My 2014 NYRA Calendar

 

The winter has been taking its toll on me recently and it wasn’t just the bitter cold temperatures and snow that hit the northern regions of the country. The way that some people go on and on about the weather made things that much worse for me. Add in all the talk of the polar vortex or the #polarvortex and I was starting to ice up. Then I realized that on top of all this I had not been to the racetrack since the Cigar Mile at the end of November 2013.

 

Warmer temperatures and a break in a very busy schedule allowed me to get to Aqueduct on Sunday to not only take a very small stab at the Pick 5, but to renew my media credentials for the year, and get my 2014 NYRA calendar.

 

On January 1^st, the calendars were available at Aqueduct for $2 and this is by far my favorite NYRA promotional item. In case you weren’t able to get a NYRA calendar they are available on Ebay from $9 to a truly bizarre $37.99 or at the gift shop at the track.

 

Fortunately I was able to pick one up in the media office at Aqueduct. The calendar helped change my outlook on the winter. As I paged through the calendar the beautiful photos allowed me to relive highlights of 2013 and begin to plan for 2014.

 

I used the calendar to get the dates for the meetings at Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga. I also thought it might be helpful to all of you New York racing fans to get an early look at the dates for the big event days.

 

•Feb. 1 – The Withers (G3) with the Correction, the Busher, and the Toboggan (G3)

•March 1 – The Gotham (G3) and the Top Flight (G3) and the Tom Fool (G2)

•April 5 – The $1,000,000 Wood Memorial (G1) including and undercard of the Ruffian (G2), Gazelle (G2), Bay Shore (G3), and Carter (G1)

•May 1 – Belmont Park Spring/Summer meeting begins

•May 26 – The Met Mile (G1) and the Acorn and the Ogden Phipps, both grade one events, and the Sands Point is a grade two

•June 7 – Belmont Stakes Day with the Just A Game (G1), the Woody Stephens (G2), True North (G2), and the Manhattan Handicap (G1)

•July 18 – Opening Day at Saratoga

•July 26 – The Jim Dandy along with the Diana (G1) and the Prioress (G1)

•August 23 – The Travers (G1) and the Ballston Spa (G2), the Kings Bishop (G1), and the Test (G1)

•August 30 – Woodward (G1) Day includes the Forego (G1) and the Bernard Baruch (G2)

•September 6 – Belmont Park Fall meeting opens

•September 27 – The Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) with four other grade ones:  the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, the Beldame, the Flower Bowl, the Vosburgh, and the grade two Kelso

•October 31 – Aqueduct Fall/Winter meeting opens

•November 29 – The Cigar Mile (G1) featuring the Demoiselle (G2), the Remsen (G2), and the Comely (G3)