First Look at the New York Derby Trail

The New NYRA, which is led by its new Reorganization Board, held their first public board meeting today at the New York State offices in Manhattan. One of its first orders of business was to approve the new NYRA mission statement: “Meeting the highest standards in thoroughbred racing and equine safety.”

 

The new Board Chair David Skorton elaborated on the goals of the new NYRA, “Today’s meeting signifies a renewed focus of making New York’s Thoroughbred horse racing a model for the rest of the nation, including an emphasis on equine health and safety. My colleagues on the Reorganization Board are committed to learning from each other and the public and to working with NYRA management to better serve the horse racing industry and its fans. As we did with today’s meeting, the Board will continue to work in an open, accountable and effective manner, as NYRA is an integral and important part of New York’s culture and part of what makes our state a national leader in so many areas.”

 

Also on the agenda at today’s meeting was the announcement of the entire 2013 stakes schedule, which includes the New York trail to the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown. With the movement of a race and the adjustment of dates, NYRA will now offer a Derby prep race at Aqueduct in every month starting in January.

 

The Jerome Handicap (G2), which was run in April in 2012, has been moved to January. The Withers (G3) is scheduled for February and the Gotham (G2) will be run in March. The $1,000,000 Wood Memorial (G1) is the April feature of the New York Derby Trail.

 

The Belmont Stakes, which is the final jewel of the Triple Crown will be on Saturday, June 8^th. The card on Belmont Day will include four other graded stakes races.  The Brooklyn Handicap, which was run on the Belmont card, instead will be run on Friday in 2013.

 

For 2013, I will change my traditional Derby Top 10 to a list of New York-based horses that are contenders for the Kentucky Derby. In this first list the horses are listed in order, based on Road to the Derby points.

 

Last race – 1^st Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) – 1 mile 1/16^th – BSF 82

Record – 5: 5-0-0 - $1,687,000

Road to the Derby points– 20 – Rank 1

Trainer – Todd Pletcher

Rider – Rosie Napravnik

 

Last race – 1^st Remsen (G2) – 1 mile 1/8^th – BSF 99

Record – 5: 3-0-1 - $343,906

Road to the Derby points – 10 – Rank 4

Trainer – Todd Pletcher

Rider – Ramon Dominguez

 

Last race – 2^nd  Delta Jackpot (G2) – 1 mile 1/16^th  

Record – 6: 3-2-1 - $616,000

Road to the Derby points – 4 – Rank 10

Trainer – Kelly Breen

Rider – Paco Lopez

 

Last race – 3^rd Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) – 1 mile 1/16^th  

Record – 4: 1-0-2 - $288,000

Road to the Derby points – 4 – Rank 12

Trainer – Todd Pletcher

Rider – Joel Rosario

 

Last race – 2^nd Remsen (G2) – 1 mile 1/8^th – BSF 99

Record – 3: 1-0-1 - $92,240

Road to the Derby points – 4 – Rank 16

Trainer – Chad Brown

Rider – Jose Lezcano

 

Last race – 4^th Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) – 1 mile 1/16^th  

Record – 4: 1-1-1 - $268,000

Road to the Derby points – 3 – Rank 18

Trainer – Kiaran McLaughlin

Rider – Ramon Dominguez

 

Last race – 3^rd Remsen (G2) – 1 mile 1/8^th – BSF 96

Record – 3: 1-1-1 - $84,800

Road to the Derby points – 2 – Rank 23

Trainer – Todd Pletcher

Rider – JJ Castellano

 

Last race – 4^th Champagne (G1) – 1 mile

Record – 2: 1-0-0 - $68,000

Road to the Derby points – 1 – Rank 30

Trainer – Todd Pletcher

Rider – John Velazquez

 

Last race – 1^st Nashua (G1) – 1 mile

Record – 2: 2-0-0 - $168,000

Road to the Derby points – 0

Trainer – Todd Pletcher

Rider – JJ Castellano