NYSGC

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has released revisions to the stakes schedule as well as a plan for additional race days to account for the weather-related cancellations at Aqueduct, the group announced via press release. In addition to NYRA, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB), will request approval from the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) to conduct four additional days of live racing Wednesday, Feb. 11, Thursday, Feb. 19, Thursday, Feb. 26 and Thursday, Mar. 5.  An additional card for...

With winter weather on the way, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will move the live racing program scheduled for Sunday, January 25 at Aqueduct Racetrack to Wednesday, January 28, pending approval from the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC), the organization announced Wednesday. In a press release, NYRA says, "due to a winter storm with the potential to bring significant snowfall and arctic temperatures to the New York metropolitan area on Sunday, NYRA, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB) have...

By a unanimous voice vote, the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) Aug. 25 passed rules changes regarding the elimination of most coupled 1 and 1A pari-mutuel entries. The changes align with a proposal that the board had first advanced back in March. The new rules had passed through a mandatory public commentary period after publication in the New York State Register. According to a brief written by NYSGC general counsel Edmund Burns that had accompanied the changes when they were first proposed back at the Mar. 24 meeting, the...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) have placed a group of horses located in Barn 28 at Saratoga Race Course under quarantine due to a suspected case of strangles, which includes La Cara (Street Sense) who was scratched from the GI CCA Oaks, the track said in a press release on Saturday morning. The 4-year-old filly [Surprenant Cocca (Catholic Boy)], who is trained by Mike Maker and stabled in Barn 28, presented symptoms early Saturday, July 19 and has been transported...

Barn 28 on the Belmont Park backstretch has been placed under a precautionary 14-day quarantine by the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) until further notice due to a positive case of strangles in the barn. NYRA, the New York State Department of Agriculture and the NYSCG remain in contact should the need arise for further precautionary measures. Barn 28 houses horses trained by George Weaver, Todd Pletcher and Rudy Rodrigruez and the quarantine is effective immediately. The Weaver-conditioned 2-year-old gelding Mo Curls was...

Fined $4,000 by the New York Gaming Commission over a rule regarding when a trainer can run a horse outside of New York after it has been claimed, trainer Gary Contessa was afforded a hearing Wednesday before a hearing officer assigned to the case by the commission. The hearing officer will now consider the facts that were presented Wednesday and make a recommendation to the Gaming Commission regarding whether or not the fine should be upheld. Contessa was charged after he ran a horse named Answer the Call (Dialed In)...

The New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) and Steve Asmussen have entered into a negotiated agreement that will "adjourn" twice-postponed hearings that were supposed to have examined the Hall-of-Fame conditioner's fitness for owner and trainer licensure after the NYSGC raised concerns regarding Asmussen's pay practices involving backstretch workers. In exchange for the hearing being taken off the NYSGC's docket, the agency explained in a Nov. 12 press release, Asmussen must engage and pay for an independent monitor approved by the NYSGC who will provide quarterly written reports to the NYSGC...

New York State Gaming Commission will launch an advisory board to assist directing contributions from New York's Thoroughbred and Standardbred breeding funds to responsible racehorse aftercare organizations, the organization announced in a press release Tuesday. Thoroughbred and Standardbred owners and breeders, and animal protection organizations specializing in horse aftercare and rescue are eligible to serve on the panel on a volunteer basis. "We are seeking responsible and dedicated horseracing industry participants and animal welfare organizations to work together to drive resources to equine aftercare organizations," said Chair Brian O'Dwyer. "This...

A unanimous voice vote Monday by the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) restructured some of the time frames related to Thoroughbred claiming rules in the state. The measures had been developed in consultation with the managements of New York's Thoroughbred racetracks and horsemen's organizations in the state. The overall slate of changes had been in the works since last August, and the package was originally scheduled to be voted upon last month. But during the May 20 meeting, commissioner John Crotty raised concerns about whether it was in the...

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...

A vote on restructuring some of the time frames related to Thoroughbred claiming rules in New York got put off for at least a month on Monday when New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) member John Crotty questioned whether it was in the best interest of equine safety to reduce by 10 the number of days that a claimed horse is restricted from running back for a claiming tag less than 25% greater than the price at which it was claimed. The change from 30 to 20 days under the...

The period of the quarantine of Barn 15 at Belmont has been extended by two days by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) due to another horse in that barn, Willful Desire, developing a fever. The 4-year-old filly, trained by Gustavo Rodriguez, developed a fever on Monday. Nasal swabs and blood samples were immediately sent to Cornell University for analysis, which were returned on Tuesday afternoon as negative for EHV. In accordance with standard protocols, Barn 15 will remain under quarantine...