Though it lacked a representative from the New York Racing Association for the first time in recent memory, the annual preview of the Saratoga Race Course meet at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame the evening of July 20 drew a near-capacity crowd of participants that peppered panelists with questions on everything from…
The next time a horse is awarded the Triple Crown trophy will be the first time for a new design, as New York Racing Association president Chris Kay has commissioned a redesigned piece to replace the one awarded to the previous Triple Crown winners. Designed and created by Cartier, the trophy awarded to American Pharoah’s connections last year is a…
For the first time in three years, the New York Racing Association will host a Belmont Stakes without a Triple Crown on the line. Preparations at Belmont Park have proceeded much more quietly, with none of the national and little of the local coverage of the last two years, when TV crews descended on the…
As it waits for a decision on the future of the New York Racing Association, the organization’s board of directors May 25 spent less than five minutes discussing rumors of a proposal that would keep the association under state control. The NYRA board, at a meeting in New York City, implicitly acknowledged a report that emerged…
Three-and-a-half years after being put under state control by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the New York Racing Association board of the directors approved a plan April 12 for a return to privatization at a meeting in New York City. The board was required by statute to submit a re-organization plan to the state this month, with…
After three and a half years under the supervision of New York State, the New York Racing Association is preparing to return to private control, board chairman Michael Del Giudice said at a meeting of the association’s board of directors March 10 in New York City. Though the plan for privatization, due to be submitted…
t the end of a year that saw record-breaking pari-mutuel handle and attendance, the board of directors of the New York Racing Association celebrated success while at the same planning conservatively for the future. At a Dec. 9 meeting, board chair Michael Del Giudice congratulated NYRA president and chief executive officer Christopher Kay and the…
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…
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…
At Sunday’s fan forum presented by the New York State Gaming Commission’s Fan Advisory Council, one of the first speakers was a man who was introduced to horse racing by his fiancée’s family, which is from this area. “They said, ‘We’re going to take you to a horse race,’” recounted Bill Sullivan of Beverly, MA.…
Brooklyn Backstretch 