Andrew Cuomo

Trainer Jason Servis  has been granted a change-of-plea hearing, which will be held Friday at 11 a.m. before Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil of United States District Court (Southern District of New York)., in which he is expected to plead guilty for his role in the highly publicized racehorse doping scandal. Originally indicted in March of 2020, Servis represents the last domino to fall in the doping scandal that also involved trainer Jorge Navarro and more than two dozen others and sent shockwaves through the industry. Servis had appeared ready to...

Edited press release After racing with no fans in 2020, Saratoga will open with 100% capacity in 2021, the New York Racing Association announced today. With 70% of adult New Yorkers now vaccinated against COVID-19, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Tuesday the immediate removal of COVID-19 protocols and restrictions for nearly all activities and industries, including outdoor sports and entertainment venues. Accordingly, NYRA will open all sections at Saratoga at 100%. The lifting of all COVID-19 protocols, including the requirement for fans to provide vaccination status, applies to all hospitality...

The New York Racing Association issued a statement Wednesday regarding it ongoing efforts to welcome fans back for the upcoming Belmont Park and Saratoga Racecourse meets. Horse and auto racing were omitted from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's guidance last week relating to reopening sporting events to the public in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. "Governor Cuomo's decision to expand capacity limits for sports fans beginning this April is incredibly positive news as we look toward the spring and summer," said NYRA's Pat McKEnna. "NYRA will work closely with...

The stakes schedule for the 48-day Belmont Park spring/summer meet will feature 59 total stakes races worth $16.95 million in purses. The spring/summer meet will begin Thursday, Apr. 22 and continue through Sunday, July 11. On Feb. 10, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that live sports and entertainment venues will be permitted to re-open to a limited number of spectators beginning Feb. 23. In order for qualifying venues to re-open, those sites must gain New York State Department of Health approval and limit the number of spectators to...

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that sports arenas and stadiums with a capacity of better than 10,000 can re-open with limited spectators. The first event open to spectators in the state will be the National Basketball Association contest between the Sacramento Kings and Brooklyn Nets at the Barclay Center Feb. 23. The opening of venues will follow the Buffalo Bills pilot program, deemed an "unparalleled success" by Cuomo, following guidelines including Department of Health approval for venues and events, capacity limitations, testing requirements, mandatory face coverings, temperature checks and...

During his daily press briefing, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday that all racetracks in the state can resume racing June 1. Since June 1 is a Monday, normally a dark day, it is likely that Belmont will not open until a few days afterward. NYRA has been shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic since Aqueduct last ran Mar. 15. Cuomo's announcement also paves the way for Finger Lakes and the state's harness tracks to reopen. "NYRA and the New York racing community are thankful for Governor Cuomo's...

Asked in his daily coronavirus briefing Wednesday about the potential opening of Saratoga Race Course this summer, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that he thinks a decision will likely have to be made on a statewide, if not region-wide level. He added that his concern is if Saratoga is opened alone without coordination with other counties and states, it could see even more demand than usual, leading to density issues. He didn't address and wasn't asked about the possibility of Saratoga conducting racing without spectators. "You can't open an...

Aqueduct will be re-purposed as a temporary hospital, and racing will not resume there again at the winter or spring meets, according to a press release from the New York Racing Association Saturday afternoon. When racing does resume, it is expected to be at Belmont Park, which is currently scheduled to open Apr. 24. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo raised the possibility of making Aqueduct a temporary hospital at his press briefing Friday, and said he would seek the required permission from the federal government to serve the borough of...

Aqueduct Racetrack is on the list of possible additional new hospital sites for New York State, according to N.Y. Governor Andrew Cuomo, who discussed the issue at his daily press briefing Friday. Cuomo said that the state is looking for sites with a 1,000-plus patient capacity in each of the five New York City boroughs, as well as Westchester, Rockland, Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Aqueduct is located in South Ozone Park in the borough of Queens. New York is already building a temporary hospital in the Jacob Javits Convention Center...

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo (D-NY) today announced legislation in the FY 2021 Executive Budget to authorize The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) to use capital funds to finance, construct and equip a new state-of-the-art equine drug testing laboratory and research center. The Executive Budget also proposes enabling New York to enter the Mid-Atlantic Drug Compact, which is designed to facilitate uniform passage of previously agreed-upon rules pertaining to equine medication and testing procedures. "Horse racing remains an important industry in many communities across New York, but preserving integrity in...