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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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 Fans of Rachel Alexandra can connect with the star 3-year-old filly on her own website, “Rachel’s Sandbox," set up by NYRA, as she prepares for a summer campaign that began with a near 20-length romp in the Grade 1 Mother Goose at Belmont Park on Saturday, June 27, and could include races at historic Saratoga Race Course. The multimedia site gives fans an interactive experience and allows them to keep up with the latest news and information on Rachel Alexandra as she looks to make history over the summer. Fans can view a Rachel Alexandra photo gallery, peruse career past performances and pedigree, comment on blogs and participate in a poll on the website, which also contains a “Fun Stuff” section featuring downloadable wallpaper, coloring pages, and fun facts about the fabulous filly. Fans can visit “Rachel’s Sandbox” at www.nyra.com/rachel
 Celebrate Independence Day at Belmont Park on Saturday, July 4th! Fans are invited to come barbecue, picnic, and enjoy the best thoroughbred racing in the world! It's a great day of racing scheduled, with three tremendous stakes races! The 3-year-old filly sprinters get their chance to prove their speed in the Prioress (GI) at six furlongs on the dirt. Also on July 4 is the storied Suburban Handicap (GII) for older horses going 1-1/4 mile on the dirt, and the Dwyer (GII), a 1-1/16 mile dirt race for 3-year-olds that invariably produces top contenders for the big Saratoga races. The day will also feature live music from noon - 4:00 p.m. on the Backyard Stage, as the Vincent Roccaro Band and the Legends of American Jazz will delight fans. It's a day not to be missed!
 It's almost time! Saratoga Race Course’s Opening Day is set for Wednesday, July 29th. It will be the 141st season of the racing meet commonly thought of as the best meet in the country. The meet runs 36 days from Wednesday, July 29 through Monday, September 7, with live racing six days a week, Wednesday through Monday. There will be 34 graded stakes races, an average of nearly one per day, and 15 prestigious Grade 1 races. The marquee day of the meet is Shadwell Travers Day on Saturday, August 29, with the $1 million Shadwell Travers (GI), the $300,000 NetJets King's Bishop (GI), the $300,000 Ballerina (GI), and two other great graded races! Click here to see the official 2009 Saratoga brochure and click here to read the Saratoga Fact Sheet.
 NYRA is offering a $350,000 Guaranteed Late Pick 4 Saturdays at Belmont Park during the 2009 Spring/Summer Meet,. Although NYRA offers daily Pick 4’s on races 2-5 and 7-10, the $350,000 guarantee applies only to the Late Pick 4 on Saturdays. Click here to read more about the guaranteed wagers.
 Start your weekends at Belmont Park with Party at the Park, the biggest party on Long Island! On July 10, 17, and 24, Fridays at Belmont feature a 3:00 p.m. post time and a party that includes food and drink specials along with a great live concert series that starts in the Festival Tent after the conclusion of live racing (approximately 7:15 p.m.). It’s an easy decision to join us at Belmont Park for an afternoon and evening filled with the best in live racing, food, drinks, and music! In addition, there will be a Party at the Park at Saratoga Race Course on Friday, July 31 and Friday, August 4! Click here for more info on Party at the Park.
 Looking for a great place to spend with your kids on a Sunday afternoon? Belmont Park has your answer with Family Fun Days on Sundays, presented by Coca-Cola! The beautiful Belmont Backyard and Picnic Area comes alive with a variety of fun and exciting activities and games that the entire family can enjoy. Every Sunday features pony rides, a petting zoo, face painters, and giant inflatables. We also have special activities scheduled for each week.
 One of our most popular programs is Breakfast at Belmont Park! Get a behind-the-scenes look at the world of thoroughbred racing, including guided tram tours of Belmont’s remarkable stable area, trackside commentary of live morning workouts, daily starting gate demonstrations, and much more! Breakfast at Belmont Park is open to the public on weekends and holidays during the Belmont Spring/Summer Meet (May 2 – July 26). Admission and activities to Breakfast at Belmont Park are free, and an optional breakfast can be purchased.  There is a multitude of Belmont Stakes recap information, including great videos and photo galleries, on BelmontStakes.com, the new online home of the "Test of the Champion." The website was launched by NYRA a month prior to the Belmont Stakes, and saw as many as three million visitors per day leading up to the third jewel in racing's Triple Crown. Click here to visit BelmontStakes.com, and click here to see the great photo gallery from the big day.
 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.
 Fasig-Tipton will host a 5k race (3.1 miles) and a one-mile ‘fun run,’ starting in front of the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, NY on Saturday, August 15. All proceeds will be divided equally among the New York Racing Association’s four charities: The Anna House, Backstretch Employee Service Team, New York Racetrack Chaplaincy and The Backstretch Education Fund. Click here for information on how to register.
 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.
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July is a fantastic month for racing in New York, with seven graded stakes at Belmont Park and the prestigious Saratoga meet beginning on Wednesday, July 29. Widely thought of as the top meet in the United States, Saratoga’s six week 2009 meet has 34 graded stakes races on the schedule, including 15 Grade 1 races. The highlight of the Saratoga meet is Shadwell Travers Day on Saturday, August 29, featuring the $1,000,000 Shadwell Travers (GI) and the NetJets King’s Bishop (GI), along with three other great graded stakes.
 Belmont Park’s July graded schedule gets off to a bang on Independence Day, Saturday, July 4 with three tremendous stakes races! The 3-year-old filly sprinters get their chance to prove their speed in the Prioress (GI) at six furlongs on the dirt. Last year’s Prioress was won by Eclipse Award champion Indian Blessing. Also on July 4 is the storied Suburban Handicap (GII) for older horses going 1-1/4 mile on the dirt, and the Dwyer (GII), a 1-1/16 mile dirt race for 3-year-olds that invariably produces top contenders for the big Saratoga races.
 Sunday, July 5 features a great race for older dirt sprinters with the Tom Fool Handicap (GII) going seven furlongs. Some of racing’s most talented stars have visited the winner’s circle after the Tom Fool, including the sensational Ghostzapper (2004) and the blazingly fast Left Bank (2002).
 The turf action ramps up on Saturday, July 11 with the supremely challenging Man o’War (GI) for 3-year-olds & up going 1-3/8 mile. Long turf races are a fixture at Belmont Park, and the Man o’War is always one of the best. Previous winners include recent Breeders’ Cup champions Red Rocks (2008), Better Talk Now (2005), and Fantastic Light (2000).
 The graded turf action continues on Saturday, July 18, except this time it’s the sprinters swinging into action for the Jaipur (GIII). The fastest of the fast will be traveling seven furlongs on the turf in a race that is always one of the most competitive of the meet. Despite its short 25-year history, the Jaipur has been won by racing stars such as super stallion Elusive Quality (1998), New York hero Fourstardave (1990), and the brilliant Mt. Livermore (1985).
 The final graded race of the Belmont Park spring/summer meet is the prestigious Coaching Club American Oaks (GI) on Saturday, July 25. One of the best races all year for 3-year-old fillies, the CCA Oaks is run at the Derby distance of 1-1/4 mile, and always features the best fillies in the sport. Eclipse Award champions Smuggler (2005) and Ashado (2004) captured the CCA Oaks on their way to winning the year-end awards.
 The Saratoga meet kicks off on Wednesday, July 29 with the Schuylerville (GIII) for 2-year-old fillies. Then on Thursday, July 30, the 2-year-old colts square off in the Sanford (GII). Both races are run at six furlongs on the dirt and always highlight some of the world’s most promising 2-year-olds. Recent winners of the Sanford include Desert Party (2008) and Afleet Alex (2004), who went on to win the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
 The final graded race in July is the Lake George (GII) on Friday, July 31 for 3-year-old fillies going 1-1/16 mile on the turf. It’s the first of 13 graded stakes races on the Saratoga turf this year, and with its first running in 1996, the Lake George is one of the newest additions to the Saratoga graded schedule. Last year’s running was won by the ultra game Rutherienne, marking the third time that Christophe Clement has won the Lake George.
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 Saratoga Race Course employees arrived at work on Monday, June 15 to find a moose wandering on the sidewalk outside track property! After NYRA security worked in support of the Saratoga Springs police department to bring the moose to safety inside the gates to Saratoga Race Course, Environmental Conservation officials tranquilized the moose with the intention of delivering it unharmed back to its natural environment. NYRA employees say while Saratoga Race Course is a 350-acre urban park, they do not recall ever before seeing a moose on the property. Click here to read more about the moose!
 The 141st running of the $1 million Belmont Stakes was one for the birds, alhough not the one that many expected to win. Summer Bird, trained by Tim Ice and ridden by Kent Desormeaux, put in a huge late rally to emerge victorious at odds of 12-1. Dunkirk led most of the way and dug in gamely to hold second place, while Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird finished third after making a big middle move. It sets up a possible rematch in the prestigious $1 million Shadwell Travers on Saturday, August 29 at Saratoga Race Course between Summer Bird, Mine That Bird, and quite possibly the Preakness winning filly Rachel Alexandra. Click here to read more about Summer Bird's Belmont Stakes victory.
 A crowd of 52,861 wagered $9,021,196 on Belmont Stakes Day races, a 2 percent increase over $8,843,720 in 2007, the most recent year when a Triple Crown was not on the line. Total all-sources handle, which includes money bet on Belmont Stakes Day races from simulcast outlets, was $89,705,994, an 18.6 percent increase over $75,657,986 in 2007, and only a 10.2 percent decrease over $99,943,516 in 2008 (the second highest all-sources handle in Belmont Stakes Day history). The 2009 all-sources handle represented the biggest ever on Belmont Stakes Day in a non-Triple Crown year. The late Pick 4 pool of $2,243,069 set a new record, breaking the previous Pick 4 pool record of $1,983,864 set on Belmont Stakes Day 2006. Click here to read all about the wagering on Belmont Stakes Day.
 There was only one person who correctly selected the winners of all six graded stakes races for the Pick 6 on Belmont Stakes Day, Saturday, June 6, resulting in a payout of $969,345. The lone winning ticket was put together by a Youbet.com, Inc. (Youbet) customer who spent $96 to construct the Pick 6 wager. The winning ticket used one horse in the first leg (Fabulous Strike), two horses in the second leg (Diamondrella, Raw Silk), two horses in the third leg (Munnings, Hull), two horses in the fourth leg (Gabby’s Golden Gal, Livin Lovin), three horses in the fifth leg (Gio Ponti, Cosmonaut, Wesley), and two horses in the sixth leg (Summer Bird, Charitable Man). Click here to read more about the lone P6 winning ticket!
 In association with NYRA, Jockey Calvin Borel, trainer Chip Woolley, and owners Mark Allen and Dr. Leonard Blach of Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, and three-time leading New York trainer Gary Contessa visited the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, June 4 in honor of the Belmont Stakes. To mark the occasion, jockey Calvin Borel rang The Opening Bell. Click here to see video of Calvin opening the NYSE and click here to see an interview from the NYSE floor on Fox Business Channel.
 NYRA has introduced turf course updates to NYRA.com in order to provide the most accurate and timely information on each day’s grass races. Racing fans can go to NYRA.com, click on the web banner titled, “Turf Course Updates,” and instantly see the track conditions and find out which races, if any, have been taken off the turf for that day. The updates are provided on the website shortly after the NYRA Racing Department has made its decision regarding the day’s turf racing, and could be posted as early as 8:00 a.m. Click here to see the turf course updates.
 William Garb, a 52-year-old former computer operator from Amityville, N.Y., claimed the $40,000 grand prize in Belmont Park’s 2009 Summer Handicapping Challenge, defeating 229 other contestants en route to victory. Along with the second and third place finishers, Garb will be on the three-member Belmont Park team for the 2010 NTRA/Daily Racing Form National Handicapping Championship (NHC), to be held this coming January at the Red Rock Casino, Resort, and Spa in Las Vegas. Click here to read more.
 On Thursday, June 4th, seven world-class jockeys took a detour from the racetrack to visit families at The Ronald McDonald House of Long Island as a part of the annual Jockey Day event. Just days before the running of the 141st Belmont Stakes, Amanda Casey, Alan Garcia, (pictured, left) Paco Lopez, Edgar Prado (pictured, right), Rudy Rodriguez, Maylan Studart and John Velázquez showed up in their colorful silks, mingled and took photos with children at the House. The jockeys also came bearing gifts, hats and riding goggles, which were autographed for all in attendance. Click here to read more about this fantastic event.
 NYRA, gearing up for another sensational meet when Saratoga Race Course begins its 141st season on Wednesday, July 29, is offering two more job fairs for people interested in working the 36-day Spa meeting, which ends on Monday, September 7 (Labor Day). Interviews will be held Saturday and Sunday, July 11 and July 12 at Saratoga from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Racing Office for positions in security, maintenance, mutuels, parking, cleaning and admissions. For more information, contact Human Resources at (718) 659-3500 or e-mail JLevine@nyrainc.com. Click here to for more info on the Saratoga job fairs.
 Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey and trainer Todd Pletcher have been added to “On The Record,” which is posted on NYRA’s YouTube site. McGaughey's extensive resume includes training the undefeated filly Personal Ensign, as well as champions Easy Goer, Heavenly Prize, Inside Information, Queena, Rhythm, Smuggler, Storm Flag Flying and Vandlandingham. Pletcher, a former assistant to Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, has trained champions Ashado, English Channel, Fleet Indian, Lawyer Ron, Left Bank, Speightstown, Wait a While, and Rags to Riches. On the Record gives fans the opportunity to get to know racing’s major players. Click here to view the On The Record web page. Also tune in at www.youtube.com/nyravideo.
 NYRA has dedicated a space outside the Silks Room at Saratoga to promote the missions of local charities within the community. This location will assist NYRA with its community outreach initiatives while keeping with the ambiance of Saratoga Race Course. Please contact NYRA Community Relations Manager, Joanne K. Adams at 718-659-2262 or jadams@nyrainc.com for information. NYRA also has dedicated a box at Saratoga Race Course for charitable giving. NYRA Is proud to support its local charities and the box is sold out for the 2009 Saratoga meet.
 NYRA has announced the appointment of Kevin J. Gremillion to the newly created position of Operations Manager at Saratoga Race Course. In his new role, Gremillion will oversee administrative planning and financial management of the capital project agenda and daily operations at the venerable Saratoga Springs facility. Click here to read more about Kevin. |
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 This month On The Lead drops in on the backstretch at Louisiana Downs to catch up with last month's Belmont Stakes-winning trainer, Tim Ice, and of course, Summer Bird. Ice, who turned 35 on Belmont Stakes Day, June 6, has only been training on his own for a year, but with a classic winner in Summer Bird and a string of 25 horses based at Louisiana Downs, his will be a name to watch this summer and beyond.
How did you get your start in horse racing?
My stepfather trained and I first got involved with horses when I was 13. I've been around them since then.
When did you know you wanted to make a career training horses?
It was actually a decision I made before I was out of high school. I always wanted to go out on my own eventually, and I pretty much decided at a pretty young age that this was what I wanted to do.
You were an assistant - to various trainers - for ten years. Can you run me through that period and how you knew when you were ready to go out on your own?
Beginning in 1998, I spent five years with Keith Desormeaux (brother to jockey Kent Desormeaux, who rode Summer Bird to victory in the Belmont Stakes) in California. Then I came home and worked with Cole Norman for three years and the last two years I was with Morris Nicks.
When I went out on my own in 2008, it was kind of like I finally felt I had enough knowledge of everything. I had confidence in myself already, but it was about getting to know other trainers routines and different insights on how other people would do things. I was reaching the point where I was 34 years old and I thought now was as good a time as any. Dr. J. (Kalarikkal K. Jayaraman, owner of Summer Bird with his wife, Vilasini) helped me get started, the timing was right and everything worked out great.
Do you remember your first win as a trainer?
I do - it was my wife's birthday, Sept 26, 2008. A horse named Amber Star at Louisiana Downs.
Besides winning the race, obviously, what did you enjoy about being in New York for the Belmont?
The thing that I enjoyed most... Well, everybody was very friendly and my expectations, hearing people talk, they say New Yorkers are rude and I found that not to be true. I enjoyed going to the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, getting to see some of the sights, but I spent the most time at the hotel and the barn.
I loved being at Belmont and watching the horses run, loved the track. The food there was very good also--we ate at King Umbertos and another place I can't remember the name of, but the food was excellent.  | |  |
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 NYRA Rewards recently announced a new and upgraded rewards schedule with new awards levels and increased rebates! Reward member monthly point totals are now associated with corresponding member levels, ranging from Bronze and Silver all the way up to the highest tier, Diamond. Each tier is associated with a different cash back percentage, almost all of which have been increased from the previous reward schedule. With the old schedule, a member earning 5,000 points during a one month period would earn $75 cash back. With the new schedule that member will earn $87.50 cash back! Click here to see the complete new NYRA Rewards Schedule.
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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 Perfectly trained by Tim Ice, and masterfully ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Summer Bird emerged as one of racing' s new stars with a convincing 2-3/4 length victory in the 141st Belmont Stakes! Sent off by the bettors at 12-1, Summer Bird put in a decisive late rally to defeat Florida Derby runner-up Dunkirk and Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird. It was the first graded stakes win for the 3-year-old son of Birdstone, and he is expected to return to New York for the Shadwell Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, August 29. Click here to see the race replay and download the computer wallpaper!
 This month we have a special podcast with Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux. By virtue of his victory aboard Summer Bird in Belmont Stakes 141, Desormeaux has now won all three legs of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont. He joins a very elite group of jockeys that have won all three of those races. We discussed this, and other topics in this month's podcast. To listen to the podcast, click here. | |  |
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