Many Champions Took New York Road to Eclipse Honors

From Rachel Alexandra to Gio Ponti, Summer Bird to Kodiak Kowboy, Steve Asmussen to Godolphin Racing, many of horse racing’s biggest stars turned in their finest performances in New York in 2009 en route to the Eclipse Awards Monday night.

Rachel Alexandra’s historic victory over older males in the Grade 1 Woodward at Saratoga Race Course – the first ever in the race by a filly – was the culmination of an extraordinary 8-for-8 season that carried her to the pinnacle of the sport when she was voted both Horse of the Year and champion Three-Year-Old Filly at the 39th annual Eclipse Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif.

The Stonestreet Farm miss, who also counted among her victories a record-breaking 19 1/4 length win in Belmont Park’s Grade 1 Mother Goose, led a number of human and equine champions whose outstanding performances at The New York Racing Association, Inc.’s (NYRA) three racetracks – Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga – were highlights on their 2009 resumes.

Castleton Lyons’ New York-based Gio Ponti, a double winner as Older Male and Champion Turf Male, won two of his four straight Grade 1’s in 2009 at Belmont Park, taking the Man o’War and the Manhattan, and also finished second in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational, to fashion a record of 4-2-0 from seven starts and earn more than $2.3 million.

Kalarikkal and Vilasini Jayaraman’s Summer Bird, the top Three-Year-Old Male, also did his best running in New York, becoming the first colt since Easy Goer in 1989 to sweep NYRA’s three most prestigious races – the Belmont Stakes, the Travers, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. The son of 2004 Belmont Stakes and Travers winner Birdstone finished the year with a record of 4-1-1 from nine starts and earnings of more than $2.3 million.

Vinery Stables and Fox Hill Farms Kodiak Kowboy took Male Sprinter honors on the strength of his three Grade 1 victories, all of which came at NYRA tracks. The 4-year-old colt won the Carter at Aqueduct in April, the Vosburgh at Belmont Park in October, and then finished his career with a flourish by taking the Hill ‘n’ Dale Cigar Mile at Aqueduct in November. The colt also finished second in the Grade 1 Forego and third in the Grade 2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt, both at Saratoga.

Augustin Stables’ Informed Decision, top Female Sprinter, ran a credible third in the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga to Godolphin Racing’s Music Note, while William L. Pape’s Mixed Up won the Grade 1 A.P. Smithwick, also at the Spa, to become champion Steeplechaser.

As Outstanding Owner, Godolphin Racing led the nation with nine Grade 1’s, six of which came in New York. Godolphin won the Go for Wand (Seventh Street), Test (Flashing), Ballerina (Music Note), Forego (Pyro), Beldame (Music Note) and Gazelle (Flashing). The stable also won NYRA’s Grade 2 Top Flight with Sara Louise, the De la Rose with Cocoa Beach, the Grade 3 Victory Ride with Sara Louise and the Grade 2 Jerome with Girolamo.

Steve Asmussen, who was voted Top Trainer, won more than a dozen stakes at Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga in 2009, including Rachel’s victories in the Mother Goose and Woodward, Kodiak Kowboy’s wins in the Vosburgh and the Hill ‘n’ Dale Cigar Mile, Hot Dixie Chick’s triumphs in the Grade 1 Spinaway and the Grade 3 Schuylerville, Kensei’s wins in the Grade 2 Dwyer and Grade 2 Jim Dandy, Heart Ashley’s victory in the Cicada and the New York-bred Haynesfield’s wins in the Count Fleet, Whirlaway, Empire Classic and Grade 3 Discovery.

As well, Julien Leparoux, who was voted Top Jockey, counted a half-dozen NYRA stakes wins among his 2009 total, among them the Grade 1 Diana with Forever Together, the Grade 1 Personal Ensign aboard Icon Project, and the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational with Pure Clan, while Top Breeder Juddmonte Farms was 9-4-4 from 34 starts in New York for earnings of $368,440.

http://nyra.com/aqueduct/stories/Jan192010.shtml

Should shut down in the winter. Say Mid Dec thru early March!

NYRAs money woes are due mostly to graft, and greed. If they were to shut down for three months it would put a lot of hard working trainers, and jockeys out of work, for the most part the ones who thrive this time of year only do well in the winter months, because so many others go south.

Adapt or find a new profesion. Is what they did to all the Steel workers and rubber workers in the mid west.

Our blind accidental governor promised to name a slots outfit for Aqueduct. Within a week. Three weeks ago.

On the brighter side Governor Paterson has just introduced a record budget with another $1 BILLION in tax increases. I'm just happy that the welfare checks are going up another 5% and that there will be no layoffs while all the unions and special interests get bigger paydays. Days like this just make Mama and me think about removing our dwindling wealth to someplace else. I feel like the only slug walking around that doesn't feed on government handouts but I know that there are others.

Again with the union thing, I don't know what the problem is? You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but don't keep blaming "the unions" for all the financial problems in New York. It makes absolutely no sense. Perhaps we should go back to working 70 hours a week for three bucks an hour with no benefits, like it was before the unions.

Union workers that do the cop, fire, and teacher thing, etc. have destroyed New York State.

The twenty-and-out with "free" lifetime health care at more than a hundred grand per year has crippled New York.

A union bum who slides along gets monster OT in his/her last year to boost the pension.

New York City and State has to go for BILLIONS every year to feed the bums that were 20-and-out.

Let me get this straight. You are calling the policemen,and women, and firefighters who gave up their lives to save others all during the 9/11 disaster BUMS? What do you propose to do next time you need a cop, or your house is on fire? call DIAL-A-SCAB to save your sorry ass. Teachers may be the weak link in the AFL-CIO, but who in their right mind would want to teach a bunch of city kids anyway, and they deserve what they get.

I get Q/P's Point Its a Fair Wage for a Fair days Pay . I was Active Duty Military for 20 Years , Did My Job , Got a Fair Wage and Got a Fair Retirement No Union But Man did they Try To Get Us .

Unions had their place in the Sweatshop Business 60 Years ago But to Think that They Still Do is Ludicris. Sweatshops Are Heestory since Migrant Workers Got Unionized . Now the Union is a Financial Liability to its Members .

Reality in our Country is that Union Held on and Protected Jobs for So Long that Folks Got Paid 10 X what a Machine would cost to build a car . This Meant the Companies who Could Build a Quality Car at a Cheaper Price [ no Unions ] kept Getting bigger and the Bigger union Shops Smaller . Ya Really think GM would be where they are if they fairly competed ??

There is a Major Shift happening in Value if You Ask Me . You will again get paid what your Worth . Value won't be inflated unless Your a Star Athlete or Rock Star .

How does Anyone Explain NY Toll Takers earning $55 an Hour with a 20 Minute Break every Hour. Do the Math !! Take every Toll Taker , Ad Up salary and Benefits , Add Up Revenue . Which is More TOLLTAKER . I know we Can't TAke the Job away Cause the Union Would Burn Bridges and Political Hacks would Have Less Legal ways Of Rewarding Their Buds !!

And The POOR Traners Working NY Tracks Me Thinks Wooley Must Be in Nyra PR Department Or One of Those Workers Needing a Pennsylvania Bus Ticket. Gee Last time I remember NYRA Profitable is When NY Racing Folded in the Winter. Losing Millions Every Year in Winter and Threatening Summer By Revenues Making Up ?? Sounds like no jobs soon to me . If you really Think NYRA continues to get Bailed then all I can say is Good Luck . Politicians in NY running for Office Know how the Public will React to Severe Money Issues and Bringing Uo Welfare Money to Gambling Halls . Sounds to Me like the Trainers will be at Penn National Soon . Took George Years To Screw Thing Up . Oblabber and his Crew of Nancy and Harry Supporters , Months !!