On the day that an extension of his contract was announced, Christopher Kay, president and chief executive officer of the New York Racing Association, presented a report to the organization’s board of directors that highlighted the financial and customer service successes implemented since he was appointed in July 2013. This year’s Saratoga Race Course meet…
When Rodney Jenkins’ Phlash Phelps got headed in the stretch of the Maryland Million Turf by veteran Roadhog, the trainer said to himself, having watched his horse get discouraged in previous races, “Let’s see what he’s made of.” The four-year-old gelding had sat comfortably behind pace-setting longshot Jo Way Java before sprinting to the lead…
Saturday’s Maryland Million Turf boasts no shortage of experience among the 11 horses entered; Bullheaded Boy is the lone 3-year-old in the field, and a quartet of 8-year-olds will attempt to put the other relative youngsters to shame and grab the winner’s share of the $125,000 purse. But even if one of those veterans—Roadhog, Havelock,…
Late on Thursday afternoon, Dark Hollow Farm’s David Hayden got a call from an unknown number, a call he nearly didn’t pick up. “It was the gas and electric company,” he said with amused incredulity. “They were telling me to be prepared for a huge storm.” The storm that initiated the unprecedented preemptive warning is…
The New York State Gaming Commission Sept. 24 passed several rule amendments related to equine medication, including further restrictions on the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and a total ban on stanozolol, an anabolic steroid. The NYSGC also amended rules regarding the role of veterinary technicians on the backstretch and a requirement for continuing education…
It’s almost time for tricks and treats, and the Belmont Child Care Association is seeking donations of gently used costumes for the children of Anna House, from infants to five-year-olds. The Belmont Child Care Association offers low-cost child care and early child education to children of backstretch workers at Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga. Located on…
A big sign at the entrance to Parx Racing on Saturday directed the owners of stakes runners to a dedicated dining area on one of the upper floors of the clubhouse, a special hospitality area for the people who had brought their horses to run on the track’s biggest day of racing. Barely an hour…
In 2006, The (U.S.) Jockey Club and the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation held the first Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit. Originally biannual, the summit now takes place yearly, featuring presentations on racetrack health and safety issues involving both horses and the people who work with them. Held in Lexington, Kentucky, the reach of…
On July 26, Carolyn and Fletcher Gray stood in a box near the finish line at Saratoga, watching as their homebred I’m a Chatterbox led a field of accomplished fillies, including a couple of Grade 1 winners, around the historic racetrack in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks. And when she crossed the finish…
In a June 21 op-ed in The Saratogian, New York Racing Association (NYRA) president and CEO Chris Kay chided those who cite attendance as a measure of success of the summer racing meet. “The questionable pursuit of trying to gauge the popularity of Saratoga using attendance as the metric should be apparent,” he wrote. “A…
Brooklyn Backstretch 