NYRA

This past weekend we were three weeks out from America's most historic and important horse race, and all was quiet on the GI Kentucky Derby front. Too quiet, in fact. Compared to pro and college team sports, which have expanded their wild-card and play-in formats to capitalize on the immediacy of games with win-or-go-home playoff berths on the line, the lead-up to the Derby has silently shifted in the opposite direction. Instead of maximizing the relevancy of making the final cut as the sport's main event nears, racing rolls out...

As part of the Breeders' Cup challenge series, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) will host 17 stakes in the 'Win and You're In' series, which will offer a berth to the winners into the corresponding divisional event at the World Championships, the group announced Sunday afternoon. The first offerings will kick off during the Belmont Stakes Racing festival at Saratoga Friday, June 6 with the GI Ogden Phipps Stakes followed by the GI Metropolitan Handicap and the GI Jaipur Stakes Saturday, June 7. The berths are for the Distaff,...

Live racing on Wednesday, Apr. 23 has been added to the spring meet at Aqueduct Racetrack, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced via press release Friday. Following the cancellation of live racing on Sunday, Mar. 30, NYRA, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB) requested and have received formal approval from the New York State Gaming Commission to conduct live racing on Apr. 23 at Aqueduct. The Aqueduct spring meet, which features 13 stakes worth $2.8 million in total purses, continues...

Guests Andrew Offerman of NYRA, Cathy Shircliff of Churchill Downs, Del Mar's David Jerkens and 1/ST Racing's Jodie Vella-Gregory, joined the latest installment of the OwnerView webinar series Apr. 8 to discuss how they ensure owners take center stage in their operations, according to a Friday press release from The Jockey Club of America who serves as one of the hosts. The panel discussed a myriad of topics related to how to improve an owner's experience at the racetrack, and the group addressed the all-important issue of how to attract...

Saturday's Wood Memorial Day card generated record-breaking wagering as the all-sources tally came in at $23,250,478 for the 13-race program, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced via press release. The 2025 figure, on a day highlighted by 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic) running them off their feet in Centenary edition of the GII Wood Memorial, eclipses the precious record of $21,601,673 established back in 2013 when Verrazano (More Than Ready) took home the top prize. The other contests on Saturday's card were the GIII Distaff Stakes won by Irish...

Rodriguez (Authentic) was hustled to the front from his rail draw by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, and cruised to a 3 1/2-length victory over Grande (Curlin) in Saturday's 100th running of the GII Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct. It was another 1 3/4 lengths back to Passion Rules (Friesan Fire) in third. The Bob Baffert-trained 'TDN Rising Star' earned 100 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby for the victory. Rodriguez led through fractions of :23.31 and :47.44, began to shake clear from favored 'Rising Star' Captain...

Owners and trainers affected by the cancellation of racing at Aqueduct on Sunday, Mar. 30, will be compensated from the purse account, according to a Saturday release from the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. On the Mar. 30 eight-race card there were 61 horses entered and nine were announced as scratched before the cancellation. The races on the card that day were put back up as extras. The managing owner of each horse that would have raced will receive $2,500, while the trainer of each horse will receive $1,000. NYRA's...

Jockey Kendrick Carmouche notched his 4,000th career victory on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack, guiding Whisper Hill Farm's Crimson Light (City of Light) to a half-length victory in the eighth race. Carmouche, a 41-year-old native of Vinton, Louisiana, engineered a pace-pressing trip for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Crimson Light dropped back to third at the stretch call, but Carmouche persevered aboard the colt to overtake the leaders and deliver the signature score. A smiling Carmouche celebrated the win with the Big A faithful, who flocked to the apron to...

A special Belmont Stakes Racing Festival three-day admission pass is now available at nearly 200 Stewart's Shops throughout the greater Capital Region, the New York Racing Association, Inc. announced in a press release Thursday. The pass includes general admission to Saratoga Race Course for three of the five days of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival: Thursday, June 5, Friday, June 6, and Saturday June 7--Belmont Stakes Day, featuring the third leg of horse racing's Triple Crown--for $99. The admission pass, which represents a savings of 15 percent based on individual...

Alogo Analysis SA (ALOGO) will partner with the American Association of Equine Practitioners for the AAEP's pioneering wearable biometric sensor research project, which plans to track 100 2-year-olds until the end of the year, the tech company said via a press release on Wednesday. The initiative aims to offer an early warning system for identifying racehorses who are at an increased risk of musculoskeletal injury. Critical data collected during both high-speed exercise and everyday activities, will establish new benchmarks for early injury detection and prevention. "We are tremendously honored to...

The Oklahoma Training Track at Saratoga Race Course will open for the 2025 season on Saturday, Apr. 19, according to a New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) release Tuesday. The Oklahoma barn area will open to licensed trainers and staff beginning Tuesday, Apr. 15. In 2025, NYRA will expand public access to the Oklahoma Training Track. Beginning April 19, and continuing up until the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, the Whitney Viewing Stand will be open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. In previous years,...

Sunday's eight-race card at Aqueduct was abandoned due to 'unacceptable noise levels' from an event being held at the neighboring Resorts World Casino, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced via press release. The 'March Madness Auto and Bike Show' reportedly generated noise levels which would potentially create unsafe racing conditions, and despite repeated attempts from NYRA to rectify the problem, the casino was unable to make the necessary adjustments to allow racing to continue. There was no advance notice that the event could become an issue. As a result,...