The Empire Racing Club (ERC), an initiative by the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association introducing fans to racehorse ownership, announced the launch of the 2020 season, which officially kicks off Apr. 1. Created in 2019, the non-profit organization will again be managed by race-caller Tom Durkin. Training the current team of runners for the 2020 season are Todd Pletcher, Mark Casse, and Linda Rice.
“ERC has been an enjoyable and rewarding experience for me,” said Durkin. “Having been in an 8×10 announcer's booth for 40 years was a fun way to watch the races, however, a bit confining. ERC in its first year has given me the opportunity to see the sport and fans of the game up close and to experience the sport as never before…onto to my sophomore year!!!”
The ERC will be limited to 200 members. As in 2019, the cost to join for Season 2 will be $500 for the term, with no further outlay by the participants.
Team runners include stakes-placed Proven Strategies (Sky Mesa), Now and Again (Awesome Again) and Starlit Daydream (Can The Man), a half-sister to graded-stakes winner Gas Station Sushi (Into Mischief). Runner-up in Saratoga's Skidmore S. last summer, Proven Strategies finished sixth–beaten two lengths–in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita last fall. Marking his 2020 debut at Gulfstream Park Feb. 2, Proven Strategies was third. Now and Again finished fifth, beaten 2 1/4 lengths, at Aqueduct Jan. 23. Starlit Daydream, trained by Todd Pletcher, was third in her career bow at Gulfstream Park Feb. 9.
Among ERC events highlighting the inaugural season: morning workouts and educational seminars at Fasig-Tipton in Saratoga; Lunch and Learn on Thoroughbred Aftercare in Saratoga's 1863 Club; race day events and dining at Belmont Park, Saratoga Racecourse and Aqueduct; Breeders' Cup social at Aqueduct; a guided tour with Tom Durkin in Saratoga's National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Also featured in 2019 were seminars and teleconferences with Club trainer Todd Pletcher, Keith Lawton DVM (Equine Care), Len Green (Equine Accounting), DJ Racing GM Jon Green and Rob Masiello (Thoroughbred Ownership), and bloodstock agent and horse owner Aron Yagoda (Claiming 101). For more information or to join visit https://empireracingclub.wildapricot.org/.
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