NYRTC

Marc Holliday, a Thoroughbred owner, breeder and chairman of The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), and his wife Sheree, an avid and competitive equestrian, were honored Wednesday, Aug. 12, with the John Hendrickson and Marylou Whitney Award for their generous support of the New York backstretch community at the New York Race Track Chaplaincy's 19th Annual Fundraising Brunch at the Saratoga National Golf Club, the non-profit said in a Wednesday press release. "The backstretch community is the lifeblood of any racetrack and Sheree and I are proud to support...

Michelle Cuozzo Borisenok, a longtime Thoroughbred owner, entrepreneur and philanthropist in the Capital region, and Najja Thompson, the executive director of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc., have been named to the Board of Directors of the New York Race Track Chaplaincy, the organization said in a release Friday morning. "Michelle and Najja both have a deep appreciation for the mission of the New York Race Track Chaplaincy and they are widely admired throughout the Thoroughbred industry," said Ramón Dominguez, the President of the NYRTC. "We are honored to have...

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy and its team of volunteers distributed backpacks and school supplies to the children of Saratoga backstretch workers on Thursday, Aug.31, the organization said in a release early Friday. The children received the supplies requested by their teachers in their personalized backpacks along with a brand-new pair of sneakers and a first day of school haircut. Supporters of the program include Saratoga's leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr., who helped to distribute the supplies. "The backstretch workers make what I do possible," Ortiz said. "Whether you...

Liz Bishop, the longtime, award-winning television news anchor at the Albany CBS affiliate station (WRGB-TV) will once again serve as the master of ceremonies for the New York Race Track Chaplaincy's Annual Brunch on Aug. 16 to be held at the Saratoga National Golf Club, the organization said in a release Wednesday. "First of all, I'm really honored beyond words to emcee this event," she said. "When I walk into that big room and see all those people from all facets of the Thoroughbred racing world gathered together, I get...

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy (NYRTC) will honor Tracy and Todd Pletcher for their generous and continued support of the New York backstretch community at its 16th Annual Fundraising Brunch, which will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 16 at the Saratoga National Golf Club in Saratoga Springs, New York. "This honor means the world to Tracy and to me," said Todd Pletcher. "Our record reflects a team effort and the members of the backstretch are key members of our team. The New York Chaplaincy does great work serving those...

Christmas came a few days early for approximately 150 backstretch families at Belmont Park on Tuesday, December 20th when the New York Race Track Chaplaincy hosted its annual Sponsor-A-Family Program. The families received food and gifts, including new winter clothing for children, new toys and gift cards. Highlighting this year's festivities was the presence of Mario Artaza, the Consul General of Chile in New York, who dressed as Santa Claus. "I'm honored to participate in this year's event and it's heartwarming to see what the horse racing community is doing...

In less than five weeks, the King of Saratoga will head north to return to his kingdom in Upstate New York. But for now, Hall of Famer Angel Cordero, Jr. is busy at Belmont Park as the jockey agent for up-and-coming young rider Manny Franco. These days, it's not easy to make it to the top of the jockey ranks in New York, according to Cordero. "Fortunately, we have something happening here that didn't happen for a long time anywhere," he said. "We have the top nine or 10 riders...