Travel arrangements were made for Casino Drive and Spark Candle, 2 potential starters for the 2008 Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 7 ,at Belmont Park.

Owner Hidetoshi Yamamoto and trainer Kazuo Fujisawa will ship both horses to Aqueduct on Wednesday, April 30, the Opening Day of Belmont Park’s 49-day Spring/Summer Meet. Casino Drive and Spark Candle are expected to enter quarantine at the Big A by 1 a.m.

The Belmont Stakes 140 will be the centerpiece of a huge day at Belmont Park, North America’s largest racetrack. It will top a day of six graded stakes races, including four Grade 1 races.

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has won the rights to a 25-year exclusive franchise to run thoroughbred racing in New York and continue operating Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga race tracks. NYRA has held the franchise since 1955.

The deal was approved February 13 in exchange for NYRA giving up its disputed claim to ownership of the tracks, an issue it used as leverage in the talks that ended hours before a temporary franchise extension was set to expire.

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has been given another extension to continue racing at Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga race tracks until February 13.
NYRA has held the franchise since 1955 and it expired December 31 last year. Racing continued at Aqueduct after it reached a temporary agreement with the oversight board and the [...]

With the expiration coming in Monday of New York Racing Association’s (NYRA) agreement to operate Aqueduct, Saratoga and Belmont Park, an extension was agreed upon with the state to avoid any interruption of thoroughbred racing the next few weeks.
New York Racing Association (NYRA) is a private, non-profit corporation that has run thoroughbred racing in New [...]

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) released 2008 stakes schedule for Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. The schedule, worth more than $34,000,000, was approved by NYRA’s Board of Trustees at its monthly meeting and awaits approval from the New York State Racing and Wagering Board.
There are no changes in NYRA’s biggest horse races [...]

Last Saturday, Lahudood jockeyed by Alan Garcia won the 2007 Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park. Lahudood record a three-quater-length victory over pacesetting Rosinka.
Garcia kept Lahudood in third position behind Rosinka, who set the pace while being pressed from the outside by Wait a While. Garcia waited patiently before deciding whether to go outside [...]

Mohegan Sun, which operates one of the world’s most successful casinos in Connecticut, has formed a partnership with one of the bidders hoping to run thoroughbred racing in New York. The Indian tribal company has teamed up with Capital Play in seeking the 20-year franchise to operate Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga race tracks.