racing surfaces

By the time you're reading this article, the New York Racing Association (NYRA)'s years-long rebuild of Belmont Park that is on target to be finished by September 2026 will have reached or be very close to achieving a significant milestone. "The inner turf course will be complete by possibly [Friday] if not Monday with all the sod," Glen Kozak, NYRA's senior vice president of operations and capital projects, said July 25. "This was a big, big step for us, and now we're rolling right into the Widener turf course." Kozak's...

Edited Press Release The Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park will be conducted according to industry-leading safety and integrity protocols to ensure the wellbeing of all human and equine athletes. As previously announced, Breeders' Cup introduced an enhanced pre-screening protocol in the lead-up to this year's World Championships, upholding its ongoing commitment to putting safety first. This year also marks the first time the Breeders' Cup World Championships will run under the full jurisdiction of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA), including the Anti-Doping and Medication Control...

The Racecourse Manager Certification Program, a continuing education initiative launched in June with an online curriculum focused on educating the next generation of racing surface managers, is now accepting applications for its first in-person course to be held Sept. 13-15 at Keeneland Race Course. Grader School, focusing on combined theory and practice sessions on the grading of racing surfaces, will offer a select number of early career professionals the opportunity to develop highly focused, hands-on expertise that will allow them to adapt and excel to the changing demands of horse...