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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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 There’s no question that 2009 was a great year in horse racing, and some of the best moments happened right here in New York. Through January 15, 2010, fans can choose from among five compelling storylines – some human, some equine – and cast their ballots for NYRA's “Story of the Year.” Click here to read the nominees and watch Andy Serling highlight them.
 One of NYRA's most popular promotions returns to Aqueduct Racetrack on Friday, January 1 as a new year is ushered in with the 2010 NYRA Calendar. Home to more than 30 beautifully vivid, colorful and inspired photos taken by NYRA track photographer Adam Coglianese, the calendar features the best horses and jockeys from the New York circuit in 2009. Click here for all the details.
 NYRA’s new “Spotlight Series” videos will offer racing fans an exclusive look at the people who work behind the scenes at Saratoga Race Course, Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack. The first and second videos in the series, featuring the Clerk of Scales and Track Announcer Tom Durkin, can be viewed online at www.nyra.com/nyraspotlight/nyraspotlight.html and at NYRA’s official Youtube site. The “Spotlight Series” videos profile the individuals who work in the jockey’s room, on the backside, in the paddock, on the clockers’ stand, and in numerous other areas at the track. These are the people behind the scenes that ensure thoroughbred racing in New York can take place smoothly on a daily basis. Click here to visit the NYRA Spotlight homepage.
 NYRA is hosting hour-long live, online chat sessions with key industry figures on select Friday nights at 8:00 p.m. Fans and handicappers may log on to http://www.nyra.com/livechat to join the chat. They often feature NYRA race analyst Andy Serling, and future chats will also include NYRA executives along with top New York jockeys and trainers. No pre-registration is necessary and users may simply type questions and comments in the chat field at the bottom of the page for the featured chatter to address. At the conclusion of the chat, an “instant replay” is created for future reference. Click here to read more.
 The popular daily handicapping show “Talking Horses” is available for live viewing online at www.nyra.com. Fans who are not on-track will be able to watch and listen to the show live online and get all the day’s handicapping selections from the program’s prognosticators. “Talking Horses” runs from approximately 11:35 – noon on live racing days, always starting approximately an hour before first post, and is hosted by NYRA TV Analysts Jason Blewitt, Eric Donovan, and Andy Serling. Click here for more details.
 Racing fans can now go behind the scenes year-round at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course with the launch of NYRA's latest on-line offering, “NY Racing Insider.” The blog is located at www.nyracinginsider.com. Consolidating and building on both the popular “Saratoga Insider” and “Belmont Insider” blogs, “NY Racing Insider” gives fans unprecedented access to the backstretch with up-close-and-personal looks at all three of NYRA’s racetracks. Click here to visit the blog.
 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 7:00 p.m. Click here for more details.
 NYRA has launched a Twitter website for racing analyst Andy Serling, located at Twitter.com/andyserling. Serling, a co-host of Talking Horses and NYRA Live, is known for his bold predictions and confident demeanor. Serling’s Twitter page will feature a combination of race analysis and wagering suggestions, along with observations that he makes throughout the day while at Aqueduct. Click here to start following Andy!
 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 Aqueduct races. Call (718) 641-4700 for more information about the Pick the Pros and Ponies contest.
 NYRA is on Facebook! The page enables users to interact with other NYRA fans, stay updated on NYRA events, view NYRA racing photos, and much more. NYRA's Facebook page already has more than 3,200 fans, so join the community now! Click here to access the NYRA Facebook page.
 Fans of Rachel Alexandra can connect with the star 3-year-old filly on her own website, “Rachel’s Sandbox," set up by NYRA. Rachel recorded a victory for the ages when she became the first ever female winner of the prestigious Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, September 5. 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. 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
 Fans of Rachel Alexandra have a new online outlet to share their thoughts and impressions of the exceptional bay filly in the “Fan Letters” section of Rachel’s Sandbox at NYRA.com, where NYRA will now publish letters penned by her supporters. Rachel Alexandra made history at Saratoga Race Course, becoming the first filly ever to win the Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward Stakes against older male rivals. To submit fan mail, please email letters to rachelfanmail@nyrainc.com for publication on “Rachel’s Sandbox.” Fan letters can be accessed under the “Fun Stuff” section of the website, which also features downloadable wallpaper, coloring pages, and fun facts about the fabulous filly. The “Fan Letters” page is just the newest aspect of the multimedia site at which fans can view Rachel Alexandra photo galleries, peruse career past performances and pedigree, comment on blogs and more. Click here to read more.
 Aqueduct Racetrack provides an intimate and elegant setting for groups of any nature and is a particularly dramatic destination for corporate events. Enjoy superb fare, spectacular views and unparalleled service while experiencing thoroughbred racing at its finest. All options include admission, program and luncheon. Drink packages can be added on at an additional cost. Children (ages 3-12) receive a 33 percent disount! Packages and menus can also be customized to fit client needs. For more information, visit www.nyragroupsales.com or call (888) 285-5961. |
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 Nine stakes races help to usher in 2010 and highlight the January racing calendar at Aqueduct Racetrack beginning with the Interborough on New Year’s Day. The six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares has a long list of accomplished participants including last year’s lightening-fast winner Zada Belle and 2002 champion, and $2 million career earner, Xtra Heat.
 The first Saturday stakes of the month features 3-year-old colts in the Count Fleet on January 2 at one mile and 70 yards as the road to the Triple Crown begins. Following a win in the 2004 Count Fleet, Smarty Jones went out to capture the Kentucky Derby and Preakness before falling a length shy of immortality in the Belmont Stakes. Last year’s Count Fleet winner, Haynesfield, also took the Empire Classic at Belmont and Aqueduct’s Grade 3 Discovery Handicap this fall.
 Three-year-old fillies take center stage next in the Ruthless on Sunday, January 3 and the Busanda on Saturday, January 9. Last year’s Ruthless was the second of five consecutive wins for Justwhistledixie, who went on to finish second in Belmont’s Grade 1 Acorn and Aqueduct’s Grade 2 Top Flight.
 On Saturday, January 16, Aqueduct will pay tribute to an old friend with the second running of the Evening Attire at 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-olds and up. Formerly the Aqueduct Handicap, the race was renamed last year for Evening Attire, who took the 2003 edition for one of his 14 career wins, in one of his 58 career starts, on the NYRA circuit.
 The Affectionately on Sunday, January 17 showcases older fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles while the feature race on Aqueduct’s special Monday, January 18 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) card is the Jimmy Winkfield for 3-year-olds going six furlongs. The speedy Taqarub took last year’s Jimmy Winkfield while the 2008 edition was won by Go Go Shoot, runner-up in this year’s Grade 1 Vanderbilt at Saratoga.
 Some of the fastest sprinters around highlight the final two Saturdays of the month in the Paumonok for 3-year-olds and up on January 23 and the Correction for fillies and mares on January 30. Last year’s Correction winner, Distorted Passion, went on to finish second in Aqueduct’s Grade 2 Distaff two months later. | |  |
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 NYRA has announced an anti-slaughter policy that introduces harsh penalties to offending horsemen while encouraging them to support horse rescue and adoption initiatives. The newly created policy is as follows: Any owner or trainer stabled at a New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) track found to have directly or indirectly sold a horse for slaughter will have his or her stalls permanently revoked from all NYRA tracks. NYRA requires its horsemen to conduct due diligence on those buying horses and encourages them to support rescue and adoption efforts and to find humane ways of dealing with horses unable to continue racing. Click here for more details.
 NYRA announced the stakes schedule for Aqueduct Racetrack’s 2010 winter/spring meet, with the Grade 1, $750,000 Wood Memorial on April 3 anchoring 10 graded stakes worth $2.25 million for the 81-day meet which begins on January 1. The remainder of the 2010 NYRA stakes schedule will be announced at a later date. Click here for more details.
 American Turf Monthly magazine has named NYRA as the host of the Best On-Track Handicapping Tournament in their first annual Connie Awards. According to the magazine, the Connies were created “honoring excellence in the world of horse handicapping tournaments.” Click here for full details.
 The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced that Aqueduct Racetrack in Jamaica , N.Y., has been fully accredited by the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance following a complete review of all racing operations at the facility. Aqueduct is the 14th racing facility to be so designated by the Alliance. The accreditation of Aqueduct was the culmination of a lengthy certification process that began with the track’s completion of a 48-page written application and continued as Aqueudct hosted several meetings with Alliance officials. The on-site review included inspections of all facets of the racing facility, and interviews with track executives, racetrack personnel, jockeys, owners, trainers, stewards, regulators and fans. Click here for more info.
 On Saturday, December 12, the Anna House child care center on the Belmont Park backstretch was transformed into a shopping mall filled with hundreds of donated items including clothing, toys, games and more. It’s all set up to help the sons and daughters of backstretch workers at Belmont Park pick out Christmas gifts for their families and for themselves. Click here to read the story.
 He may not be the oldest active trainer around, but Hall of Famer Frank “Pancho” Martin has few peers on the NYRA circuit. Martin, who turned 84 on Thursday, December 3, is 23 months younger than Ramon “Mike” Hernandez, who holds the distinction as the oldest active trainer, and four years older than fellow Hall of Famer H. Allen Jerkens, who turned 80 last spring. Sitting behind his desk at Belmont Park, Martin could only smile when asked how long he’s been around the racetrack. Click here for the full story.
 NYRA has launched its own photostream page on flickr.com. By logging on to www.flickr.com/photos/nyraphoto, fans can view colorful, exhilarating photos from a majority of NYRA’s premier stakes races and popular promotional events. Among the featured photography are galleries dedicated to Belmont Stakes Day, fan-favorite Commentator, and Shadwell Travers Stakes Day. Super-filly Rachel Alexandra also has a pair of galleries dedicated to her. Click here to visit the site.
 NYRA has reached an agreement with Betfair Games Limited to permit common-pool pari-mutuel wagering on its races to Betfair’s global customers. Betfair boasts a worldwide customer base of more than 2.5 million people who will now have access to the Aqueduct racetrack, Belmont Park, and Saratoga Race Course pari-mutuel pools via www.betfair.com. Click here to read the full details.  On the heels of a successful 2009 race meet at Saratoga Race Course, NYRA will expand the 2010 season by four days, a revision that will remain in place for the foreseeable future. Next year’s Saratoga meet will begin on Friday, July 23 and consist of 40 racing days. It will feature a Wednesday through Monday live racing schedule that will go through Labor Day, Monday, September 6. Each day of the meet will include a stake, and pending approval from the NYRA Board of Directors, the Grade 1 Coaching Club America Oaks, traditionally run at Belmont Park, will shift to the first weekend at Saratoga. Click here for more details.
 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 Elmont Clean Up Day, the Exceller Fund, and the Gateway Youth Outreach. Bookmark the NYRA Community Relations website to keep informed of all these important events.
NYRA keeps fans abreast of racing information at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga with its official Twitter site, located at Twitter.com/NYRAnews. The site is updated throughout the day with scratches and changes, news and notes, interesting events, and a host of other information. Click here to follow the site!
 Photo finish pictures are now available on demand at NYRA.com. The site enables fans to view the photo finish pictures for win, place, show, or fourth place at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, or Saratoga. It's a great way to get an unparalleled view of the heated competition at the finish line. Click here to learn more about how to access these great photo finishes!
 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. |
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 Each month we’ll take a trip to the backstretch and visit with a different jockey or trainer. This month the spotlight is on Bruce Levine, trainer of 2-year-old standout Buddy’s Saint, impressive winner of the Nashua and Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack, both Grade 2 contests. We sat down with Levine in early December as he prepared to send his talented colt to Florida, where Buddy’s Saint will begin his 3-year-old campaign and preparation for an anticipated 2010 Classic bid.
Born in New York, Levine began his career at NYRA tracks and has been here ever since. While he readily acknowledges that Buddy’s Saint is the most exciting development of late, the first decade of the new century has been good to Levine, who won his first Grade 1 in the 2008 Carter Handicap with undefeated New York-bred Bustin Stones. Levine also won the Grade 3 Gallant Fox at Aqueduct three years running from 2000-2002 with Coyote Lakes, an Arizona-bred he campaigned in the late ‘90s for Roddy Valente, who also owned Bustin Stones.
Now managing an 80-horse stable, Levine took a few minutes to look back on his career and ahead to 2010.
Q: You’ve said you came to the track to play the horses when you were younger, but how did you first become interested in the sport?
My father was a horse player, so I used to come here every Saturday. There was no Sunday racing then – only Saturday, that was it. I think OTB started maybe in the 1970s, but they had nothing then, no televisions, you’d just punch and they’d give you the results. When I was in high school, Harvey Pack used to do a thing on the radio. I think 20 after and 10 to the hour and he would recreate the race. So you could turn on CBS or whatever it was and get the results of the race, or OTB had a number you’d call, but we had no replays at night, so if you didn’t have the results, or see the races, you had to wait. It was hard, so, everybody went to the races.
Q: And how did you go from horseplayer to participant?
I was busing tables in a restaurant and the guy that owned the restaurant was a good friend of John Russell’s. Russell had just taken over the Phipps Stable, so I walked horses for him and that was my first job. Then I went to college, and worked weekends in Florida for nothing, just learning how to groom horses.
Q: You’ve been in New York from the beginning, what do you like about training here?
New York has always had the best horses. Before they had the Breeders’ Cup, the Fall Belmont meet would have one or two stakes every Saturday or Sunday and if you were going to be Champ, you had to run at Belmont. It was the pinnacle of racing. Everybody from California would come, everybody that had a good horse would come. That’s how it got the name ‘Fall Championship Meet.’ Now, with the Breeders’ Cup, it’s diluted, but before that, Keeneland wasn’t as big as it is now and you had to be here. Even now, if you’re not in New York, it’s like the minor leagues. If you’re training here, you don’t want to ever leave.
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 NYRA has introduced a minus pool alert to its NYRA Rewards Internet Wagering platform. The alert will only be displayed for races at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park, and Saratoga Race Course. The minus pool alert is triggered when the wagering on a NYRA race is such that a potential minus pool situation exists. The alert will appear at the top of the race program page. Click here for more information.
NYRA Rewards is now offering almost live Instant Replays! They will be available a few minutes after the race has been declared official. There will be an icon linking to an Instant Replay landing page that can be found on the Track Menu and Aqueduct Program pages of the Internet Wagering application. The Instant Replays will only be available on NYRA races.
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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This month we are thrilled to bring you a special podcast with jockey David Cohen, one of the top young riders here in New York! He is only 25 years old and is already having a lot of success at Aqueduct. Going into the Holiday Break, he was tied with Ramon Dominguez for the lead among all NYRA jockeys with 13 wins during the Aqueduct inner track meet. In addition, he had nearly 300 victories on the year, ranking him 5th among all jockeys in the country. We sat down to discuss his emergence on the New York scene, in addition to a number of other interesting topics centered on this exciting up-and-coming jockey. Click here to listen to the podcast.
 Rodman made his stakes debut one to remember, winning the Grade 3 Queens County by almost six lengths. The 4-year-old son of Malibu Maiden was coming off an eight-length romp in a mile allowance at Aqueduct, and entered his stakes debut with questions about his ability to get the 1-1/8 mile distance. Trained masterfully by Michael Hushion and ridden beautifully by Javier Castellano, Rodman set a moderate pace, saving energy for the stretch drive. The speedy Barry Schwartz-owned horse increased his margin through the final furlongs, putting to rest any stamina questions and stamping himself as a serious horse to watch in 2010. Click here to download the computer wallpaper and watch the race replay! | |  |
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