 |
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!
|
|  | |
|
 | |
 |
 In order to make your weekend that much better, NYRA is offering a $250,000 Guaranteed Late Pick Four Saturdays at Aqueduct! That means that if the total amount wagered on the late Pick Four is less than $250,000, NYRA will supplement the additional money to meet the guarantee. The late Pick Four is a wager that comprises the final four races of the Aqueduct card, usually starting with race six. Please note that on March 7, Gotham Stakes Day, the late Pick Four will start with race seven.
 Celebrate St. Patrick's Day at Aqueduct Racetrack with a festive afternoon on Saturday, March 14! The Equestris Restaurant will get an Irish makeover that any fan of racing, great food and drink, and top entertainment will not want to miss. There will be an Irish-themed buffet, Harp and Guinness specials, Irish step dancers, door prizes, gift certificate giveaways and much more! The gourmet buffet will open at 12 noon. For reservations, please call 888.285.5961 or email dsolimine@nyrainc.com.
 Fasig-Tipton Company, Inc. and the New York Racing Association, Inc. announced a partnership to develop the inaugural Fasig-Tipton Festival of Racing at Saratoga Race Course for the second weekend of the season, Saturday, August 8 and Sunday, August 9, 2009. Featured stakes races the weekend of the Festival include the 82nd running of the Grade 1 $750,000 Whitney Handicap and the 84th running of the Grade 1, $300,000 Test on Saturday, August 8. In addition to the featured races, a variety of events are planned for the weekend including a Jockey Challenge, Best Turned Out horse contests, a speaker series featuring Legends of Racing, and a handicapping contest for fans. As the festival draws closer, further details of these events will be released.
 The 2009 NYRA Calendar is now on sale at the online NYRA Store! This is a must-have item for any racing fan, with vivid action photos of 2008's best races, horses, jockeys, and much more. The calendar has brilliant images of Curlin, Commentator, Tale of Ekati, Colonel John, and Proud Spell, to name just some. All in all there are more than 50 photos in the calendar, along with the complete 2009 NYRA Stakes Schedule to help plan your trips to the track. You can order the calendar at the online NYRA Store for only $10!
 NYRA fans are in store for another fantastic year in 2009, chock full of all of the great racing action that they have come to expect. As always, highlights include the Met Mile, the Belmont Stakes, the prestigious Saratoga Meet, the Jockey Club Gold Cup, the Hill 'n' Dale Cigar Mile, and much, much more. Click here for a list of some of the top races and events that NYRA has planned for 2009!
 Learn more about many of the great trainers that have hung their tack in New York with On The Record, a series of candid interviews about what goes on behind-the-scenes at the racetrack. The first series of interviews feature inside looks at legends such as Billy Turner, who trained Seattle Slew to the 1977 Triple Crown, and Pat Kelly, who guided Evening Attire to become one of the most successful horses ever to race in New York. Visit the On The Record Website to watch the amazing pieces.
 Get up close and personal with the NYRA Jockey Colony! NYRA.com now features Jockey Video Cards. Find out why Alan Garcia loves riding in New York, what Rajiv Maragh's favorite pastime is, what Johnny V's idea of a perfect vacation is, and much, much more. The Jockey Video Card Website will be constantly updated with new faces among the NYRA Jockey Colony.
 Tune in to Trips & Traps, NYRA's groundbreaking online handicapping show! Join hosts Andy Serling and Eric Donovan for an insiders look at horses to watch or horses to watch out for. On this weekly show, Andy and Eric scrutinize replays of races to find horses that have a reason to perform much better in future races. You will learn how to better scrutinize replays for information that's not necessarily in the past performance charts.Trips & Traps is only available at NYRA's official Youtube site.
 Aqueduct Racetrack offers dark day simulcasts on Mondays and Tuesdays. Fans will be able to bet at Aqueduct’s second-floor simulcast center, and mutuel clerks, self-service terminals and concession stand service will be available. There is no charge for admission or general parking at Aqueduct for either live racing days (Wednesdays through Sundays) or simulcast-only days. Parking and admission gates will open at 11:30 a.m., with the final simulcast race going off at approximately 6:30 p.m. NYRA Rewards members can also wager seven days a week by phone, online and now through mobile devices such as BlackBerry's, iPhones, and Windows- and Java-based applications.
 Your Event...Our Venue...Imagine the Possibilities! The NYRA Group Sales team has a dedicated website, located at www.nyragroupsales.com. The site features cutting edge graphics and has all the information you need to make your next group or corporate outing a tremendous success. Visit the site right now to get great information on bringing |
|  |
 |
|
 March is a great month for Aqueduct racing fans as the graded stakes action strides into gear on the inner dirt track. First up is the prestigious $250,000 Gotham (GIII) on Saturday, March 7. The race, for 3-year-olds going 1-1/16 mile, is the first major New York stepping stone to the Kentucky Derby and the Triple Crown. Last year’s rendition was won by Visionaire, who went on to win the NetJets King’s Bishop (GI) at Saratoga. In 2000, Red Bullet used the Gotham as a stepping stone to victory in the Preakness.
 Also on Saturday, March 7 is the Toboggan (GIII), a six furlong race for older horses that always draws a top flight competitive field. Sir Greeley captured the Toboggan last year, putting an exclamation mark on a stellar career that included a 2nd-place finish in the Carter Handicap (GI), also run at Aqueduct. Multiple GI winner Affirmed Success was also a mainstay in the Toboggan, winning back-to-back running’s in 2002 and 2003.
 The up-and-coming 3-year-old fillies get their chance to shine in the Cicaca (GIII) on Saturday, March 14. Speed will be on display for this race, set to be contested going six furlongs. While the race debuted in 1993, it boasts a very talented honor roll that includes GI winners Xtra Heat (2001) and Finder’s Fee (2000).
 The top graded race in March features the older female sprinters as they dash for cash in the six furlong Distaff Handicap (GII). This race is scheduled for Saturday, March 21, and is always one of the top filly & mare dirt sprints of the year. In 2007, it was won by Maryfield, who went on to win the prestigious Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Last year, Rite Moment’s victory was one of the highlights of the Aqueduct meet for leading owner and trainer combination Winning Move Stable and Gary Contessa, along with jockey Rajiv Maragh. The final graded race of the month is on Saturday, March 28, as the top older fillies & mares get to stretch their legs in the 1-1/8 mile Next Move (GIII). It’s March’s top stamina test for graded horses at Aqueduct, and should be a tremendous race. In 2006, Fleet Indian used a victory in the Next Move to launch a scintillating 5-year-old campaign that included wins in the Beldame (GI) and the Personal Ensign Handicap (GI).
 March’s stakes schedule comes to a close on Sunday the 29 with the New York Stallion Stakes. The 3-year-old fillies will go six furlongs in the Park Avenue Division, while the 3-year-old colts will compete in the Times Square Division. The 2007 Times Square Division was captured by Bustin’ Stones, one of the most talented New York-breds in recent history.
| |  |
 |
 NYRA Now, a 30-minute Sirius Satellite Radio show dedicated exclusively to racing at Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course, will debut Saturday, March 7 from 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Hosted by Dave Johnson and Bill Finley, NYRA Now will air on Sirius Channel 122 and XM Channel 143 and will be available to 20 million Sirius XM subscribers. It will offer race handicapping analysis, interviews with owners, trainers and jockeys, and much more. There will also be a number of live races aired during the afternoon, beginning with New York’s final major prep for the Kentucky Derby, the Grade 1, $750,000 Wood Memorial for three-year-olds at nine furlongs on Saturday, April 4.
 Please note that first post at Aqueduct will return to 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11. This follows on the heels of daylight savings time, which is on Sunday, March 8. The switch to a later posts always signals the return of spring and the start of the major graded stakes season at Aqueduct! Post time will remain at 1:00 p.m. (with a few notable exceptions) until October 28, when it returns to 12:30 p.m.
 The racetrack is one of the most unique and colorful communities you will find, featuring a diverse group of people with varied backgrounds and talents. At NYRA, one of the people that specializes in making sure that all aspects of the racing product run smoothly is Bruce Johnstone. His title is Manager of Racing Operations, but in reality, there isn't any one title that can properly communicate all of the functions that he performs. If it concerns racing, it involves Johnstone. From trainers to jockeys, from EMTs to the stall office, from the clockers to the gate crew, and everything in between, the 65-year-old former trainer works with virtually every group associated with racing operations. Click here to read more about NYRA's "Racing Go-to-Guy."
 On a typical Thursday afternoon, many teenagers would be happy to go straight home from school, stretch out on the couch, and turn on the television for an hour or so. But for a group of students from Jericho High School, Thursday afternoon means something more than just free time. Every week, 17-year-old Lindsey Dubb and five other juniors and seniors head to Anna House, the day-care center and pre-school on the backstretch at Belmont Park, where they volunteer their time to tutor the school-age children of the backstretch workers from 4:30 until 6 p.m. Click here to read the full story.
 When Haynesfield cruised home in the February 7 Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct, Turtle Bird Stable Manager Carol Seaver was overjoyed, but not surprised. Seaver privately purchased the three-year-old Speightstown colt for Harvey Weinstein’s Turtle Bird Stable late in 2008. Since then, Haynesfield has won three straight stakes for the up-and-coming stable, and is on track for a start in the Gotham Stakes on March 7 at Aqueduct. Click here to read more about Seaver.
 NYRA has unveiled the logo for the 141st running of the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of horse racing's prestigious Triple Crown. The 2009 Belmont Stakes logo features the New York skyline shaded by a stylized version of Belmont Park’s trademark white pine, the 186-year-old tree in the center of the Belmont Paddock. The race will be held Saturday, June 6, with ABC-TV and ESPN providing live coverage of the day’s events. It's now been more than 30 years since Affirmed swept the 1978 Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont Stakes), becoming the 11th horse to accomplish the feat. Since then, there have been eleven horses (most recently Big Brown last year) that won the Derby and Preakness before failing in the Belmont Stakes, illustrating why the race is nicknamed the "Test of the Champion." The 2009 Belmont Stakes logo was designed by Eric Johnston of Art Design Studios.
 NYRA has launched a brand new Community Relations website! This site will stay updated with all of the great events that NYRA is organizing and taking part in with the communities surrounding their racetracks. Some of the recent organizations and events that NYRA helped out with were Toys For Tots, the Manhassat Food Drive & Holiday Show, Jamaica Hospital, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Bookmark the NYRA Community Relations website to keep informed of all these important events.
 The NYRA Group Sales department has unveiled a new video that has all the details you need to make your next special occasion a truly memorable one. Combine the thrill of thoroughbred racing with world-class dining and service at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park, or Saratoga Race Course. Let one of NYRA's spectacular venues and staff host your next special occasion. NYRA has the capabilities to handle everything from corporate events to fund raisers, proms to weddings…the possibilities are limitless. Click here to view the new NYRA Group Sales video, or visit the NYRA Group Sales Website.
 “The History and Art of 25 Travers," written by former racing industry executive Vic Zast, was selected by the Schenectady (NY) Gazette as one of the Top 10 Books of the Year 2008. The books selected were chosen because of the quality of their writing. The list included books written by three Pulitzer Prize winners and an Edgar Award winner. Zast’s book is about the last 25 Travers Stakes, each captured graphically in the longest continuing series of sporting art in the world – the Travers posters of Greg Montgomery, an artist from Saratoga Springs, NY. “The History and Art of 25 Travers” was published by North Country Books, Utica, NY. More information about the award-winning book, including ordering information, can be found at this website.
 NYRA is now on Facebook and MySpace! The pages enable users of those two websites to interact with other NYRA fans, stay updated on NYRA events, view NYRA racing photos, and much more. With more than 60 million users, Facebook’s fastest-growing demographic is those 25 years and older, while MySpace remains the largest social networking site in North America with 110 million monthly users, 85 percent of whom are over the age of 18. Click here to access the NYRA Facebook page, and click here to access the NYRA MySpace page. |
|  |
 |
 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 Mike Luzzi, a veteran jockey who is a mainstay on the New York circuit. Luzzi, 39, was born in Delaware and has ridden at East Coast tracks almost exclusively. In 2008 he finished tenth among all jockeys with 86 victories at NYRA tracks. He has won more than 80 New York stakes races in his career. Mike’s grandfather was the legendary Mid-Atlantic trainer Buddy Raines, who had a major role in raising him and his brother, John.
Luzzi makes his residence in Floral Park, N.Y. with his wife Tania, their son Lane, 12, and their daughter Larue, 8.
Q: How did you first get involved with horses?
My grandfather was a trainer and both my brother and uncle were jockeys, so I was around horses a lot as a kid. I always watched my brother and uncle ride horses and my family’s connection to the industry really gave me a boost into the business.
Q: When did you decide that you wanted to be a jockey?
When I was a young kid, I went back and forth on whether I wanted to become a jockey. One of the deciding moments for me was in 1978 when I watched Steve Cauthen win the Triple Crown on Affirmed. That was when I knew I definitely wanted to become a jockey. Fast forward to 1987, and when I finished school, I immediately went to work at the racetrack.
Q: Do you remember your first win?
I sure do. It came in November 1988 at Laurel on a 35-1 longshot named Tis a Sir. Most of the horses I rode early in my career were big longshots. They were typically horses that were coming off layoffs and needed a race, first-timers, or horses that might not have belonged in that class of race. That was by design. Riding horses like those teaches you a lot more than riding a horse that is clearly the best in the race. Tis a Sir was my 71st mount, so by that time I was definitely ready for that first win.
Q: Your first Grade One victory came in November 1991 on Timely Warning, a horse trained by your grandfather, in the Brooklyn Handicap at Aqueduct. Describe what that meant to you.
I had been riding Timely Warning for my grandfather and earlier that same year won the Maryland Classic on him. I made the trip to ride him for the Brooklyn Handicap at Aqueduct and he put in a really impressive performance. That was quite a thrill.
Q: The current make-up of the Aqueduct Jockey Room includes a lot of younger kids. How is your relationship with them? Are you able to act as a mentor?
You do have the ability to act as a mentor to some of the younger jockeys. They are supposed to absorb information, and it usually comes from older jockeys. However, I used to volunteer a lot of advice to the younger riders, but now I think you should wait until they ask. If you give advice to someone that isn’t necessarily looking for help, they won’t take it to heart as much as if they are asking for guidance. | |  |
 |
 Express Funding is coming soon for NYRA Rewards Mobile Wagering devices! Already available via the internet, phone, and live tellers, express funding allows NYRA Rewards members to instantly deposit up to $500 into their accounts. Express funding is expected to be available soon for the following mobile devices: BlackBerrys, iPhones, and Windows and Java-based devices. With NYRA Rewards Mobile Wagering, you can access account wagering essentials anytime and from anywhere. You can get entries, live odds, race results, and wager on the entire NYRA Rewards simulcast menu. Members must be registered for NYRA Rewards Internet Wagering before using the mobile application. Click here for more information and for instructions. NYRA Rewards Mobile Wagering is specially designed for horseracing fans and as is Powered by SONA! Sona Mobile, Inc. is the leading provider of secure software solutions for gaming and entertainment applications.
 The NYRA Rewards Players Club is the best spot at Aqueduct for NYRA Rewards members to take in a day at the races. Located in the Sunny Jim Room at Aqueduct, Players Club members can watch the races on a wall of big-screen televisions or on their own individual betting terminals. Access to the Players Club is based on NYRA Rewards account wagering activity, with certain thresholds required to receive a membership card. Entry to the Players Club for members is on first-come, first-serve basis each day. Complimentary coffee service is provided on a regular basis. In the future, quarterly benefits will be rolled out to members based on wagering levels, which will include vouchers for track amenities such as food and beverage, Post Parades, Daily Racing Forms, valet parking, and guest passes.
With no minimum balance, no wagering fees, express funding, and cash back rewards, now is the time to sign up and start enjoying racing’s finest wagering platform offering unparalleled privileges! To learn more about NYRA Rewards, click here for a brochure. |
|  |
| |
|
