Belmont Park

Trainer James Cassidy died Wednesday at his home in Monrovia, California after suffering from heart disease. He was 80. Born Aug. 21, 1945 in New York City, Cassidy got his start working with show horses at the age of 12. He would later transition to racehorses and in 1975, Cassidy took out his trainer's license. He then spent more than a decade working as an assistant for such top Eastern-based trainers as Joe Canty, Frank Whitely and Charles Sanborne before striking out on his own. Cassidy's first starter as a...

Tickets and hospitality offerings for the final Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at historic Saratoga Race Course will go on sale to the public Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. at BelmontStakes.com/tickets. Fans also have the opportunity to sign up for a presale drawing featuring various ticket packages. Beginning Wednesday and continuing through next Tuesday, fans may enter the drawing at NYRA.com/belmont-stakes/presale/ for the chance to purchase reserved seating and hospitality packages in advance of the general public on-sale. Highlighted by the 158th running of the GI Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA...

The nearly four-year rebuild of the new Belmont Park is scheduled to hit a significant milestone by the end of February, when training on the innermost Tapeta track is set to open. Glen Kozak, the New York Racing Association (NYRA)'s senior vice president of operations and capital projects, delivered that news nugget Friday as part of a broader overview of the track's $455-million reimagining during a meeting of the New York State Franchise Oversight Board (FOB). Before delving into details, Kozak underscored an overall message of "on schedule [and] on...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) released its 2026 racing schedule Thursday, a calendar which includes 196 live race days spread across Aqueduct Racetrack, Saratoga Race Course and the new Belmont Park. Additionally, NYRA has reached a multi-year agreement with the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB) designed to provide racing participants with additional certainty regarding racing opportunities and underscores NYRA's commitment to year-round racing during the transition to a re-imagined Belmont Park. Accordingly, NYRA has established the foundation of a 2027...

The topic of the diminishing North American Thoroughbred foal crop (estimated 17,000 for 2026) came up several times during last week's Global Symposium on Racing hosted by the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program in Tucson. This is often referred to as our industry's "horse shortage" problem. I try to avoid that term in my reporting unless I am directly quoting someone who says it. Instead, the sport has long been dealing with an "owner shortage." Breeders stand ready and willing to start producing more racehorses if only more...

The GI Kentucky Derby aspirants Paladin (Gun Runner) and Renegade (Into Mischief) have a nice little rivalry going after facing each other twice in the span of seven weeks at Aqueduct. Even though the Chad Brown-trained Paladin ($1.9 million FTSAUG) has bested the Todd Pletcher-trained Renegade ($975,000 KEESEP) both times-once via DQ on Oct. 17, and an outright win Saturday in the GII Remsen Stakes-the two colts might not be as far apart as their records indicate. Paladin (owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Brook Smith, Peter...

Citing a series of alleged rule violations related to "cruelty, mistreatment, neglect or abuse" of Thoroughbreds, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) has served Rudy Rodriguez with a "notice of violation and show cause" that could result in a potential provisional suspension and perhaps more serious penalties for the 53-year-old former jockey who has consistently ranked near the top of the New York trainer standings for the past 15 years. The HISA notice, which was served upon Rodriguez Nov. 21, 2025, and made public on Nov. 26, stated that...

by Matt Cutair We must elevate the discussion surrounding the New York racing calendar beyond the current, unproductive focus on the total number of racing dates. This metric is ultimately irrelevant if not tied to the overall quality and economic viability of our product. Arguing over the number of racing dates is a distraction, especially if a nominal increase in days is achieved by simply reducing the number of races run per day. For example, gaining four extra days by moving from a three-day to a four-day week means little...

Grovendale Sales describes itself as a boutique Thoroughbred consignor. So it may not always have the quantity of some others when it comes to the November breeding stock sales. But they do have quality. And, this year, plenty of it. Grovendale, which is run by James Keogh and Chance Timm, will sell five quality broodmares, all in foal to top stallions, at the upcoming Fasig-Tipton Night of the Stars sale. They will also be selling a weanling. The roster of sires the mares are in foal to reads like a...

Early Saturday morning at Belmont Park, Silent Scheme (Charlatan) became loose on the training track before colliding with More for Sure (ire) (Cracksman {GB}), resulting in both horses passing away due to their injuries, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced via press release. The juvenile gelding by Charlatan was trained by Mark Hennig while the 3-year-old Irish-bred filly hailed from the Anthony Dutrow barn. The former sustained a broken neck and died instantly while More for Sure had a catastrophic injury to her left shoulder. She was humanely euthanized....

The Belmont Child Care Association, Inc. (BCCA) is once again rolling out its Annual Holiday Shopping Day on Saturday, Dec. 6, at Anna House located in Belmont Park, the organization said in a press release on Friday. Each year, more than 500 children from New York's Thoroughbred backstretch community experience a day filled with wonder and joy as they "shop" for gifts for their loved ones. Every item is brand new and no money is exchanged. The event is entirely free for families, which is made possible through donors, sponsors...

Governor Kathy Hochul accompanied New York Racing Association officials, AECOM Tishman, Populous and unionized construction workers for a topping out ceremony Wednesday, marking the placement of the final beam at the new Belmont Park. "As we raise the final beam, today marks a major milestone for Belmont Park and New York State," Governor Hochul said. "This project is more than simply rebuilding a racetrack--it's creating jobs, boosting our economy and ensuring Belmont remains a world-class destination. This redevelopment means thousands of good-paying union jobs, new opportunities for local businesses and...