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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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 With the first full month of spring comes the 2009 Belmont Park Spring/Summer Meet! Racing begins at legendary Belmont Park on Wednesday, April 29, and runs through Sunday, July 26. Live racing will be Wednesday through Sunday with the following three exceptions: Live racing on Memorial Day, Monday May 25, dark on Wednesday, May 27, dark on Sunday, June 7. The meet will feature 30 graded races including the $600,000 Shadwell Metropolitan Handicap (GI) on Monday, May 25, the $1,000,000 Belmont Stakes (GI) on Saturday, June 6, and the $500,000 Man o'War (GI) on Saturday, July 11. Click here for a full stakes schedule for the 2009 Belmont Park Spring/Summer Meet, and click here to download the official Spring/Summer Meet brochure.
 Save You Bucks opening month at Belmont Park! From opening day, Wednesday, April 29, through the end of May, fans coming to Belmont Park on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday will receive $1 off general parking, admission, beer, sodas, hot dogs, hamburgers, and pizza! It's a great deal that will result in savings for everyone that attends the races. Click here to read more about this great deal and some of the other great activities in store for the Belmont Park Spring/Summer Race Meet.
 The Daily Racing Form has entered into a partnership with The New York Racing Association to sponsor and provide analysts for an expanded and reformatted “Talking Horses” for the Saratoga race meet. “Talking Horses, Presented by Daily Racing Form” will be conducted in a live audience format in 2009. The popular longstanding daily television show will be extended to 45 minutes, 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. every racing day and broadcast live in the Carousel Restaurant facing the grandstand backyard. Click here for more information.
 Join The New York Racing Association on Monday, May 17 at Belmont Park for the Walk For St. Mary's Kids. In addition to the Walk, there will be a Family Fun Day benefiting programs and services for the children of St. Mary’s Healthcare System – the country’s preeminent provider of intensive rehabilitation and specialized care for young patients and their families. Every day, St. Mary’s cares for 4,000 children through its award-winning network of inpatient, home care and community-based programs. The Family Fun Day, beginning immediately after the Walk at the Marquee Tent, includes Pony Rides, Inflatables, Live Entertainment, Stage Performances, Special Guest Appearances, Games, Face Painting, Arts & Crafts, and much more. Click here for more information and to register for the Walk.
 The logo for the 2009 Shadwell Travers Stakes (G1) features the roofline of the Saratoga Race Course Clubhouse entrance on Nelson Avenue suspended above the race name and year and speaks to the race’s heritage as the cornerstone of the summer meeting. The $1 million Shadwell Travers, also known as “The Mid-Summer Derby,” is the oldest stakes race for three-year-olds in the United States and is the highlight of the Saratoga meeting. The long list of Travers winners includes such greats as Man o’War, Whirlaway, Native Dancer, and Alydar. Click here to read more. The 2009 Belmont Stakes logo was designed by Eric Johnston of Art Design Studios.
 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.
 The online Belmont Stakes 141 Super Store is now open for business! Featuring great merchandise with the brand new 2009 Belmont Stakes logo, the store has everything you could possibly want to celebrate the third leg of the Triple Crown in style. Shirts, hats, fleeces, glasses, sunglasses, and much more. Click here to shop the Belmont Stakes online store.
 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.
 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.
 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. |
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 Spring has arrived, and with it comes the opening of Belmont Park and a slew of tremendous graded races! The action swings into gear on both the dirt and the turf, and also includes simulcasts of both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. In addition, please note that there is live racing on Memorial Day, Monday 25, including the prestigious $600,000 Shadwell Metropolitan Handicap (GI). There is no live racing on Wednesday, May 27.
 Belmont Park opens with a bang on Wednesday, April 29! The graded action begins immediately with the Westchester (GIII) for 3-year-olds & up going 1-1/8 mile on the dirt. Last year’s winner, Divine Park, went on to win the Shadwell Metropolitan Handicap (GI), also at Belmont.
 The first Saturday in May, the 2nd, features a Kentucky Derby simulcast, but it also includes three graded races at Belmont Park. The Nassau County (GIII) is always a great test for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlong on the dirt. In addition, the day brings with it the return of New York turf stakes action with the Beaugay (GIII) for fillies & mares going 1-1/16 mile, and the Fort Marcy (GIII) for all 3-year-olds & up at the same 1-1/16 mile distance. The Fort Marcy boasts an impressive resume of winners, including Better Talk Now (2005), who went on to capture the prestigious Breeders’ Cup Turf.
 Saturday, May 9 features the Peter Pan (GII), a race that always features a number of very talented late blooming 3-year-old colts. Run at 1-1/8 mile on the dirt, last year’s rendition was won by Japanese import Casino Drive, a half-brother to Belmont Stakes winners Rags to Riches (2007) and Jazil (2006). Previous winners include successful stallions Grand Slam (1998), A.P. Indy (1992) and Seeking The Gold (1988).
 Belmont Park will have a terrific day of live racing for the Preakness Stakes simulcast on Saturday, May 16. The fillies & mares get their chance to shine in the Shuvee Handicap (GII), run at a mile on the dirt. The Shuvee always brings out the most talented fillies in the country, and has been won by racing stars such as Society Selection (2005 & 2007) and Breeders’ Cup Champion Storm Flag Flying (2004).
 The top long distance turf race in May for fillies & mares is the Sheepshead Bay (GII) on Saturday, May 23. Run at the stamina-testing distance of 1-3/8 mile, the Sheepshead Bay boasts an impressive list of past winners, including the amazing mares Mauralakana (2008) and Honey Ryder (2006-07). In addition to Honey Ryder, there have been four other mares that have won this race in back-to-back years, Maxzene (1997-98), Sabin (1983-84), Glowing Tribute (1976-77), and Princess Pout (1970-71).
 The only graded race on a Sunday in May is the Vagrancy Handicap (GII) on Sunday, May 24. Speed will be on abundant display in this race at the distance of 6-1/2 furlongs for fillies & mares. Some extremely fast fillies have won this race, including arguably the mist prolific female sprinter in NYRA’s history, Xtra Heat, who won the Vagrancy in 2002. All tolled, Xtra Heat won nine graded stakes races at New York tracks!
 Belmont Park’s richest race in May is the $600,000 Shadwell Metropolitan Handicap (GI) on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25. One of the most storied races in North America, the “Met Mile” is run on the Belmont dirt track and has been won by many of the greatest thoroughbreds in the history of the sport. From Equipoise (1932-33) to Native Dancer (1954) to Forego (1976-77) to Ghostzapper (2005), the list of Met Mile winners is comparable with any race for older horses in the country.
 The final graded race in May is the Sands Point (GII) on Saturday, May 30. An early graded test for 3-year-old fillies on the turf, this 1-1/8 mile race is always one of the most exciting of the season. It has propelled fillies like Wait a While (2006) onto extremely successful careers, in her case with 10 graded wins to this point. | |  |
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 NYRA has announced BelmontStakes.com, a website dedicated to the third jewel of racing's prestigious Triple Crown, will be launching soon! On this dynamic site you will find a tremendous amount of information about New York’s finest day of racing, scheduled this year for June 6. Stay up to date with current news and events, discuss great topics with our top crew of bloggers, visit our multimedia section for video race replays, photo galleries, and podcast interviews. There is also information on tickets, group sales opportunities, and everything else you will need to make it a great for Belmont Stakes Day. This website will be launching in the coming days, so stay tuned to NYRA.com for details!
 Belmont Park will open its Spring/Summer Meet on Wednesday with more than 50 improvements to the facilities, including upgrades to the spacious main building, the beautiful backyard, the vibrant backstretch area, and the legendary racetrack surfaces. “We are constantly looking for ways to improve our facilities,” said Charles Hayward, President and CEO of The New York Racing Association, Inc. “With the multitude of upgrades in place, our fans, horsemen, jockeys, backstretch workers, employees and horses will be treated to a safer, more efficient, and aesthetically pleasing Belmont Park.” Click here to read about all of the improvements.
 Beginning on Wednesday, April 29, NYRA will provide free shuttle bus service between Belmont Park and the Queens Village station of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) for its patrons affected by the suspension of the "Belmont Special" by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). The shuttles will depart the Queens Village station (corner of Springfield & Jamaica) at 12:30 P.M., while return service will be provided 15 minutes after the last live race. Bus service to Belmont Park remains unaffected by the cuts and fans can take either the Q2 or the Q110 from Jamaica directly to Belmont Park. Click here for more information.
 On April 4, Charles Hayward, President and CEO of The New York Racing Association, Inc. proudly presented a check for $1000 to the Ozone Howard Little League. For many years, NYRA has donated its land to the Ozone Howard Little League for playing fields for the 900 children who play on 70 teams! This year, NYRA is proud to sponsor the 2009 Aqueduct team!
 A respected expert in Pari-Mutuel operations, Patrick Mahony has been promoted to the post of Senior Vice President of Mutuels, The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced today. His previous title had been Vice President of Pari-Mutuel Operations. Mahony joined NYRA in 2003 after a distinguished career at Gulfstream Park, Calder, Hialeah, Atlantic City Race Track, Garden State Race Track, and Monmouth Park. Click here to read more.
 As part of continued efforts to enhance the safety and welfare of jockeys and horses, The New York Racing Association, Inc. will now broadcast live, head-on video of all NYRA races directly into the chase ambulance that follows the horses around the track during each race. This real-time video feed, shown on a monitor mounted to the passenger-side dashboard, is intended to give the emergency medical technicians in the ambulance an unobstructed view of the events on track throughout a race and better inform them about the exact nature of an accident. Click here to read more about this important initiative.
 Get ready for great live television broadcasts from Saratoga! MSG Plus, in partnership with The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), announced a strong slate of live horse racing programming for this summer. Starting on Saturday, August 1, the network will telecast five “Saturdays at Saratoga,” going live from the historic Saratoga Race Course for eight championship caliber stakes. Jason Blewitt, Eric Donovan and Andy Serling will provide commentary for the telecasts. Click here to read more details.
 NYRA Now, a 30-minute Sirius Satellite Radio show dedicated exclusively to racing at Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course, can be heard on Saturdays from 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. 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 Saturday afternoons, including major graded races from Saratoga and Belmont Park.
 NYRA was very proud to be named one of the 2009 Spirit of Preservation Award winner by the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation. Each year the Preservation Foundation recognizes individuals or organizations that have contributed to the overall quality of life in Saratoga Springs through their hard work and dedication to the ideals of historic preservation. The New York Racing Association is being recognized for its stewardship of the Saratoga Race Course. Said the Preservation Foundation in a news release, “Since 1955, NYRA has retained the historic integrity of the track through maintenance of over 200 structures and landscapes, as well as honored the character of the race course when making upgrades and changes.” The May 8 awards presentation will take place at the Saratoga Automobile Museum, beginning at 6 p.m. For more information contact Marjorie King Martin, programs director, Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation, 518-587-5030, mking@saratogapreservation.org, or visit the foundation’s web site at www.saratogapreservation.org.
 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.
 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.
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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 C.C. “Chuck” Lopez, one of the leading riders at the 2009 Aqueduct meet. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Lopez, 48, has won close to 3,900 races during his 30-year career, and has a rich family history of jockey success. He is one of the best jockeys in the sport at getting a horse to break quickly from the gate and relax on the lead.
Lopez lives in Manalapan, NJ with his wife Erika, and their sons, Erick, 21, and David, 19.
Q: Your father, Carlos Lopez Sr. was a successful jockey for more than 40 years. How much of an influence was he on you growing up?
He definitely had an influence. My first love was actually space. I’m a big Star Trek fan. I loved rockets and spaceships and wanted to be Captain Kirk. But around the age of six or seven I began to develop an interest in what my father did for a living. I’d go to the races and see how big of a star he was, and decided that I wanted to follow in his footsteps. My dad is my hero.
Q: Your first victory was at Keystone Racetrack in Pennsylvania on January 15, 1979. Do you remember that race, and what that experience was like?
The horse’s name was Foolish Tracy, and I distinctly remember that it was extremely cold that day! It was the second race of the day and we broke from the second post position as the odds-on favorite. It was the fourth race of my career and it was so cold that I could barely raise the whip. My fingers were frozen. The horse lugged in during the stretch, but because my hands were frozen I couldn’t switch the whip to my other hand. We won though, and what made it more exciting was that I beat one of my idols, [jockey] Tony Black, by a narrow margin. After the race they initiated me by dumping water and shaving cream on me.
It was awful. I’ll always remember how cold it was that day!
Q: When did you come to the New York circuit and how did you make that decision?
I came to New York in 1993 or 1994, I can’t remember exactly which of those years. I made that decision because I did so well at Philly and Garden State in 1993. I won around 250 races that year and towards the end of the year I decided I wanted to broaden my horizons. Some of my top outfits like Ben Perkins and John Dowd came to Aqueduct for the inner dirt track, and with my unique riding style of speed they made me a star. I was able to showcase my abilities and everyone at Aqueduct started to ride me. My move to Aqueduct was significant for me personally as my father was an apprentice jockey at Aqueduct in 1963.
Q: You captured your 3,000th victory January 22, 2004 aboard Sunnyridge Sam at Aqueduct. How much did that victory mean to you?
It was great to be able to do it at a place like Aqueduct and it was a very special day for me. Really, anytime you win a race in New York it means something, because people are watching from all over.
Q: Your son Erick is a 21-year-old apprentice jockey who rides at Aqueduct. Did you always think he might become a jockey?
My wife and I didn’t know what he was going to do. He has several interests. When he finally decided to set down and become a rider, he learned a lot of it himself. I tried to teach him all the things I do, but I believe there are many things that need to be experienced to be learned. He has the ability to learn by experience.
Q: What is it like riding against your son in a race? How competitive are you two?
There was a race a month ago where we were at the head of the stretch locked in a duel, and he gave me all I could handle. But I guess experience prevailed because I won the race. We are very competitive, but I always worry about him when we’re out there. I’m trying to do my job, but I also can’t help always thinking where he is, is he alright, that sort of thing. And I always look for him after the race. Like any parent, I worry about him. My other son, David, is going to start riding at Monmouth soon, so I am looking forward to that. At one point I might be in a race with both of them!  | |  |
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 Express Funding is available for NYRA Rewards Mobile Wagering devices! Also 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 available 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.
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! Click here to sign up for a new account. |
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