NYRA

The 2023 push to secure bond funding for a new Belmont Park officially kicked off on a gray, chilly November morning with a press conference at the out-of-session New York State Capitol in Albany on Thursday. The unveiling of the legislative agenda for next year was hosted by the "We Are NY Horse Racing" coalition of small businesses, labor unions, non-profits, and trade associations. While the scope of the years-in-the-planning project was largely framed in general terms as being able to bring state-wide economic benefits at no cost to taxpayers,...

A total of 106 submissions were received for the inaugural Big Data Derby, a competition requiring entrants to provide a machine-learning model to analyze all manner of data regarding horse racing tactics, strategies and path efficiencies. Sponsored by the New York Racing Association and the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association in partnership with the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, Equibase, The Jockey Club, Breeders' Cup and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, the Big Data Derby launched with a goal of better understanding the vast data set at hand to racing organizations,...

The topic of Belmont Park hosting the Breeders' Cup resurfaced again Monday with the public release of a letter from Breeders' Cup executives to the New York Racing Association (NYRA) to "reaffirm the strong desire" to return the event to Belmont "as soon as the potential infrastructure projects we discussed are complete." That undated letter, which was attached as part of a Nov. 7 pro-Breeders' Cup press release issued by the "We Are NY Horse Racing" coalition of small businesses, labor unions, non-profits, and trade associations, did not include any...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week. New York Track: Aqueduct Date: 10/29/2022 Licensee: Caitlin Owen, racing official...

Students enrolled in the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program (RTIP) can now apply for the 2023 Elizabeth Bracken Memorial Scholarship, which aims to support students aspiring to build careers in Thoroughbred racing, NYRA announced. The scholarship was created in 2021 to honor the memory of Elizabeth Bracken, an RTIP graduate who spent 16 years at NYRA before returning to RTIP as Associate Coordinator and an instructor. Bracken died in November 2019; she was 52. "We can't thank NYRA enough for their continued support of the RTIP via this...

Early last week, a bill landed on the doorsteps of the nation's state racing commissions containing their portion of the money needed to fund the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) remit for next year. The total $72,509,662 amount is broken down four main ways: $58,108,758 to run the anti-doping and medication control (ADMC) program overseen by the newly minted Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU); $3,654,830 towards HISA's racetrack safety program, which initially went into effect on July 1 this year; $5,466,709 to continue building the technology needed to...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is partnering with FOX Sports to present live coverage and analysis of Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe from Longchamp Racecourse in Paris. Sunday's special broadcast will air on FS2 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Eastern, with the €5 million (approximately $4.85 million) Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe for 3-year-olds & up going 1 1/2 miles on the turf featuring a bid by the 5-year-old Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) to become the ninth horse in history to win the race twice....

We Are NY Horse Racing, a coalition of small businesses, labor unions, non-profits, and trade associations, released a public opinion poll that found 68% of voters statewide and 75% of voters on Long Island support using state bonding authority to construct new horse racing facilities at Belmont Park. In addition, New Yorkers view horse racing favorably by a 3-to-1 margin. In 2022, legislation was introduced for the first time that would allow the New York Racing Association to finance the modernization of Belmont Park through state-backed bonds. "Constructing a new...

NYRA Content Management Solutions (NCMS), a subsidiary of the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), and 1/ST CONTENT have announced a 10-year partnership to expand distribution of North American horse racing content internationally. An integral part of the agreement calls for NCMS to acquire a significant equity position in TSG Global Wagering Solutions LLC (GWS), a subsidiary of 1/ST CONTENT responsible for the delivery of horse racing content to global markets. "By joining 1/ST CONTENT and NCMS, two of the powerhouses in North American horse racing content, we are reinforcing...

Edited Press Release Churchill Downs Incorporated has entered into a multi-year agreement with FanDuel Group involving different facets of FanDuel's sports wagering, advance deposit wagering and television business. Under the Agreement, CDI will provide certain technology and services to enable FanDuel's customers to place pari-mutuel wagers on horse racing via FanDuel's sports wagering and ADW platforms. CDI will also authorize wagering on CDI's owned or controlled horse racing content via FanDuel's platforms in the United States and grant FanDuel certain television and media rights to broadcast CDI-owned racing content on...

The 2022 fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack will offer 33 stakes, 10 of them graded events, worth a total of $6.375 million. As previously announced, the Belmont Park fall meet will be held at Aqueduct due to the construction of vehicular and pedestrian tunnels designed to provide access to the Belmont Park infield. The Belmont at the Big A meet will begin on Thursday, Sept. 15 and continue through Sunday, Oct. 30. Following the conclusion of Belmont at the Big A., the 29-day Aqueduct fall meet will run from Friday,...

A first-turn seating expansion at Saratoga Race Course and the addition of a 400-foot long infield horse tunnel at Belmont Park were among the improvement projects floated by New York Racing Association (NYRA) executives on Thursday. Three new backstretch dormitories at Saratoga are also on NYRA's to-do list, according to a preview of possible 2023 projects discussed at the Sep. 1 Franchise Oversight Board (FOB) meeting. The FOB represents the interests of NYRA's state-owned properties, and that board still must formally approve the projects if and when NYRA submits a...