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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!
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 It's a FREE for all for the entirety of the upcoming Aqueduct meet. When fans come to Aqueduct, they will find several pricing changes in effect. Aqueduct clubhouse admission will be free, a savings of $1.00. The free policy will extend to the popular Skyline Club level, which formerly cost an additional $1.00 or a total of $2.00 to enter. General parking will also be free, while the $5.00 fee for both clubhouse parking and valet parking represents no net change over last season.
 NYRA is proud to host the first annual Elmont Fall Clean-Up Day on Saturday, November 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In partnership with the Elmont Coalition for Sustainable Development, the Elmont Community Coalition, and the Elmont Chamber of Commerce, Clean-Up Day is an important step in implementing Elmont’s Community Vision Planning Process. Volunteers should convene at Belmont Park’s Marquee Tent at 10 a.m. to register. NYRA will provide transportation to six locations along Hempstead Turnpike to clean up the community, and all volunteers will receive a Belmont Park T-Shirt. For more information, contact Joanne Adams at jadams@nyrainc.com.
 The 2008 Aqueduct Handicapping Challenge is scheduled for Saturday, November 15 and Sunday, November 16. The first three finishers will be eligible for The 2009 Daily Racing Form National Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas on January 23 and 24, with NYRA providing hotel and air fare accommodations. For more information on the 2008 Aqueduct Handicapping Challenge, click here.
 Get into the game with the Pick the Pros and Ponies contest every Sunday during the NFL season. Not only can you watch all of the NFL games each week, you can also participate in a contest to win $1,000. All you have to do is select the winners of four designated NFL games and two designated Belmont races. Call (516) 488-6000 for more information about the Pick the Pros and Ponies contest.
 NYRA Nation, the official fan club of The New York Racing Association, is off to a strong start! Joining NYRA Nation is completely free, and members will receive an official member card, a custom lapel pin (on-track sign-ups only), and gain access to many exclusive benefits, including automatic entry into random draws to win a VIP Day at the Races, NYRA Gift Packages, and much more. Sign up for free at the NYRA Nation entry page or in person at the track.
 Your Event...Our Venue...Imagine the Possibilities! The NYRA Group Sales team has a brand new website, located at www.nyragroupsales.com. The site features cutting edge graphics and has all the information you need to make your next group outing a tremendous success. Visit the site right now to get great information on bringing a group of any size to Aqueduct, Belmont Park, or Saratoga. |
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 The Aqueduct Fall Racing Meet gets off to a sterling start with ten graded stakes races during the month of November, in addition to a great day of New York Stallion Stakes. There is graded action on every Saturday during the month with a mix of races run over the turf and the dirt. Don’t forget about Aqueduct’s traditional great racing on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday. Normal post time during the month of November is 12:30 p.m., with a few exceptions, as noted below.
 The highlight of the Aqueduct Fall Racing Meet is the $300,000 Hill ‘n’ Dale Cigar Mile Handicap (GI) on Saturday, November 29. A grueling test of both speed and stamina, this race has a well-earned reputation for producing winners that go on to successful careers at stud, including Forty Niner (1988), Quiet American (1990), Rubiano (1991), and El Corredor (2000), to name a few. Recent notable winners include Congaree (2002, 2003), Discreet Cat (2006), and Daaher (2007).
 There is an early 12:25 p.m. post time on Saturday, November 29, and in addition to the Hill ‘n’ Dale Cigar Mile Handicap, the card also features two of the top races in the world for 2-year-olds on the dirt. The colts get to show off in the $200,000 Remsen (GII), while the fillies can strut their stuff in the $200,000 Demoiselle (GII). These two races offer unique glimpses of the 3-year-old classics since they are run at the 1-1/8 distance, one that most of the entrants will be attempting for the first time. Recent Remsen winners include high-profile horses such as Bluegrass Cat (2005), Nobiz Like Shobiz (2006), and Court Vision (2007).
The New York Stallion Stakes Series celebrates a significant day of racing on Sunday, November 9. There will be six stakes races worth a cool $500,000, all restricted to horses sired by nominated New York Stallions. The highlights of the day are the Fifth Avenue Division for 2-year-old fillies and the Great White Way Division for all 2-year-olds, both at the six furlong distance.
 The first weekend of the Aqueduct Fall Racing Meet features three graded races with a mix of turf and dirt action. The ladies on the lawn will get to stretch their legs on Saturday, November 1 in the Long Island Handicap (GIII) going 1-1/2 mile. Sunday, November 2 includes two graded events for 2-year-olds on the dirt. The Nashua (GIII) and the Tempted (GIII) will both be run at the mile distance, the former an open event and the latter restricted to fillies. The Nashua has a long and storied honor roll highlighted recently by 2006 winner Bluegrass Cat, who went on to almost win the Kentucky Derby.
 The following three Saturdays are highlighted by graded routes. Saturday, November 8 features the Red Smith Handicap (GII) for 3-year-olds and up going 1-3/8 mile on the turf. Saturday, November 15 is headlined by the Stuyvesant Handicap (GIII) at 1-1/8 mile on the grass for 3-year-olds and up. And Saturday, November 22 spotlights the 3-year-olds as they do battle in the Discovery Handicap (GIII) at 1-1/8 mile on the main track. Astonishingly, all three of these premier races have been won by Aqueduct fan favorite Evening Attire, who won the Red Smith in 2002, the Stuyvesant in 2005, and the Discovery in 2001.
In addition to the Hill ‘n’ Dale Cigar Mile Handicap (GI), there are a few other stakes races on Thanksgiving week. Thursday, November 27, there is a special Thanksgiving Day post time of 11:25 a.m. and a card that features the Fall Highweight Handicap for 3-year-olds and up sprinting on the main track. Black Friday, November, Friday 28, features a 12:25 p.m. post time and the Top Flight Handicap (GII) for fillies and mares going a mile on the main track. Many top class fillies have visited the winner’s circle after the Top Flight, including Sightseek in 2002.
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 Be sure to check out NYRA Video, the official Youtube channel of The New York Racing Association. This groundbreaking website will host a slew of informative and entertaining NYRA programming, including Trips & Traps, a weekly recap show hosted by Andy Serling and Eric Donovan. The show will highlight races from the prior week that feature interesting horses to watch out for in the coming months.Questions, comments, and suggestions about the show are encouraged, and can be emailed to trips&traps@nyrainc.com.
 The New York Racing Association is proud to be part of the new Global Shoes exhibit at the Long Island Children's Museum. The exhibit explores the everyday world of shoes to introduce children and families to people and places around the world. The bilingual exhibit also features a local component, Neighborhood Soles, displaying shoes associated with Long Island people and professions. Included among those are a horseshoe worn by 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide (currently stabled at Belmont Park), and Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado's riding boots. Global Shoes will run through January 4, 2009. For additional information, contact 516-224-5800 or visit www.licm.org.
The New York Racing Association hosted Evening Attire Day on Saturday, October 25 at Belmont Park. Highlighting the day was the great grey's appearance on track and a winner's circle presentation for his connections. Among the special presentation was a book written by his many fans, who were asked to submit their favorite Evening Attire memory. These heartwarming entries can be viewed here. Evening Attire enjoyed tremendous success at Aqueduct Racetrack, and won nearly $3 million in 69 lifetime starts. While trainer Pat Kelly ranks his Evening Attire's Jockey Club Gold Cup victory and his upset of War Cry as his favorite races, the grey gelding’s fans were just as delighted with his improbable victory in the Grade 3 Queens County Handicap at Aqueduct last December.
.jpg) Jockey John Velazquez reached a historic milestone at Belmont Park on Sunday, September 28 when he guided One Fein Stable’s Rogue Agent to a six-length victory in the muddy first race for his 4,000th career victory. Velazquez, 36, began his riding career in Puerto Rico after having attended jockey school there, and rode his first winner, Rodas, in 1990 at El Commandante. In March of that year, under the guidance of Hall of Fame rider Angel Cordero Jr., now his agent, he moved to New York, where he has been among the top 10 jockeys every year since 1991.The leading rider in New York from 2001-2004, Velazquez just completed another successful meet at Saratoga Race Course, where he finished second in the jockey standings to Alan Garcia.
 In order to offer an enhanced wagering menu, Rolling Daily Doubles and additional Superfecta opportunities are available during the Aqueduct Fall Meeting. Superfectas are offered on NYRA races without entries or fields that have at least eight betting interests carded, or seven if a late scratch occurs from paddock to post. |
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 Each month we’ll take a trip to the backstretch and visit with a different jockey or trainer. For this issue, the focus is on Rajiv Maragh, a young jockey that has taken the New York tracks by storm this year. Born in Jamaica, the 23-year-old Maragh finished third in wins during both the 2008 Belmont Spring Meet (52 wins) and the 2008 Aqueduct Winter Meet (75). After finishing 40th in national jockey earnings last year, he has made an astonishing leap in 2008 and is currently hovering near the top ten. Maragh enjoyed success at the top level of New York-racing this year as well, winning graded races on Rite Moment and Hostess.
Majagh is currently single and makes his home in Elmont, NY.
Q: How did you first get involved with horses?
Growing up in Jamaica, my father, my mother’s brother, and a few of my uncles were jockeys. Once you get into horse racing, it grasps you and doesn’t let go. The other kids at school wanted to be doctors and lawyers, but all I ever wanted was to be a jockey.
Q: Do you remember your first win?
My first win came at Tampa Bay Downs on February 1, 2004. I picked up the mount on a horse named Pricedale Kid in a claiming race after the jockey who was supposed to ride him didn’t show up. He won the race, giving me my first victory in my ninth career start. Two weeks later my second win came on the same horse! Me and Pricedale Kid really got along well together.
Q: You broke in at Monmouth as a teenager and won honors as that track’s top apprentice in 2004. Was that a big confidence boost for you? What were your first few years at the track like?
It absolutely was, and it was a very windy road that led to my success at Monmouth. In 2004, after Gulfstream ended, I went to Tampa and won a few races, and then went to Calder Race Course and won a few races. After that, I decided to go to the New York circuit for the spring. Unfortunately, I had a lot of trouble getting good mounts and I didn’t have a lot of success. At the end of that experiment, I decided to try out Monmouth, and my jockey agent got me on a lot of very live horses. At that point my career really began to take off, and it was a big turning point for me. After that pivotal Monmouth meet, I went to the Meadowlands and also had a very successful meet as an apprentice.
Following that Meadowlands meet in 2004, my plan was to ride at Aqueduct during the winter. I started off the meet ok, but not great, and during the ten-day break in December I went down to ride at Gulfstream. Keep in mind that being from Jamaica, I’m used to warmer weather and Aqueduct was a bit cold, so my two-week break in Florida actually turned into the entire meet! It may not have been a great move, but it actually worked out well for me because a lot of my New Jersey connections went to Gulfstream. During that meet I ran away with the apprentice standings, and things kept getting better and better.
At the end of April 2005 I lost my apprentice bug, which means that the horses I rode didn’t get a weight allowance any more. That is always a telling time for a jockey, but fortunately for me, the connections that I had made stuck with me. I maintained most of my customers and they began getting a lot more comfortable with me. It really worked out well.
Q: This was your first year riding at Saratoga, the most prestigious track in the country. You finished a very good seventh in wins with 19, and won a graded race. What was the experience like for you, and what did you learn that may help you next year?
The experience, atmosphere and people in Saratoga are amazing. It has the best horses, the best fans, and the best competition, so you get a different feeling. You feel like there is a lot to accomplish, and there is a lot to prove. Being at Aqueduct and Belmont is great and you know everybody, but at Saratoga it is a blend of people from all over. Race wise, it’s a smaller track with tighter turns that requires more aggressive riding. So I learned you need to fine-tune your style and how you position horses. That is especially true on the turf, which features extremely tight turns, not the sweeping turns at Belmont. The racing has a much faster pace at Saratoga.
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