Saratoga Race Course will welcome college students back to their favorite course this fall with the first ever College Day Sept. 4, featuring a host of prizes, giveaways and $1,000 scholarships to be awarded after each race by The New York Racing Association.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
The New York Racing Association will award 15 pari-mutuel wagering vouchers worth $1,000 each to fans on "Thousand Dollar Thursday", Sept. 3.
Monday, August 31, 2009
The New York Racing Association and many members of the Jockeys' Guild who ride at its three racetracks, along with the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and The Jockey Club, have jointly pledged more than $100,000 in financial support in 2009 to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation,
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Starting Thursday, May 28, Long Island Rail Road train service from Penn Station directly into Belmont Park will be restored, pending Metropolitan Transit Authority board approval on May 27. The "Belmont Special" had been eliminated as part of a series of budget cuts and proposed fare hikes by the MTA, parent agency of the LIRR.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
The New York Racing Association announced Oct. 31 that Kimberly Justus has assumed the newly-created post of director of guest services. In her new role, Justus is responsible for all customer service functions at NYRA.
Friday, October 31, 2008
The New York Racing Association Aug. 1 announced that John Passero has resigned as director of racing surfaces, effective at the conclusion of the Saratoga meeting Sept. 1. Glen Kozak will take over Passero's responsibilities at the start of the Belmont Park meeting Sept. 5.
Friday, August 01, 2008
The New York Racing Association held a press conference in Albany, N.Y., June 23 to discuss the upcoming 36-day Saratoga meet, which begins July 23 and runs through Sept. 1.
Monday, June 23, 2008
New York Racing Association simulcasts will return to 16 East Coast tracks, thanks to an agreement signed May 8 between the NYRA and the Mid-Atlantic Cooperative.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
As Atlantic City Race Course prepares for a six-day all-turf meet, from April 23-25 and April 30-May 2, many observers believe it will be the last hurrah for the New Jersey track that opened in 1946.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Peter Berube, vice president and general manager of Tampa Bay Downs, and Hal Handel, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the New York Racing Association (NYRA), have been appointed by the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America (TRA) to serve on the management committee of Equibase Company LLC
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Hal Handel, a longtime executive with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and Greenwood Racing, is the new executive vice president and COO of the New York Racing Association.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Harold G. "Hal" Handel, chief executive officer for Greenwood Racing, Inc. since 1998, has left his day-to-day duties at Philadelphia Park Casino & Racetrack and assumed responsibility for Greenwood's New Jersey operations, which include the revitalization of Atlantic City Race Course.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Philadelphia Park Casino & Racetrack has adopted a policy whereby anyone under the age of 18 is allowed at the facility only during live racing and only in certain areas.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Youbet.com will begin offering wagering on racing from Philadelphia Park Casino & Racetrack March 31.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Off-track wagering in New Jersey will officially launch March 30 when "Favorites in Vineland" opens it doors.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Pennwood Racing plans to open the first off-track wagering facility in New Jersey in early March. The Turf Club on Delsea Drive is located in Vineland in the southern portion of the state.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Six years after off-track wagering was legalized in New Jersey, the first OTW facility is set to open mid-February in Vineland, with two more to follow in mid to late 2007.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Philadelphia Park will become Philadelphia Park Casino and Racetrack Dec. 19 when it officially begins slot-machine operations in Bensalem Township, Pa.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
In a continuing effort to increase catastrophic on-track accident insurance for riders, Philadelphia Park Jockeys has taken the unprecedented step of affiliating itself with a labor union to help resolve the issue.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Atlantic City Racetrack, which has conducted only short, four-day meets in recent years, is poised to run a 20-day meet in 2008, as requested Nov.15 at a New Jersey Racing Commission meeting in Trenton, N.J.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Jockeys at Philadelphia Park again have asked the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission to facilitate an agreement between riders and track management on catastrophic-injury insurance coverage.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Hearings for the companies seeking licenses to operate slot machines at racetracks have been set by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, which could vote on conditional licenses in late September.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
A possible interruption of Saturday's live card at Philadelphia Park was averted Friday when management at the Bensalem Township, Pa., racetrack assured jockeys they are indeed covered by insurance should they be injured while performing the duties of their profession.
Friday, July 21, 2006
The first phase of a multimillion-dollar renovation to the grandstand in anticipation of slot machines is nearly complete at Philadelphia Park.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Management at Philadelphia Park announced today that the 2006 Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II), which was to carry a purse of $750,000 and was scheduled for Sept. 4 (Labor Day), has been cancelled.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Negotiations are currently underway between jockeys, management and horsemen at Philadelphia Park to have the amount of on-track accident insurance for riders increased from its current $100,000 to $1 million, but so far little progress has been made, according to Tony Black, who is helping spearhead the effort.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
With two of its four live racing days complete for 2006, questions remain as to what Greenwood Racing intends to do with aging Atlantic City Race Course, which opened in 1946 and currently serves as a year-round simulcast facility for patrons in southern New Jersey.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Patrons at Philadelphia Park will find themselves in an unfamiliar world--at least temporarily--by the fall of 2006.
Monday, January 09, 2006
Philadelphia Park has accepted the resignation of its longtime starter, Russell Downes, in the wake of another starting gate miscue that occurred Oct. 30 at the Bensalem Township, Pa., racetrack.
Monday, October 31, 2005
Philadelphia Park has taken disciplinary action against its longtime starter, Russell E. Downes, for a mishap at the start of the $100,000 Pennsylvania Oaks on Labor Day, Sept. 5.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Amid reports of a sale to a major outdoors retailer and use of its mostly vacant grandstand by homeless people, Atlantic City Race Course is prepared for four days of live turf racing beginning April 29 with a steeplechase program.
Friday, April 29, 2005
Purses for July at Philadelphia Park averaged just under $120,000 a day, but in a year, they will be almost twice that amount, with much more growth expected when revenue from slot machines begins pouring in.
Friday, August 27, 2004
Moderate rain didn't dampen the enthusiasm of fans at Philadelphia Park, the home of Smarty Jones, the morning of the Belmont Stakes (gr. I). People began gathering at the gates to the picnic area at the Bensalem, Pa., racetrack at 5:30 a.m. EDT -- and remember, they can only watch the third leg of the Visa Triple Crown Challenge on television.
Saturday, June 05, 2004
A "master participation agreement" between the three entities that operate racetracks in New Jersey as to how they intend to divide the 15 potential off-track wagering sites in the state will be considered at the Feb. 18 meeting of the New Jersey Racing Commission. Approval of the deal is seen as the first step toward jump-starting the process of getting OTB parlors operational, perhaps by the end of the year.
Monday, February 09, 2004
Live racing went on at Philadelphia Park as scheduled Dec. 30 even though management and jockeys are still at odds over how the riders are paid.
Tuesday, December 30, 2003
Magna Entertainment Corp. initiated restrictions upon or pulled its live racing signals from most account-wagering services effective Dec. 26, and at least one operator isn't happy about the developments.
Tuesday, December 30, 2003
Jockeys at Philadelphia Park voted not to ride the 10-race card Dec. 29 after they were unable to resolve payroll issues with management.
Monday, December 29, 2003
The Pennsylvania legislature may be close to passing both a budget and slot machine legislation, perhaps by the end of the week of Dec. 15.
Tuesday, December 16, 2003
Hal Handel, chief executive officer of Philadelphia Park, confirmed Thursday the Pennsylvania Derby (gr. III), set for Labor Day, will have its purse increased from $500,000 to $750,000 "no matter who runs."
Thursday, August 14, 2003
While representatives of New Jersey Thoroughbred horsemen claim they have been aware of the desire of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority to sell Monmouth Park and Meadowlands for nearly a year, there are many questions they want answered from prospective buyers, and they believe the timing of the announcement was poor.
Tuesday, May 06, 2003
The Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association is opposed to a racetrack gaming bill that would award 15% of gross revenue to purses and 1% to breed development. Meanwhile, an official at Philadelphia Park said he can't understand the horsemen's position.
Thursday, March 06, 2003
A small outbreak of equine herpes at Penn National Racecourse has prompted management of Philadelphia Park to bar horses shipping in to race as well as horses shipping out to "race and return" from the Grantville, Pa. oval.
Monday, February 24, 2003
Horsemen and management at Philadelphia Park came to terms on a live racing agreement Dec. 30 and averted a shutdown of live racing and simulcasting at the Pennsylvania track.
Monday, December 30, 2002
Philadelphia Park, closed to live racing for three consecutive days due to unsafe conditions caused by bad winter weather, was back in action Sunday, when it completed a nine-race card.
Sunday, December 29, 2002
Live racing at Philadelphia Park could be suspended Jan. 1, 2003 if management and horsemen are unable to come to terms on a new live racing agreement, which expires at the end of December. Horsemen are particularly concerned over language in the contract that protects their share of purse revenue.
Monday, December 23, 2002
With both gubernatorial candidates supporting slot machines at racetracks, a flurry of applications for new licenses were presented to the Pennsylvania State Racing Commission last week in anticipation of the expanded gaming revenue.
Tuesday, October 01, 2002
At its general membership meeting Aug. 13, the Cloverleaf Standardbred Owners Association discussed two unsolicited proposals for the purchase of Rosecroft Raceway in Maryland from two racing corporations, one of which is Greenwood Racing. But the harness track apparently isn't for sale.
Tuesday, August 20, 2002
The future of Atlantic City Race Course remains in question after the completion of its one-day program May 10, the only live date for 2002.
Tuesday, May 14, 2002
Philadelphia Park will offer a $1.8-million stakes schedule this season with 10 fewer events than last year.
Tuesday, February 26, 2002
Jim Gagliano, executive vice president and general manager at Philadelphia Park, will leave that post Feb. 22 to take a job with Magna Entertainment. Gagliano will head Magna's off-track betting operations.
Friday, February 15, 2002
