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Welcome to On The Lead, the monthly newsletter of The New York Racing Association. We will keep you tuned in to all of the ongoing excitement at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga Race Course.
In each issue, we will update you on important news and look ahead to the featured promotions, events, and stakes races for the coming month. You will read fun and enlightening interviews with our trainers and jockeys and receive the latest information about our NYRA Rewards program. And as an added bonus, you can download eye-popping wallpaper and watch thrilling race replays!
On The Lead is your one-stop communication to catch up on the action at the NYRA tracks. We hope you enjoy this issue!
Sincerely,
Gavin Landry
Senior VP - Sales & Market Development |
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 The Belmont Stakes Day Festival on Saturday, June 7 features great entertainment for the entire family. Admission gates open at 8:30 a.m., and the fun begins immediately with a myriad of games in the Belmont Park backyard. There will be bouncy boxing, gladiator jousting, speed pitch, a dunk tank, and a kids zone featuring face painting, mini golf, a crafts booth, and more.
 Belmont Stakes Day also features great live music in the backyard, starting with the famed Movin’ Out Band at 10:00 a.m. They will be performing the Billy Joel classic hits that were part of “Movin’ Out,” the Tony Award winning musical. Rockjunky, one of the premier cover bands in Long Island, will be taking over from 12:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Their repertoire includes songs from bands such as AC/DC, Alice in Chains, Blink 182, Bon Jovi, Led Zeppelin, and more!
 There will also be a DRF Handicapping Seminar & Book Signing starting at 10:00 a.m. on Belmont Stakes Day. Join DRF handicappers Steven Crist, Dave Litfin, and Mike Watchmaker as they discuss the Belmont Stakes Day racing card. Following the seminar is a book signing for Bet With The Best 2: Longshots, the latest edition to the DRF Handicapping Library.
 Come out to Belmont Park for Customer Appreciation Week, from Thursday, May 29 through Sunday, June 1. Fans will be treated to free parking, free general admission, food specials, and half-price Post Parade programs! Lots of entertainment is on tap as well, including daily live music and a host of other surprises.
 Treat your father to a wonderful afternoon of racing and relaxation during our Father's Day Celebration on Sunday, June 15. The festival tent in the Belmont Park backyard will feature all of the amenities that your father deserves. He can get a warm shave, and then shop for great jewelry, Cartier watches, high end pens, and even hand-rolled cigars. It's an afternoon that every father will enjoy!
 Family Fun Days are back! Starting May 4, every Sunday at Belmont Park will feature a festival for the entire family, including a petting zoo, miniature golf, comedy troupes, magicians, pony rides, face painters, balloon clusters, and much more. Everything is free except for a $1.00 donation per pony ride to benefit the Backstretch Employees Service Team (B.E.S.T.). Please note that there will not be a Family Fun Day on Sunday, June 8.
 Sunset Racing at Belmont Park is the place to be on Friday afternoons and evenings from June 13 – July 18! A party atmosphere is highlighted by food and drink specials from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. and a live concert series following the last race. Post time for Sunset Racing is 3:00 p.m. The gates open at 11:00 a.m. for simulcasting, and there is no admission charged before 1:00 p.m.
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 After dominating wins in the Kentucky Derby (GI) and the Preakness (GI), Big Brown seeks to become the twelfth horse to win the prestigious Triple Crown. To accomplish this legendary feat, the strapping brown colt will need to emerge triumphant in the $1 Million Belmont Stakes (GI) on Saturday, June 7. Since Affirmed won the Triple Crown in 1978, there have been ten horses that have won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes before failing to capture the Belmont Stakes. The most recent was Smarty Jones, who lost the 2004 Belmont Stakes by one length to Birdstone. Big Brown’s main competition figures to be Casino Drive, the Japanese invader who seeks to become the third straight offspring out of the brilliant broodmare Better Than Honour to win the Belmont Stakes.
 Belmont Stakes Day is supercharged with six graded stakes! The $1 Million Guaranteed Pick 6 kicks off at 3:08 p.m. with the True North Handicap (GII), presented by Old Mutual, a dirt sprint for older horses. The turf racing heats up after that with the Just A Game (GI), presented by Emirates for fillies & mares going a mile. The $1 Million Guaranteed Pick 4 gets underway at 4:25 p.m. with 3-year-olds sprinting on the dirt in the Woody Stephens Handicap (GII). The 3-year-old fillies will then strut their stuff in the vaunted Acorn (GI) at a mile on the dirt. The day’s premier turf event is the Manhattan Handicap (GI), contested by older horses at a mile-and-a-quarter. Both the Pick 4 and the Pick 6 will conclude with the Belmont Stakes, at approximately 6:25 p.m. Please note that race times, orders, and sponsors are tentative, and are subject to change.
There is plenty of great graded action in June aside from Belmont Stakes Day! Saturday, June 14 features the Ogden Phipps Handicap (GI) for fillies & mares going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the dirt. Past champions of this storied race include champion mares Ashado, Beautiful Pleasure, and Serena’s Song, among others. The turf fillies & mares take center stage the following weekend, Saturday, June 21 in the New York Handicap (GII) at the mile-and-a-fourth distance.
June goes out with a bang on Saturday, June 28 with two great Grade I events. The feature is the Suburban Handicap (GI) presented by Shadwell Farm for older horses going a mile-and-a-quarter on the dirt. Invasor (2006) and Mineshaft (2003) both won this race en route to capturing Horse of the Year honors. Also on June 28, the 3-year-old fillies get their chance to shine in the regaled Mother Goose (GI), run at the distance of a mile-and-an-eighth. This race is always one of the highlights of the Belmont Spring/Summer meet.
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 Racing fans from all over can tune in to watch the 140th Running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 7. Television coverage of the day will be provided by ESPN from 12 noon to 5:00 p.m. and by ABC from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. You won’t want to miss the great racing, features, and analysis that both of these premium channels will be providing throughout the day. Post time for the Belmont Stakes is scheduled at approximately 6:25 p.m.
Congratulations to Michael Hall of Jeffersonville, Indiana, winner of the Belmont Stakes Prize Package! Michael will receive VIP tickets to the Belmont Stakes, round-trip airfare courtesy of Delta Air Lines, and a two-night stay at the Garden City Hotel. The runners-up were Keith Riccio of Brewster, New York, and Frank Repole of Valley Stream, New York. Thanks to everyone who participated!
 Join Jan Rushton for the Fabulous Fillies Day Luncheon, scheduled for Friday, June 6 at Belmont Park. The event will take place in the Belmont Room on the West Wing at 11:30 a.m., and includes box seats, a buffet lunch, a paddock visit, a Rags to Riches photo, a Belmont Stakes souvenir glass, and much more! In addition to those perks, attendees who wear their favorite Lilly Pulitzer dress will be eligible for great prizes. There will also be a television special on Rags to Riches, a look at the day’s races with Jan Rushton, and a seminar on thoroughbred ownership. For reservations, call Joanne Adams at 718.659.2262.
 The Rags to Riches Belmont Bash, hosted by The New York Racing Association and The Jockey Club, will be held Thursday, June 5, at The Clubhouse at Meadowbrook Pointe in Westbury, N.Y. Proceeds from the event will benefit Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and the Belmont Child Care Association. The Bash will feature a charity casino, dinner, musical entertainment by the Faze 4 Orchestra. Live and silent auctions will be held with many great items up for grabs! Online registration and donations for the Bash are available at the Belmont Child Care Association website.
 English racing fans are in for a special treat on Belmont Stakes Day. Starting at 9:00 a.m. that day, wagering will be available on the Epsom Downs card. Watch and wager on England’s most prestigious race, the Vodafone Derby (GI), with a post-time of 11:00 a.m.
 Countering national industry trends, the recently concluded 2008 winter and spring Aqueduct seasons saw significant growth in attendance, handle, and purses. All sources handle totaled $651,176,929, a 10.6 percent increase over last year’s $588,557,037. Purses were also up at Aqueduct, by 6.2 percent over last year. “The Aqueduct meet was very strong for NYRA particularly in comparison with the rest of the industry,” NYRA president and CEO Charles Hayward said. “We had strong handle and purses increases while the industry in the first quarter of 2008 had a decline in total handle by 3.1%, and a decline in purses of 1.5%. We very much appreciate the participation of our horsemen and our customers.”
 NYRA is going Public Access; Public Access Defibrillation that is! Employees and patrons will notice defibrillators affixed to the walls on each floor of NYRA tracks with a sign indicating "AED" (automatic external defibrillator). This was a key initiative in order to ensure the health and welfare of all NYRA patrons and employees. In addition, NYRA has begun to sponsor CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) awareness programs for all employees.
ATTENTION RACING FANS: Tuesday, June 3 is the final on-track dark day simulcast at Belmont Park. After this date there will be no more dark day simulcasting for the remainder of the summer. Simulcasting on non-live racing days is still available via NYRA Rewards Internet and Telebet wagering. To apply for a NYRA Rewards account, visit here. |
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 Each month we’ll take a trip to the backstretch and visit with a different jockey or trainer. This month we are thrilled to sit down with Kent Desormeaux, whose list of accomplishments would take a lifetime to cover. Inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2004, Desormeaux now gets an opportunity of which all jockeys dream. He will pilot Big Brown in the Belmont Stakes as the undefeated colt seeks to become the first Triple Crown Champion since Affirmed in 1978.
Kent Desormeaux makes his residence in Garden City, NY with his wife Sonia, and their two sons, Joshua, 15, and Jacob, 9.
Q: You’ve ridden many great horses. Where does Big Brown rank among those?
Big Brown is not only the fastest horse that I have ever ridden, but he is also the best horse that I have ever ridden. That is simply a fact. He is so good that it gives me the chills every time that I get on his back.
Q: What differentiates Big Brown from the other great horses that you have ridden?
The biggest thing is that he is so mindful to every need that I have as a jockey. He is just a cool, calm, and collected horse. One of his most valuable traits is the amazing fluidity of his stride. We went a half-mile in 45 seconds at Gulfstream and I thought we went 50. That’s how smooth Big Brown is.
Q: Have you noticed changes in Big Brown from when you first rode him at Gulfstream to now?
He has definitely grown as a racehorse in the last few months. In that Gulfstream allowance in March, he was extremely aggressive. He left the gate charging and I really had to settle him down. Now he just rides right off the fingertips as easy as can be.
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 Play the Super High Five! It is your opportunity at a life changing win in just a few minutes. Players select the top 5 finishers in order in one race. There have been $1 Super High Five payouts at Churchill and Hollywood in excess of $30,000! The wager is normally offered in the last race of the day at Churchill Downs, Hollywood Park, Arlington, River Downs, and Thistledown. With NYRA Rewards Internet Wagering, you can wager at your convenience and never miss a chance of a lifetime.
Do you have a NYRA Rewards account? With no minimum balance, no transaction fees, and cash back rewards, now is the time to sign up and start enjoying the bettor’s best bet! Wager more, and earn more cash back. Click here for the NYRA Rewards schedule. To apply for a NYRA Rewards account, visit here. Internet wagering is currently available to residents of New York State only.
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 This month we are proud to bring you a special podcast with Charles Hayward, NYRA President and Chief Executive Officer. We sat down to chat with him about the excitement surrounding the 140th Belmont Stakes, among other topics. Click on the icon in this section to hear the podcast.
 Casino Drive is the featured attraction for this month’s computer wallpaper and race replay. Trained by Kazuo Fujisawa, this 3-year-old colt made a scintillating Stateside debut in the Peter Pan (GII) at Belmont Park on May 10, winning by an astonishing 5-3/4 lengths. He will go to the Belmont Stakes with a family reputation to uphold, being a half-brother to the last two Belmont Stakes winners, Jazil and Rags to Riches. Be sure to check out our ode to his prolific broodmare, Better Than Honour. | |  |
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