New York

"And they're off at Saratoga!" Five words that hundreds, if not thousands, of people live to hear every July as the ceremonial phrase marks the beginning of another historic Saratoga Race Meet. While most normal attendees were unable hear those Tom Durkin-inspired words in person this year, some did their best to make the most of the situation. The enthusiasm from Mark Struffolino might be the example racing fans can look to emulate. Born and raised in upstate New York, the Rotterdam resident grew up spending summers at the Spa,...

A surge in positive Coronavirus tests among jockeys was met on Tuesday with a flurry of new movement-related restrictions at Thoroughbred tracks from coast to coast in an effort to keep the pandemic from spreading further. For the industry in general, any sizable spike in COVID-19 positives among participants will almost certainly trigger another wave of racetrack shutdowns. But for jockeys specifically, the balance of maintaining safety under pandemic precautions often comes down to treading a fine line between protecting one's health versus protecting one's livelihood. Since the end of...

Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group, and Bethlehem Stables' Eclipse Award winner Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) breezed a half-mile in company in an easy :49.30 over the Belmont main track Saturday morning as she completed her preparations for the July 11 GII Ruffian S. at Big Sandy. Partnered with Javier Castellano, the 5-year-old worked in the company of her multiple stakes-winning stablemate A Bit of Both (Paynter) and was timed in splits of :12.30 and :24.40 before galloping out five-eighths of a mile in 1:02.10. "Today it was a very...

The history of Belmont Park, believe it or not, goes back over 350 years, to when America itself wasn't even an idea yet. In 1665, New York's colonial governor Richard Nicholl constructed a racetrack called Newmarket in Queens. It stood for over a century, and proved so popular that even after the British were expelled in 1783, a thirst for horse racing lived on in the hearts of newly independent New Yorkers. Union Course sprouted up in 1821 and became the country's leading track. After that came Brighton Beach Race...

The GI Runhappy Travers S, normally run on the next-to-last weekend of the Saratoga meet, has been moved up to Aug. 8. The shift of the Travers date was one of a handful of changes made to the 2020 Saratoga stakes schedule, which was released Friday by the New York Racing Association. Had the Travers stayed in its normal slot on the calendar, it would have been run Aug. 29, just one week before the repositioned GI Kentucky Derby. With the race having been moved back three weeks, it sets...

At 46, Luca Panici is far too deep into his career for anyone to talk sensibly of breakthroughs. But if it is unusual to find the second favorite for a Classic ridden by a jockey who has otherwise partnered a single graded stakes winner, then let nobody be deceived. Luca Panici was born and raised for days like Saturday, and his horsemanship and character are absolutely commensurate with the opportunity awaiting him on Sole Volante (Karakontie {Jpn}) in the GI Belmont S. The one pity, of course, is that this...

ELMONT, N.Y.--Linda Rice is as meticulous as they come in preparing her horses. The conditioner knows every detail about each and every horse in her care and maps out very specific plans for them. But, as organized as Rice is, she is equally as adaptable, as every horse trainer must be, and those qualities have served her well as she prepares Max Player (Honor Code) for a step up to the big leagues in an unconventional edition of the GI Belmont S. Saturday. Max Player's unique journey to the top...

TAKE THE LEAD Thoroughbred Retirement Program (TTL) just closed its 2019-20 fiscal year with a new mark of 135 former racehorses transitioning to second careers for the year. The previous record for the program, which was created by the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) in 2013, was 98 retirees for the fiscal year of 2016-17. Also celebrating its milestone 500th successful retirement last year, TAKE THE LEAD has now been responsible for 603 horses passing through its program. President Rick Schosberg oversees each retirement, which recently included popular New...

Trainer Chad Brown was trackside at Belmont Park Thursday morning to oversee turf workouts for a pair of top-class distaffers. Working in company were eFive Racing's Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) and Peter Brant's Fifty Five (Get Stormy), who were each clocked a half-mile in a leisurely :50.48. The conditioner said that both mares would make an appearance on the much-anticipated opening day of the Belmont spring/summer meeting next Wednesday, June 3. They both worked fine and will be entered for the [GIII] Beaugay [S.]," Brown told the NYRA notes...

This week NYRA's VP Martin Panza joins the TDN Writers' Room to talk racing at Belmont and Saratoga.

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...