PAUL MINORE WINS NAADA TROT WITH WYGANT PRINCE TONIGHT AT YONKERS RACEWAY

by john manzj for NAADA

Yonkers, NY—The proliferation of amateur driving organizations has been a boon to harness racing with active clubs in New York, New England, New Jersey, Ohio and Florida, And that's not counting the granddaddy of them all, the CKG Billings Harness Driving Series as well as the Hall of Fame Amateurs.

Horses in races in the aforementioned not only abet the local racetracks betting cards but give true sportsmen(and women) an opportunity to enjoy the sport of driving a spirited steed.

Arguably the busiest of all the driving organizations currently is the North American Amateur Drivers Association. They have hosted three European clubs and are currently in the process of hosting a fourth, the French. Add to that three local NAADA 10-race series—a fourth currently in the works-- and hardly a week goes by without races for theirr membership.

Yesterday NAADA had two races against the French in a Friendship Competition at Monticello Raceway after an event at Yonkers on Tuesday. And perhaps all the action available is a reason why the NAADA Trot tonight (Thursday) at Yonkers only had five declared entrants and when the gate for their race sprung only three competed.

In that contest Paul Minore sent his old veteran Wygant Prince to the lead from the three-hole and played catch me if you can, and nobody could. Minore and his charge got by the first stanza in :29.3 and the half in 1:01. Marching along in second place was Keenan and driver John Calabrese and third at that point was Gianni and Matt Zuccarello.

Up the backside Wygant Prince seemed to put the pedal to the metal and he opened up a three-length lead as he passed the three quarters in 1:30.2 and the margin was opened to six at the wire as the timer flashed 2:00.1. Gianni trotted by Keenan in the stretch for second money.

Minore owns the winner and has owned him since he began racing. The 11-year-old altered son of S Js Photo has amassed almost $430,000 in his illustrious career and earned a lifetime mark of 1:56.3

Minore, a former high school track coach entrusts the training duties to Taylor Gower. It was the 38^th career victory for Wygant Prince. And for Minore it was his 100^th win in the USA to go along with four wins against his counterparts in Europe.

Belmont and Yonkers to offer cross-breed, all-stakes Pick 4 on October 13

by Najja Thompson

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and Yonkers Raceway at Empire City Casino will partner to offer horseplayers a special all-stakes thoroughbred/standardbred Pick 4 on Saturday, October 13.

The latest in NYRA's fall series of special Pick 4 Wagers, the Belmont-Yonkers Pick 4 includes the $1 Million Yonkers International Trot and the $250,000 Harry Harvey Invitational from Empire City Casino along with the $200,000 Pebbles and $100,000 Floral Park Stakes from Belmont Park.

"NYRA's continued partnership with Yonkers Raceway results in unique wagering opportunities for New York horseplayers," said Will Alempijevic, NYRA Director of Business Development. "For the second consecutive year, we're thrilled to have successfully paired two great stakes races from Belmont with the best and richest day of harness racing in New York."

"Yonkers International Trot Day offers our best racing program of the season, featuring world-class trotters and pacers," Raceway COO Bob Galterio said. "For the International and the Harry Harvey Trot to be included in a special Pick 4 with two of Belmont's stakes races allows us to showcase our events to NYRA's audience, and we encourage them to enjoy the best harness racing anywhere. As always, we couldn't do it without the cooperation of the New York State Gaming Commission and both horsemen's associations."

Past performances for the Yonkers International Trot and Harry Harvey Invitational will be included in the Saturday, October 13 Post Parade program, while past performances for the Floral Park and Pebbles Stakes will be found in Yonkers' Saturday program.

The Belmont-Yonkers Pick 4, to be hosted by NYRA with a $0.50 minimum wager and 24 percent takeout, will be available on-track, to members of NYRA Bets and Empire City Bets as well as in simulcast facilities across the country. For more information on the Belmont-Yonkers Pick 4 please visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/wagering-promotions.

The Belmont-Yonkers Pick 4
Race 1: $250,000 Harry Harvey Invitational Trot (Yonkers Race 7 at 3:00 p.m.)
Race 2: $1 Million Yonkers International Trot (Yonkers Race 8 at 3:20 p.m.)
Race 3: $100,000 Floral Park (Belmont Race 8 at 4:43 p.m.)
Race 4: $200,000 Pebbles (Belmont Race 9 at 5:18 p.m.)

Meadowlands 2019 Racedates

East Rutherford, NJ - The Meadowlands will apply for 68 live racing dates for the 2019 season by the October 15, request for dates deadline of the NJ Racing Commission.  

The main factor in forcing us to reduce dates is the failure to obtain a purse subsidy that would enable us to compete with the Pennsylvania tracks when they open in late March.  By reducing dates we believe it would help to be able to attract enough horses to race during that period and we are quite certain that without the subsidy racing more than 68 days would be impossible.  The thoroughbreds have also advised us that they would like to race in the fall and they have the legal right to do that but we believe that if we were able to get the subsidy, which is split between the standardbreds and thoroughbreds, we might be able to work out a schedule that would be beneficial to both breeds. 

This will unfortunately force The Meadowlands to drop the fall stakes program. The Fall Final Four and possibly the TVG Championships will have to be relocated or cancelled along with The Kindergarten series.   

The purse account deficit is another issue as without any subsidy the funds available limiting the daily average to approximately $110,000 which is not enough to attract enough horses to fill Meadowlands cards when the PA tracks open. Fewer dates will permit an increase as we attempt to field races that will be attractive to the horseplayers.

As it stands with Monmouth racing in the fall and the purse revenue status quo, the schedule will be Friday & Saturday from January 4 through Hambletonian Day August 3 then Thursday - Saturday the last two weeks of December.

We hope in the next few weeks that the legislature will act on the purse subsidy legislation in which case we would revisit this with the expectation that we could increase the race dates including a modified fall schedule.