Finger Lakes

"Looking for the hidden gem." That, to Mike Slezak, is the point of crossover; the place where his breakout success dovetails with a personal passion that has now evolved into a way of life. "Which means trying to ask questions in a different way," he elaborates. "Not making assumptions, looking a little closer." To the many who first encountered Slezak in his American Idol debrief shows, the next stage of the analogy will make perfect sense. "It's scouting for a contestant like David Cook," he explains. "No-one thought he was...

Finger Lakes cancelled the entirety of its card due to adverse weather in the region on Tuesday. "Please be advised due to adverse weather conditions and out of an overabundance of caution, today's races have been cancelled. The entire card has been rescheduled to this Thursday, November 13th, with a 12:20p.m. first post," read a Finger Lakes Gaming post on X Tuesday afternoon.

Every week, the TDN posts a round-up of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. The following rulings were reported on HISA's "rulings" portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) "pending" and "resolved" cases portals. Among this week's rulings, trainer Marisa Monserrate has been banned 18 months after her trainee, Can't Beat Me, tested positive for the banned substance 2,5 Dihydroxybenzenesulfonic Acid after winning at Finger Lakes on July 14. According to Equibase, Monserrate has been training since 2023, winning...

Arctic Beast (Yaupon) made it three-for-three in his young career with a second straight romping success in stakes company in Monday's New York Breeders' Futurity at Finger Lakes. Sent off at a nickel on the dollar to build on a 7 1/4-length success over Diamond Child (Weekend Hideaway) and Party in the Army (Army Mule) in the 5 1/2-furlong Aspirant Stakes Sept. 22, the two-time Fasig-Tipton graduate was content to track outside of Diamond Child through the early exchanges as Party in the Army made up for lost time after...

Longtime Finger Lakes Clerk of Scales Jack Keller will be inducted into the track's Hall of Fame this Friday, the gaming establishment said in a press release on Wednesday. When Keller arrived at Finger Lakes outside of Farmington, New York in 1967, he figured he would spend a year working as a valet and then move on to another track for his next adventure in the world of racing. One year, however, became 59. "As it turned out, I never left," said Keller, who is in his 39th season as...

Coupled 1 and 1A pari-mutuel entries in New York could soon be eliminated if a New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) proposal that got advanced to the public commentary phase on Monday passes an eventual final vote by commissioners. According to a brief written by NYSGC general counsel Edmund Burns that was included in the informational packet for the Mar. 24 meeting, the proposal has the backing of the New York Racing Association, Finger Lakes racetrack, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and The New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. "Those...

Finger Lakes-based trainer James Acquilano, who has been training at the Farmington, New York track since 1981, won the 2,000th race of his career Tuesday when Jersey Gregg (Uncaptured) captured the 4th race, a six-furlong maiden claimer. Acquilano not only trains, but also owns, the 4-year-old gelding, who won by five lengths. All but 39 of Acquilano's 2,000 wins have been at his home track.

Globe-trotting jockey Frankie Dettori dislocated his shoulder when he was unseated from his mount at the gate prior to the start of Thursday's ninth race at Aqueduct. While not considered a serious injury, agent Ron Anderson was not sure how long Dettori will be sidelined. "He dislocated his shoulder and they put it back in," Anderson said. "We're going to see [orthopedist] Steve O'Brien as quick as we can get him in. It's a day-to-day thing. He is sore. We will see." Anderson said the news could have been worse....

Making his first start since gallant third behind Japan's Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in the G2 UAE Derby Mar. 30, Pandagate (Arrogate) saved his best for last and outfought slightly favored Doc Sullivan (Solomini) to take Monday's New York Derby at Finger Lakes. The strapping gray colt, a 5 1/2-length winner of the Feb. 25 Gander Stakes that earned him a ticket to Dubai, the $130,000 Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred yearling was void of early speed and sat fifth of the six runners behind a moderate pace for the...

Every week, the TDN posts a round-up of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS The following rulings were reported on HISA's "rulings" portal and through the HIWU "pending" and "resolved" cases portals. Resolved ADMC Violations Date: 07/09/2024 Licensee: Blake A. Kelly, trainer Penalty: A fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision by HIWU. Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Dantrolene—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Karter's Baby Blue on 5/15/24....

Finger Lakes-based jockey Christian J. Navarro has been suspended 30 days and fined $1,000 for alleged violations of a New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) rule that prohibits jockeys from betting on races unless they wager "through the owner of and on the horse that such jockey rides." Beyond stating that Navarro's alleged offenses occurred Nov. 22, 2023, (the closing date of last year's Finger Lakes season) details were scant on the NYSGC's online rulings portal. TDN sent a Monday afternoon email to Brad Maione, the NYSGC's communications director, asking...

Wanda Polisseni, owner of My Purple Haze Stables, will become the 30th member inducted into the Finger Lakes Hall of Fame the track announced Monday. The induction ceremony, which will take place as part of the Finger Lakes HBPA annual dinner meeting, is Thursday, June 6. In her focus on aftercare, Polisseni is a founding supporting of the Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Program while also ensuring homes for more than 700 horses through the Purple Haze Center, the nation's first Thoroughbred aftercare program housed at a track. "Wanda Polisseni has...