NYRA

Richard "Richie" Brosseau, the head starter at the NYRA tracks from 2003 to 2007, passed away Sept. 5. He was suffering from a number of illnesses, including leukemia. A native of Montreal, Brosseau started out in harness racing before coming to the New York Thoroughbred tracks in the early 1970s. He accepted a job as an assistant starter in 1976 before working his way up to head position. He retired in 2007. In 2011, he became a U.S. citizen. "He was a really, really good guy," said Raymond DeStefano, who...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. will host the final Cross Country Pick 5 of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course Saturday, Sept. 5, while teaming up with Monmouth Park, Woodbine Racetrack and Delaware Park. The Cross Country Pick 5 is comprised of: Leg 1 - Saratoga, Race 9: GII Jim Dandy S. (4:21 p.m.) Leg 2 - Monmouth, Race 9: (4:40 p.m.) Leg 3 - Delaware Park, Race 8: (4:45 p.m.) Leg 4 - Saratoga, Race 10: GII Prioress S. (4:57 p.m.) Leg 5 - Woodbine, Race 9:...

NYRA will host a Cross Country Pick 5 that will offer three graded stakes, featuring action from Saratoga as well as Monmouth Park and Woodbine Racetrack Saturday. Live coverage will be available with Saratoga Live on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. The first leg is a juvenile maiden special weight at Saratoga, carded as Race 6. Action will shift to Monmouth in Race 9 with a 4:14 p.m. post for the 1 1/2-mile turf route for older horses. Woodbine will commence the stakes portion of the Cross Country Pick 5...

Luis Grandison, a Black Latino who is a native of Panama and who served as the New York Racing Association's Spanish language race caller from 2014 through March 2020, has sued NYRA claiming he was discriminated against because he was paid less than white Americans who call the races in English. According to a suit filed Tuesday in Brooklyn Federal Court, Grandison was paid $60,000 a year. The suit claims that long-time NYRA announcer Tom Durkin earned $440,000 a year before retiring in 2014 and that his replacement, Larry Collmus,...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. has announced race dates for the 18-day Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet, offering 29 stakes, including 11 graded events, worth $3.41 million in purse money, that will kick off Friday, Nov. 6 and run through Sunday, Dec. 6. Opening weekend of the Big A fall meet, which coincides with the Breeders' Cup set for Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course, includes the GIII Turnback the Alarm H. and the GIII Nashua S. Closing weekend features seven stakes worth $1.4 million beginning Saturday, Dec. 5 with...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. has announced race dates for the 27-day Belmont fall meet, including 38 stakes worth $5.58 million in purse money, that will kick off Friday, Sept. 18 and run through Sunday, Nov. 1. Following opening weekend at Belmont, live racing will be conducted Thursday through Sunday with the exception of Columbus Day weekend, when live racing will be offered Monday, Oct. 12 and return Friday, Oct. 16. The Belmont Park fall meet has traditionally opened on the Friday following Labor Day. Due to the continued...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. and Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce launched a new charitable campaign designed to raise funds for Saratoga Springs-area non-profit organizations that have been impacted by the coronavirus global health pandemic. Administered by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce and held in partnership with the Adirondack Trust Company Community Fund, NYRA Cares offers the opportunity to win a variety of Saratoga Race Course hospitality experiences, memorabilia and collectible items while supporting local non-profit organizations. All items have been donated by NYRA. Proceeds will benefit the...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. and and Ellis Park join forces for a Cross Country Pick 5 Sunday, August 9. will host the first and third legs, while the Henderson, Kentucky oval will provide the stakes action, including the Runhappy Ellis Park Derby. This Sunday's Cross Country Pick 5 comprises: Leg 1 - Saratoga Race Course, Race 7: (4:43 p.m.) Leg 2 - Ellis Park, Race 8: Runhappy Audubon Oaks (5:10pm) Leg 3 - Saratoga Race Course, Race 8: (5:17 p.m.) Leg 4 - Ellis Park, Race 9: Groupie...

James "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, owner of champion sprinter Runhappy, donated 30 dozen "Runhappy donuts" to the Backstretch Employee Service Team (B.E.S.T) in advance of Saturday's Runhappy GI Travers S. at Saratoga. Dunkin' also contributed 750 gift cards to the backstretch community Thursday. Last season, McIngvale distributed treats to fans waiting in line in the early morning hours on Travers Day. The Runhappy Travers will be carried live on FOX as part of a special 90-minute broadcast beginning at 5 p.m. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit www.NYRA.com/SaratogaLive.

For the second consecutive year, the $1-million GI Runhappy Travers S. at Saratoga will be televised live on the FOX Sports broadcast network as part of a 1 1/2-hour telecast from 5:00-6:30 p.m. ET Saturday. Post time for the 151st running of the Runhappy Travers, featuring a showdown between GI Belmont S. winner Tiz the Law (Constitution) and the unbeaten Bob Baffert-trained Uncle Chuck (Uncle Mo), is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. ET. An expanded Runhappy Travers Day edition of Saratoga Live, presented by America's Best Racing, Runhappy and Claiborne Farm,...

The New York Racing Association will host a Cross Country Pick 5 with graded stakes action from Saratoga and three races at Woodbine Saturday. Live coverage of all the sequence's races will be available with Saratoga Live on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. Woodbine will start the sequence in race eight. Stakes action starts next at the Spa with the GIII Waya S. Action returns to Woodbine for races nine and 10. The final leg is the GI Runhappy Travers S. The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is...

In advance of Runhappy Travers Day Saturday, Aug. 8, NYRA communications director Pat McKenna issued the following statement to address questions regarding the New York Travel Advisory and its impact on horse owners seeking to travel to Saratoga. To align with required health and safety measures implemented in New York by Governor Andrew Cuomo to mitigate risk and combat the spread of COVID-19, horse owners planning travel to New York from any of the states currently listed on the New York Travel Advisory are required to complete a mandatory 14-day...