New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association

Abigail Klima has joined the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association to oversee Membership Services, acting as the primary liaison for all current and prospective trainers and owners competing on the New York Racing Association (NYRA) circuit. Klima will be assisting owners, trainers, and their staff with information and guidance on all areas related to participation in New York racing, including licensing, registration, and credentialing. Additional responsibilities will include administering and supporting the New York Trainers Health Insurance Program (NYTHIP), the New York Jockey Injury Compensation Fund (NYJICF), the Horseracing Integrity...

Edited Press Release We Are NY Horse Racing, a coalition of small businesses, labor unions, non-profits, and trade associations aligned to amplify the sport of horse racing's importance to the New York State economy, has released an interactive map visualizing the scope of horse racing's statewide economic impact. In addition to New York's 11 Thoroughbred and harness tracks, this new map displays 249 farms and businesses connected to the sport of horse racing. "This new map clearly shows that upstate and downstate, New York is horse racing country through and...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) announced that a team led by Brendan Kumagai has been selected as the winner of the inaugural Big Data Derby competition, beating out 105 other submissions for first prize. Kumagai, together with Gurashish Bagga, Kimberly Kroetch, Tyrel Stokes, and Liam Welsh, took the $20,000 first prize with the submission, "Bayesian Velocity Models for Horse Race Simulation." Kumagai's team created a dynamic model that focused on horses' forward versus lateral speed and examined the results of...

Marie Kizenko has joined the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association team as communications manager. A racing industry veteran, Kizenko served as a senior editor for 14 years at the Thoroughbred Daily News before working as a freelance writer and communications consultant. She returned to racing on a full-time basis in 2019 and most recently served as stakes coordinator for the Maryland Jockey Club. "This is a fascinating time for the racing industry in New York," Kizenko said. "NYTHA's core missions of benevolence, equine welfare, and safeguarding the interests of its...

The New York Racing Association, New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and the New York Thoroughbred Breeders will host the second annual New York Thoroughbred Aftercare Day at Saratoga Race Course July 21. The day will include a variety of events and demonstrations to highlight the work of the New York State aftercare community. The featured race will be the $125,000 Rick Violette, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for New York-bred sophomores named for the late trainer and NYTHA President who spearheaded the creation of the TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program...

Sixteen months after a widely criticized rule forcing the pari-mutuel coupling of married jockeys cost an estimated $4.2 million in handle loss at Aqueduct Racetrack, the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) on Wednesday finally voted in a rule change that resolved a bureaucratic logjam by changing four words in a regulation that is about 50 years old. So after nearly a year and a half of the rule resulting in truncated field sizes, being widely bemoaned by the betting public, and being termed as sexist by critics because it...

Last week at Royal Ascot, The Ridler (Brazen Beau) sprang a surprise in the G2 Norfolk S. when out-performing his odds of 50-1. That wasn't the only odd spell The Ridler cast during the race. Into the final furlong, The Ridler drifted markedly left across the field, hampering the chances of several other runners. Controversially for some, The Ridler kept the race after a steward's inquiry. During a presentation at Wednesday's Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit, Will Duff Gordon, CEO of Total Performance Data,...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA), and New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) will host the inaugural New York Thoroughbred Aftercare Day at Saratoga Wednesday, July 21. The featured race will be the Rick Violette S., named for the late NYTHA President who spearheaded the creation of the TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program and TAKE THE LEAD Retirement Program, and was a founding member of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA). "We're proud to carry on Rick Violette's work in promoting and protecting our equine...

Joe Appelbaum has been re-elected to a second term as president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association in election results announced Tuesday by the organization. Incumbent Owner/Directors Tina Bond, Rob Masiello and Aron Yagoda were re-elected as well, with Jon Green and Dan Collins filling the two additional Owner/Director spots. Incumbent Trainer/Directors Leah Gyarmati, John Kimmel, Linda Rice and Richard Schosberg will be joined by Pat Kelly, who most recently served as an alternate to the board. "Thank you to all of New York's owners and trainers who took...

The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) announced the candidates Thursday for its 2020 President and Board of Directors. The NYTHA Board is comprised of five Owner Directors, five Trainer/Trainer-Owner Directors and the President. Candidates are as follows: PRESIDENT: - Joe Appelbaum (incumbent) - Chad Summers OWNER/DIRECTOR: - Tina Marie Bond - Daniel Collins - Peter Dorsman - Jonathan Green - Jeanne A. Liddy - Robert Masiello - Edward J. Messina, Ph. D. - Aron S. Yagoda TRAINER/TRAINER-OWNER/DIRECTOR: - Leah Gyarmati - Patrick J. Kelly - John Kimmel, V.M.D. -...

The Backstretch Employee Service Team, in coordination with the Northeast New York Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (NENY-COSH) will provide one-on-one demonstrations on the proper use of personal protective equipment to the essential workers of the backstretch at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 24-25. Each worker in attendance will receive a PPE kit including a mask with filtering respirator, gloves, and hand sanitizer. The project was made possible with the help of a grant from the Hispanics in Philanthropy Essential Fund. "Since the start, we have been working hard to...

The 2-year-old filly Community Adjusted (Summer Front) has been added to the Empire Racing Club's roster of runners, the group announced Monday. The dark bay filly will race for the partnership of Rob Masiello and ERC, and will be trained by Christophe Clement. Out of Rimini Road (Dynaformer), the filly was purchased by Masiello for $100,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. "Community Adjusted is a lovely filly with a nice neck and shoulder, and looks like she will be able to get a route of ground," said Masiello....