association officials, AECOM Tishman, Populous and unionized construction workers for a topping out ceremony Wednesday, marking the placement of the final beam at the new Belmont Park. "As we raise the final beam, today marks a major milestone for Belmont Park and New York State," Governor Hochul said. "This project is more than simply rebuilding a racetrack--it's creating jobs, boosting our economy and ensuring Belmont remains a world-class destination. This redevelopment means thousands of good-paying union jobs, new opportunities for local businesses and...

It was another memorable meet at Saratoga, which ended its 2025 season Monday having generated paid attendance exceeding one million fans for the 10th straight year. However, that wasn't enough to avoid a small decrease in all-sources handle. The total handle at the meet was $791,129,471, off just a tick from 2024's handle of $803,806,984. Total on-track average daily handle was virtually even with 2024 figures, $19,778,237 versus $20,610,435. "Saratoga is special in many ways, but it is the enthusiastic support from fans and horseplayers that transforms this historic venue...