Belmont

Longtime NYRA Employee Michael Prunetti Dies At 77

Michael F. Prunetti, a veteran NYRA employee, passed away March 15 at the age of 77. Remembered by his NYRA colleagues in a note released Saturday, Prunetti spent over 40 years as a racing official around New York tracks including time as the Assistant Racing Secretary. "What a kind gentleman he was," recalled NYRA Stakes Coordinator Andrew Byrnes. "Mike took the time to teach me how to do things the right way. I learned a tremendous amount under him. He was one of the best. He was a jewel." Prunetti...

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2023 New York-Bred Divisional Championship Nominees Released By NYTB

New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB) named their nominees for the Empire State's divisional champions of 2023, the organization said in a Friday morning release. A panel of New York turf writers, broadcasters, handicappers, racing analysts and photographers will vote on each division and for the New York-bred Horse of the Year. The winners will be announced at the NYTB Awards Dinner sponsored by the New York Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund on Monday, May 13 from 6-9 p.m. ET. at Sacred Saratoga on the property of GMP Farm in...

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Quarantine Extended in Belmont's Barn 15 Until Feb. 26

The period of the quarantine of Barn 15 at Belmont has been extended by two days by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) due to another horse in that barn, Willful Desire, developing a fever. The 4-year-old filly, trained by Gustavo Rodriguez, developed a fever on Monday. Nasal swabs and blood samples were immediately sent to Cornell University for analysis, which were returned on Tuesday afternoon as negative for EHV. In accordance with standard protocols, Barn 15 will remain under quarantine...

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Champion 2-Year-Old Fierceness Leads 346 Triple Crown Nominations

2023's Eclipse champion 2-year-old Fierceness (City of Light) leads a list of 346 nominations to the 2024 Triple Crown according to a Tuesday release by the Kentucky Racing Communications Office. Last weekend's GIII Holy Bull S. third is one of 20 nominees owned by Repole Stables and one of 54 trained by Todd Pletcher to lead their respective categories. A further 18 horses were nominated by Bob Baffert and Brad Cox respectively. While the total number of nominees is down from last year, there are a record 47 potential runners...

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Annual Sponsor-A-Family Program Highlights Holiday Season for NY Backstretch Community

Of all the events, activities, programs, and services that the New York Race Track Chaplaincy provides to the backstretch communities at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga Race Course, the Christmas Sponsor-A-Family program closes out the year in a very special way that touches the hearts of donors and families alike. Months of preparation culminate with the distribution of food, clothing, toys, and gifts for approximately 250 families just before Christmas each year. (This year, the distribution will take place at the new Chaplaincy Center at Belmont Park on Tuesday, December...

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No Distaff But Xigera Still A Winner In Mother Goose

In just her second start on the dirt, Rigney Racing's Xigera (Nyquist) impressed her connections with a 6 1/4-length win in Churchill's Seneca Overnight S. Sept. 23. The effort was enough to prompt a Breeders' Cup discussion and the daughter of Nyquist was pre-entered in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff only to be withdrawn from consideration early week and rerouted to Saturday's GII Mother Goose S. The move proved to be a smart one as Xigera rewarded her connections with another open-length win at even money. Switched to the main...

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Judge Throws Out PETA-Backed Lawsuit that Sought to Block Loan to NYRA for Belmont Renovations

An Albany County Court Judge has dismissed a lawsuit from two New York taxpayers backed by PETA that attempted to block the State of New York from loaning NYRA $455 million that is earmarked for the construction of a new Belmont Park. The new Belmont Park is expected to open for the 2026 spring meet. The plaintiffs, Jannette Patterson and John Dileonardo, had argued that the New York State Constitution prohibited the state from giving or loaning state funds to any private corporation. The lawsuit, filed in June, was announced...

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Brown Eyes Breeders' Cup For Waya Winner McKulick

Upset last time out by one of the three rivals she raced Saturday, McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}) bounced back and turned the tables on Parnac (Zarak {Fr}) to give trainer Chad Brown his fifth straight win in the GIII Waya S. The beaten favorite at odds-on in Saratoga's GII Flower Bowl S. Sept. 2 as Parnac went gate-to-wire, McKulick looked to gain an edge on that rival with the addition of a speedy uncoupled stablemate breaking from the inside gate in Idea Generation (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Running over a bogged-down...

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NY Racetrack Chaplaincy Celebrates Opening Of New Center

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday and opened the doors to its new Chaplaincy Center at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY. The 3,500-foot multi-purpose building and chapel, designed by Frost Hurff Architects of Saratoga Springs, NY, is located just inside the Gate 6 entrance to Belmont Park on Hempstead Avenue in Elmont, NY. "The creation and the opening of this facility is something we have worked for and dreamt about for many years and it is absolutely thrilling to see it become a reality," said...

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TERF Awards BCCA $10K For Educational Purposes

The Thoroughbred Education and Research Fund (TERF) is awarding the Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA) $10,000 to be used for educational purposes. The mission of the BCCA is to 'provide a safe, supporting and adcademically inspiring environment' for the children of parents working in the backstretch areas of Belmont, Aqueduct and Saratoga Race Course. TERF has awarded funds to the BCCA over the last four years which were used to fund their early childhood education program. The BCCA early childhood education program encompasses a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math)-based...

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Flameaway Notches Another Winner With Enfuega

7th-Belmont The Big A, $75,000, (S), Msw, 9-28, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:17.95, ft, 4 1/4 lengths. ENFUEGA (f, 2, Flameaway--Gran Lucky Girl, by Maclean's Music) jumped right to the lead and withstood pressure from Granadilla (Practical Joke) through a half in :46.32. Pushed for more run into the turn, the 6-1 shot responded in kind and drew off steadily to the wire, graduating by 4 1/4 lengths over Book of Wisdom (Solomini). The 13th winner for freshman sire Flameaway (by Scat Daddy), Enfuega has a yearling Spun to Run...

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Audible's Moonlight Wins Big At Aqueduct

5th-Belmont The Big A, $90,000, Msw, 9-28, 2yo, 1m (off turf), 1:36.04, ft, 8 lengths. MOONLIGHT (c, 2, Audible--Sundown, by Tapit) showed ability when second by just a neck to GI Summer S. winner Carson's Run (Cupid) when unveiled over 1 1/16 miles on the grass at Saratoga July 29. Racing with blinkers added Thursday, the 6-5 favorite drew in off the also-eligible list in this off-the-turf event and quickly was up to pressure fellow also-eligible entry Stolen Magic (Good Magic) for the lead. As that runner began to fade...

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