New York Racing Association

Luis Saez will be cleared to ride at Saratoga Friday pending the completion of a 14-day quarantine period, a negative COVID-19 test and clearance from a physician noting that he can no longer transmit the virus, the New York Racing Association announced Sunday. Saez tested positive for COVID-19 July 10 while riding at Keeneland Race Course. He has remained asymptomatic throughout the period of quarantine, which will total 14-days July 24. Current Centers for Disease Control (C.D.C.) guidance recommends a 10-day quarantine period for individuals who have tested positive for...

The New York Racing Association is inviting fans to celebrate the 2020 summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course remotely with an assortment of virtual events and downloadable content. For the 40-day meet that runs from July 16 through Sept. 7, fans can access the "Your Summer Place" experience via the NYRA Events page. Posters, tip sheets, recipes and more will be added throughout the meet to help fans stay close to the racing action from the comfort of their own homes. "Your Summer Place" will provide an immersive, at-home...

Belmont Park's abbreviated Spring/Summer Meet generated $15,466,198 in average daily handle from all sources, a 42% increase over the 2019 spring/summer meet. Held over 25 days and without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the live meet marked the return of professional sports to the New York area and was conducted with strict health and safety protocols in place. "We would like to thank the horseplayers for their enthusiastic support of New York racing during this most unusual spring/ summer meet," said NYRA President and CEO Dave O'Rourke. "That we...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. and the city of Saratoga Springs today unveiled a limited edition set of Saratoga Race Course-branded face masks as part of a joint initiative to raise funds for two local non-profit organizations: Franklin Community Center and Shelters of Saratoga. The Saratoga reusable cloth face masks come in a variety pack featuring three individual designs and which include a white border and stretchable elastic ear straps with an interior pocket for a replaceable filter. The three-pack is available for preorder for $24.95 at Shop.NYRA.com. A...

Sackatoga Stable's Tiz the Law (Constitution) breezed a half-mile Sunday at Belmont Park in his final work ahead of next Saturday's GI Belmont S. Jockey Manny Franco was aboard the bay colt who, working solo from the half-mile pole, breezed through splits of :26.50, :50.42 (41/46) and out in 1:03.12. "He went well. We weren't looking for anything special today," said trainer Barclay Tagg, who ponied Tiz the Law to and from the work. Franco added, "When Barclay turned me loose, he got strong a little bit, but when we...

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has released a variety of downloadable content to accompany next Saturday's GI Belmont S. Branded as Your Belmont Stakes, features include contender information, race-day activities and more. This year's Belmont will be contested without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "'Your Belmont Stakes' is a great way to get involved and follow the action on one of the best days of the year in American racing," said Don Scott, Vice President, Marketing at NYRA. "These interactive tools are our way of providing 'the next...

While the Thoroughbred industry is set to welcome back racing at Belmont Park this Wednesday, the races will not be shown on TVG. Reporting for HorseRacingNation, Ron Flatter said that NYRA races will appear only on FOX Sports, MSG+ and across advance-deposit wagering platforms, including TVG. "FOX Sports has significantly increased its commitment to horse racing every year since our partnership began in 2016," said Tony Allevato, Chief Revenue Officer for NYRA and the president of the company's advance-deposit wagering platform NYRA Bets. "This year, FOX Sports presented NYRA with...

As the racing world mostly returned to order last week with the reopening of Santa Anita and Churchill and dates for two-thirds of the rescheduled Triple Crown being locked in, eyes turned to the New York Racing Association. Located in the epicenter of the world's coronavirus pandemic, NYRA hasn't run a race card since Mar. 15 at Aqueduct, and has remained in limbo like much of the state as the virus peaked, then slowly--painfully slowly--retreated. But with Governor Andrew Cuomo's proclamation that racing could resume in New York beginning June...

In addition to the news about the GI Belmont S. and stakes schedule at the upcoming Belmont meet, the New York Racing Association announced new safety initiatives and entry rule changes for the 25-day meet. Among them are new rules for horses coming off of long layoffs and horses making belated career debuts. Horses which have not started in more than 180 days, but fewer than 365 days, will be placed on the Veterinarians' List and must be presented to the NYRA Veterinarian prior to racing, while horses which have...

The sale of new t-shirts with the slogans "Belmont Tough" and "Saratoga Tough" will be used to raise funds for the New York Racing Association backstretch community during the COVID-19 pandemic. NYRA will donate all net proceeds from t-shirt sales in equal allotments to three non-profit organizations which serve the Belmont Park backstretch community: the Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA); the Backstretch Employee Service Team of New York (B.E.S.T.); and the New York Race Track Chaplaincy of America (NYRTCA). "The backstretch workers are the unsung heroes of our sport," said...

Legal challenges filed last autumn by the Village of Floral Park to try and halt construction of a $1.3-billion hockey arena, hotel, and retail project adjacent to Belmont Park have been tossed out by a New York State Supreme Court judge. The two state agencies that green-lighted the project--the Empire State Urban Development Corporation and the New York State Franchise Oversight Board--were defendants in the lawsuit. The initial lawsuit cited an allegedly flawed bidding process and "secret master plan" for the arena's development that was allegedly floated by the New...

This is the second installment in a series highlighting racetrack photographers. We'll be asking about the most memorable horses, races, and people they've viewed through the lens and talking about how the craft of equine imagery has evolved. Each time we profile a photographer, TDN will feature their hand-selected favorite shots in multiple editions throughout the week. Members of the Coglianese family have been photographing horses at New York racetracks since the early 20th Century. Bob Coglianese, 85, first started shooting horse races in 1952 under the tutelage of an...