Saratoga

This week, the New York Racing Association will bury the ashes of Saratoga legend Quick Call at Clare Court, the bucolic, half-mile jogging track located behind the track's seven-furlong chute named in honor of former Saratoga track superintendent Anne Clare. An unveiling of the memorial will be scheduled in July, along with a Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation event to celebrate his life in coordination with the running of the GIII Quick Call S. on Opening Day, July 15. After winning nine of his 17 starts from 1986 to 1991 at the Spa,...

The New York State Gaming Commission voted Monday to amend its rules for the use of clenbuterol in New York State to follow the model proposed by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) and these rules will go into effect state-wide, including at all three New York Racing Association tracks as of June 2, NYRA announced Wednesday. The full text of the rules for the NYSGC's amendment for the use of clenbuterol in Thoroughbred racing [Rule 4043.12(b)(6)], which includes a requirement for approval from the Commission for any clenbuterol...

Undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin) will make her next start in Saratoga's GI CCA Oaks July 24 instead of the June 5 GI Belmont S., which was initially under consideration following her Apr. 30 GI Kentucky Oaks victory. The long range goal for the regally bred filly is the Breeders' Cup in November at Del Mar. "Todd [Pletcher] and I have talked and have elected to bypass the Belmont," Shadwell's Rick Nichols said. "She is a little light right now because she is still growing into the frame that...

The renovation of the Oklahoma Training Track at Saratoga Race Course has been completed, according to a press release from the New York Racing Association, Inc. Horses and riders, who were welcomed to jog and gallop over the surface beginning Wednesday morning, were met with a completely reconstructed Oklahoma track featuring a limestone base, renovated surface layer and modernized drainage systems. The training track has been widened by 10-to-14 feet in most areas to address the increasing population of horses training over the Oklahoma annually from April to October. Additionally,...

An owner of Siro's, the popular restaurant and bar within walking distance of Saratoga Race Course, was arrested May 6 on charges of forging insurance and liquor-license documents in an effort to get a city permit to open the business in the middle of the pandemic last summer. The Daily Gazette newspaper in New York's capitol region first broke the story Monday. Scott R. Solomon, 35, of Cohoes, turned himself in to face an arrest warrant last Thursday, the Gazette reported, adding that Saratoga Springs police afterward released him on...

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a major capacity increase at the state's racetracks and other outdoor large-scale sports and entertainment facilities Wednesday. The new order, which takes effect May 19, permits venue capacity to as much space as needed to meet the six-feet apart social distancing mandate. Another key part of the mandate is that fully vaccinated fans can be spaced next to one another, rather than six-feet apart, in areas that are separate from non-vaccinated patrons. "NYRA joins sports and entertainment venues throughout the state in thanking Governor...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced that NYRA Bets Gift Cards will be available for purchase for the 2021 Triple Crown beginning Apr. 25, at more than 150 Stewart's Shops across the Capital Region. NYRA Bets Gift Cards will be available at Stewart's Shops through the conclusion of the Saratoga meet. For a complete list of participating Stewart's Shops locations, click here. "We were overwhelmed by the response of fans to the introduction of our gift cards last summer and are excited to make them available earlier than...

Saratoga Race Course will open for spring training at 6 a.m. Saturday, Apr. 17, the New York Racing Association announced Friday. The barn area at the Oklahoma Training Track will open to horsemen  Thursday, Apr. 15. To accommodate the completion of a major renovation of the Oklahoma Training Track facility, training will begin on the main track at Saratoga Race Course. When training resumes at the Oklahoma in early May, horses and riders will be met with a completely reconstructed track featuring a limestone base, renovated surface layer and modernized...

by Michael Dubb. Editor's note: The following letter appeared in the March 28, 2021 print editions of the Saratogian and Troy Record, and is reprinted here with their permission. While the pandemic irrevocably changed each and every one of us, perhaps no one will be impacted more significantly in the long term than our children. Mental health and education experts are just starting to reckon with the fallout of this unprecedented "lost year", which resulted in remote learning and isolation from friends and extended family. Most experts agree, however, that...

   After the big announcement Thursday on a 10-year deal between NYRA and Fox Sports that will see the t.v. giant acquire 25% of NYRA Bets, TDN Publisher Sue Finley talked to Michael Mulvihill, FOX Sports's Executive Vice President, Head of Strategy and Analytics, and to Tony Allevato, the President of NYRA Bets. TDN: Tony, when you did this deal with Fox in 2019, a lot of people doubted that it was the right move, and argued that people would struggle to find horse racing on t.v. That hasn't been...

Edited Press Release FOX Sports and the New York Racing Association, Inc. have announced an expanded partnership agreement that establishes FOX Sports as the official wagering partner of NYRA Bets and the leading media provider for elite Thoroughbred racing through the next decade. The prior FOX Sports/NYRA media rights agreement provided a FOX Sports subsidiary with an option to acquire a 25% stake in NYRA Bets, LLC, a leading Advance Deposit Wagering platform launched in 2016 and available to customers in 30 states across the country. The FOX Sports subsidiary...

The New York Racing Association issued a statement Wednesday regarding it ongoing efforts to welcome fans back for the upcoming Belmont Park and Saratoga Racecourse meets. Horse and auto racing were omitted from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's guidance last week relating to reopening sporting events to the public in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. "Governor Cuomo's decision to expand capacity limits for sports fans beginning this April is incredibly positive news as we look toward the spring and summer," said NYRA's Pat McKEnna. "NYRA will work closely with...