The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today that the total prize pool for the January 2012 Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship (NHC) in Las Vegas is expected to rise to an estimated $2 million, and that the grand prize will double to an estimated $1 million. By comparison, the upcoming 2011 NHC—to be held January 28-29 at Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa in Las Vegas—will offer a total estimated prize pool of $1.1 million and a grand prize of $500,000.

The higher prize structure will be made possible by a tournament expansion that will increase the number of finalists in Las Vegas from an estimated 321 in 2011 to approximately 500 in 2012. Finalists must still have qualified during the year in order to compete at the NHC Finals. However, tourney host participation will now be available to all pari-mutuel operators throughout North America. 

“NHC tourney participation by customers remains very strong, and the demand to host NHC qualifiers continues to exceed our current supply of available berths at the finals,” said Keith Chamblin, Senior Vice President of the NTRA. “With these changes, we will address customer demand in a way that will grow the tournament and better reward North America’s sharpest handicappers.”

New for 2012 is that all contestants at qualifying tournaments must have paid a one-time annual membership fee of $45 in order to be eligible to compete at the National Championship. Included in the annual fee is free participation in a number of online NHC qualifying tournaments offering berths in the NHC, as well as other benefits that will be announced prior to the signup period. Contestants may opt not to purchase the $45 annual membership, but they would then be competing in qualifying tournaments for purse money only at the qualifiers, and not for the available berths in the NHC Finals.  NHC berths at a given qualifier will only be available to those who are paid members prior to the start of competition at a qualifying tournament. 

Since its inception in 2000, the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship has experienced significant growth. The inaugural NHC, held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, offered a total purse of $242,000, with $100,000 to the winner. 

In just its 12th year, the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship is the most important tournament of the year for horseplayers and is the culmination of a year-long series of NTRA-sanctioned local tournaments conducted by racetracks, casino race books, off-track betting facilities and horse racing and handicapping Web sites, each of which sends its top qualifiers to the national finals. Each year, the NHC winner joins other human and equine champions as an honoree at the Eclipse Awards.

The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of leading thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers, horseplayers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic conditions for industry participants. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and Rye Brook, N.Y. NTRA press releases appear on the NTRA web site, NTRA.com.

NTRA.com, the official Web site of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, is now offering horse racing memorabilia for sale on its new NTRA Memorabilia and Collectables page.

Fans may choose from a wide assortment of photos, racing programs, racing goggles, glasses and other memorabilia—including numerous signed items. The memorabilia includes items featuring such stars as Zenyatta, Rachel Alexandra, Barbaro, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Genuine Risk, Forego and Ruffian. All NTRA Memorabilia and Collectable purchases include a certificate of authenticity.

To commemorate the opening of the NTRA Memorabilia and Collectables store, all items are—for a limited time—being offered at a 20 percent discount.

“NTRA.com’s Memorabilia and Collectables store makes it easy for racing fans to own a keepsake of the racing heroes and heroines they have grown to love over the years,” said Keith Chamblin, Senior Vice President of the NTRA. “Just browsing through the offerings is a fun trip down memory lane.”

The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of leading thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic conditions for industry participants. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and Rye Brook, N.Y. NTRA press releases appear on the NTRA web site, NTRA.com.

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today that its Annual Meeting and Marketing Summit will move to Tucson this December to coincide with the 37th Annual Racing and Gaming Symposium presented by the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program. The Symposium is slated for Dec. 6-9 at the Westin La Paloma Resort in Tucson.

The NTRA Annual Meeting and Marketing Summit will offer an interactive forum on a wide array of programs and initiatives. Topics to be covered include marketing and promotions, legislative advocacy, NTRA Advantage purchasing program and the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance. The conference will also include a Q&A session with NTRA President and CEO Alex Waldrop.

The NTRA Annual Meeting and Marketing Summit will be free to those who are registered attendees at the Symposium. A complete schedule of events for the Marketing Summit will be released later in the year.

“Tuscon has established itself as the location where the greatest percentage of industry participants gather to conduct business and share ideas,” said NTRA senior vice president Keith Chamblin. “Moving our Annual Meeting and Marketing Summit there will allow us to communicate with a broader collection of our membership while, at the same time, saving many members the expense of an extra trip.”

The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of leading Thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers, horseplayers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic conditions for industry participants. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and Rye Brook, N.Y. NTRA press releases appear on the NTRA web site, NTRA.com.

Personalities from its historic past, throw-back promotions, a tee shirt giveaway and two $75,000 stakes races will help Suffolk Downs celebrate its 75th anniversary Saturday in East Boston, Mass. 

Hall of Fame jockeys Chris McCarron and Jerry Bailey and local favorite Abigail Fuller will return to Suffolk Downs for a special program commemorating great moments from the track’s history.  Meanwhile, the $75,000 Seabiscuit Stakes, to be run at five furlongs on the turf, and the $75,000 James B. Moseley Sprint Stakes, a six furlong event on the main track, will highlight the racing program.

Buddy Marino of nearby Revere, Mass., will be on hand for a special winner’s circle presentation. Marino attended the track’s Opening Day on July 10th in 1935.

The day will also feature a series of turn-back-the-clock elements, including a carousel, carnival games, 1930s-era street performers, a Dixieland band, bugler, antique cars, and trolley service from the Suffolk Downs MBTA station to the main Clubhouse entrance.  A display of photos and memorabilia from throughout the track’s history, including an original barbershop chair and a row of authentic 1935 Grandstand seats, will be on display on the first floor of the Clubhouse.

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino will present a proclamation commemorating Suffolk Downs’ 75th anniversary. 

“For 75 years, Suffolk Downs has been a well-known sports venue filled with tradition and rich history,” said Mayor Menino. “I am excited to be celebrating the track’s 75th anniversary and hope that its history continues to grow.”

The first 5,000 fans who pay admission to the track will receive a commemorative tee shirt with the track’s 75th anniversary logo and all admissions and parking revenue from the day will be donated to local community charities.

McCarron, a Dorchester, Mass., native retired in 2002 as the all-time leader in career purse earnings among jockeys.  He recorded 7,141 wins, including two each in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.  He was inducted into Thoroughbred racing’s Hall of Fame in 1989.  McCarron is currently the Executive Director of the North American Racing Academy in Lexington, Ky.  McCarron founded the school in 2006 to teach aspiring jockeys the horsemanship and life skills needed to become a successful jockey.

Bailey, currently the color analyst for ESPN’s horse racing telecasts, won the Massachusetts Handicaap four times in a seven-year span, including consecutive triumphs aboard the legendary Cigar in 1995 and 1996 as part of Cigar’s 16-race win streak.  Bailey, who was inducted into racing’s Hall of Fame in 1995, retired in 2006 with 5,893 wins.  He also captured each of the three Triple Crown races twice.

Fuller, the daughter of prominent local businessman and horse owner Peter Fuller, began her career as a jockey in 1982 and competed at Suffolk Downs for two decades, gaining national acclaim in 1985 when she went out of town to ride her father’s horse, Mom’s Command, to New York’s prestigious Filly Triple Crown.  Mom’s Command was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007. 

“So many people have made their mark on our great history, and we are privileged to welcome some of them back to help us celebrate this special occasion,” said Chip Tuttle, Chief Operating Officer of Suffolk Downs.  “Chris, Jerry and Abby are just three of the countless prominent racing personalities who have put their considerable talents on display for our loyal racing fans over the last 75 years.”

Built by 3,000 workers in just 62 days, the historic track opened on July 10th, 1935 and has been a showcase for some of the most famous names in Thoroughbred racing history, including Seabiscuit, Whirlaway, John Henry, Cigar and Skip Away.

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s (NTRA) Website, NTRA.com, will offer free, live video streaming this Saturday of the Grade II, $300,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes from Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., The Coolmore Lexington represents one of the final opportunities for horses to pick up the graded stakes earnings so crucial to secure a starting berth in the Kentucky Derby. 

In 1999, Charismatic parlayed a Lexington win into victories in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. This year’s event drew a full field of 12, led by Uptowncharlybrown, who captured the Pasco Stakes earlier this year at Tampa Bay Downs, prior to finishing third in that track’s Grade III Sam F. Davis Stakes and fifth in the Tampa Bay Derby. Uptowncharlybrown will also be a strong sentimental choice given the passing earlier this week of his trainer Alan Seewald. Trainers Todd Pletcher and John Sadler—the respective conditioners of early Derby favorites Eskendereya and Sidney’s Candy—will also all be represented in the Lexington.  Pletcher will saddle Rushaway Stakes winner Exhi, while Sadler will be send out Distorted Dave.

Saturday’s program, to be anchored by ESPN/ABC analyst and NFL Network host Randy Moss, will begin at 5:00 p.m. (EDT), with post time for the Coolmore Lexington slated for 5:15 p.m. (EDT). Moss will break down the Lexington and interview one or more of its trainers prior to the race’s scheduled 5:15 p.m. (EDT) post time.

The Coolmore Lexington also will be televised live on TVG from 4:30-5:30 p.m. (EDT). That program will additionally air on several Fox Sports affiliates and SunSports. Todd Schrupp, Matt Carothers, Donna Barton Brothers and Tom Amoss will be on-track live at Keeneland, with Christina Olivares anchoring coverage in the TVG studios in Los Angeles.

The Coolmore Lexington Stakes is one of several races leading to the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup World Championships that will be Webcast live on NTRA.com. The series, called “NTRA Live!”, will feature interviews with handicappers and on-track analysts, interactive chats with viewers, pre-and post-race analysis, handicapping selections, easy access to free past performance data and advance deposit wagering platforms, as well as other original and unique programming components. The programs are produced and directed by Tim Turrell, who has produced numerous telecasts on horse racing and other sports for ESPN, The Golf Channel and others. Access to the Webcast is free.

The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of leading Thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers, horseplayers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic conditions for industry participants. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and Rye Brook, N.Y. NTRA press releases appear on the NTRA web site, NTRA.com.

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s (NTRA) Website, NTRA.com, will offer free, live video streaming this Sunday of the Grade III, $800,000 Sunland Derby from Sunland Park in Sunland Park, N.M. A graded event for the first time in 2010, the Sunland Derby is a major source of earnings for horses looking to improve their standing on the Kentucky Derby graded stakes earnings list, which will determine starting berths for the “Run for the Roses” should more than 20 enter. 

Last year, local hero Mine That Bird used the Sunland Derby as a springboard to a 50-1 upset victory in the Kentucky Derby. This year’s event drew a competitive field of nine, led by the undefeated Conveyance, who captured the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park last time out. Conveyance is trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who will be interviewed live during the Webcast. 

Sunday’s program, to be anchored by ESPN/ABC analyst and NFL Network host Randy Moss, will begin at 7:30 p.m. (ET), with post time for the Sunland Derby slated for 7:45 p.m. (ET). The race also will be televised live on TVG.

The Sunland Derby is one of several races leading to the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup World Championships that will be Webcast live on NTRA.com. The series, called “NTRA Live!”, will feature interviews with handicappers and on-track analysts, interactive chats with viewers, pre-and post-race analysis, handicapping selections, easy access to free past performance data and advance deposit wagering platforms, as well as other original and unique programming components. The programs will be produced and directed by Tim Turrell, who has produced numerous telecasts on horse racing and other sports for ESPN, The Golf Channel and others. Access to the Webcast is free.

Following Saturday’s Webcast, NTRA Live will continue on April 17 with the Coolmore Lexington Stakes from Keeneland.

The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of leading Thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers, horseplayers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic conditions for industry participants. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and Rye Brook, N.Y. NTRA press releases appear on the NTRA web site, NTRA.com.

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s (NTRA) Website, NTRA.com, will offer free, live video streaming this Saturday of the Grade I, $750,000 Florida Derby from Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fla. The Florida Derby is a major stepping stone to the Kentucky Derby. In 2008, Big Brown used a powerful Florida Derby win as a springboard to victory in the “Run for the Roses”. Barbaro did likewise in 2006. This year’s event drew a competitive field of 11, led by Rule, who was installed as the 5-2 morning line favorite on the strength of his victory last time out in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. 

Saturday’s Webcast, to be hosted by ESPN/ABC analyst and NFL Network host Randy Moss, will begin at 6:00 p.m. (ET), with post time for the Florida Derby slated for 6:20 p.m. (ET). The race also will be televised live on HRTV.

The Florida Derby is one of several races leading to the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup World Championships that will be Webcast live on NTRA.com. The series, called “NTRA Live!”, will feature interviews with handicappers and on-track analysts, interactive chats with viewers, pre-and post-race analysis, handicapping selections, easy access to free past performance data and advance deposit wagering platforms, as well as other original and unique programming components. The programs will be produced and directed by Tim Turrell, who has produced numerous telecasts on horse racing and other sports for ESPN, The Golf Channel and others. Access to the Webcast is free.

Following Saturday’s Webcast, NTRA Live will continue on March 28 with the Webcast of the Sunland Derby from Sunland Park and on April 17 with the Coolmore Lexington Stakes from Keeneland.

The NTRA is a broad-based coalition of horse racing interests consisting of leading Thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers, horseplayers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with increasing the popularity of horse racing and improving economic conditions for industry participants. The NTRA has offices in Lexington, Ky., and Rye Brook, N.Y. NTRA press releases appear on the NTRA web site, NTRA.com.

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today that Gretchen Jackson has joined the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance’s subcommittee focusing on aftercare of retired Thoroughbreds. Jackson, along with her husband Roy, has campaigned numerous Thoroughbreds under their family’s Lael Stables banner—including 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro.

The goal of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance Subcommittee on Aftercare is to work towards a national solution to issues surrounding retired Thoroughbred racehorses, including enhancement of aftercare funding and improvement of compliance and best-practice standards for racetracks and other industry participants.

“This is a tough industry to get anyone to agree on anything, but one thing we all agree on is that we all love our horses,” said Jackson.

“We are delighted that Gretchen has joined the many outstanding leaders on our Aftercare Subcommittee who do so much on behalf of our retired equine athletes,” said Mike Ziegler, Executive Director of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance.  “Our goal is to create a model that will make it easier for racetracks, owners and others to provide retired Thoroughbreds with a happy and productive life after their racetrack days are over.”

Members of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance Subcommittee on Aftercare include:

· Madeline Auerbach, CARMA

· Anna Ford, New Vocations

· Liz Harris, Churchill Downs, Inc.

· Gretchen Jackson, Lael Stables

· Nancy Koch, CANTER

· Lucinda Mandella, CARMA

· Diana Pikulski, Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation

· Mike Ziegler, NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance

“Aftercare is a shared issue among the entire industry,” said Ziegler. “The Alliance recently refined its Code of Standards for 2010 in many areas, including aftercare, so as to maximize the effectiveness of its policies and initiatives.”

The NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance focuses on human and equine safety and wagering security. Information on the Alliance, including the Alliance Code of Standards, can be found at www.NTRAalliance.com.

The Honorable Tommy G. Thompson, former four-term Governor of Wisconsin and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, serves as independent counsel of the Alliance.

NTRA release

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced today that an updated set of racetrack safety and integrity standards has been circulated to members of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance, and that it is now available for public comment. After finalization, the compliance standards will serve as the basis for future racetrack Alliance accreditation. The Alliance, formed in October 2008 with the goal of establishing national uniform standards in the areas of safety and integrity, includes 55 racetracks in North America and every major national horsemen’s organization. Eighteen racetracks have been inspected to date by Alliance safety teams.

The Alliance’s Code of Standards for 2010 can be reviewed at www.NTRAalliance.com, and comments on the revised Code may be submitted via email to alliance@ntra.com.  For 2010, the Code of Standards has been expanded to include wagering security among the primary areas of inspection. 

Compliance standards now cover six broad areas: injury reporting and prevention; creating a safer racing environment; aftercare and transition of retired racehorses; medication and testing; jockey safety and health; and wagering security. Within those six categories, specific standards will focus on many areas including:

· Systematic reporting of equine injuries
· Aftercare of retired racehorses
· Pre- and post-race veterinary examinations
· Post-mortem exams
· Health and safety of jockeys
· Riding crops and their use
· Horse shoes and hoof care
· Safety research, including racing surfaces
· Safety equipment for jockeys and horse handlers
· Safety training
· Anabolic Steroids
· Alkalinizing agents (TCO2)
· On-track emergency medical care for humans and equines
· Out-of-competition testing
· Freezing and retrospective testing of post-race samples
· Continuing education
· Totalizator technology and “stop wagering” protocols
· Wagering incident investigation

“The addition of several protocols to promote wagering security and integrity is the single biggest change to the Alliance’s 2010 Code of Standards,” said Mike Ziegler, Executive Director of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance.  “In addition, the code has been made even more rigorous in a number of other areas, including aftercare and transition of retired racehorses, pre-and post-race veterinary inspections; and safety training and continuing education. We hope that everyone in the industry will review the 2010 Code online and provide us feedback.”

The NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance is a standing organization whose purpose is to establish standards and practices to promote safety and integrity in horseracing and to secure their implementation. Information on the Alliance, including the Alliance Code of Standards, can be found at www.NTRAalliance.com.

The Honorable Tommy G. Thompson, former four-term Governor of Wisconsin and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, serves as independent monitor of the Alliance and will provide public reports on Alliance progress in instituting safety and integrity standards.

SANTA ROSA, Calif. – The owners of Horse of the Year, Rachel Alexandra, Wednesday called for a  racing  series between now and November in which the two phenomenal female race horses will meet. 

“The fans have spoken. The media has spoken. Everyone wants to see Rachel race against Zenyatta – including me,” said Rachel Alexandra co-owner Jess Jackson.  “In fact, I want it to happen several times this year.   We have been in discussions with Alex Waldrop, President and CEO of National Thoroughbred Racing Association, with the hope of coordinate training schedules, racing schedules, purses and all ancillary factors, so that we can all agree upon three dates and three venues for what will be a racing series to rival the Triple Crown.”

The proposal, in the works for several weeks, comes as Rachel Alexandra’s connections informed Oaklawn Park race track that she would not compete on April 3rd, the announced date of the Apple Blossom Invitational.  “Out of respect for the level of competition and the importance of this race, I have told Mr. Jackson it was not in the best interest of the horse to race on April 3.  Getting to this level of fitness after a six-month layoff takes time.  If all goes according to schedule, and we do not have any further weather delays, the earliest we could have a prep race would be the middle of March. It is then not fair to Rachel to ask her to race again three weeks later,” said 2010 Trainer of the Year, Steve Asmussen.  

The track had offered a $5-million purse if Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta met on that day.  Rachel’s connections had requested a week delay in order to have Rachel race at Oaklawn Park against Zenyatta but track officials told Jackson today that would not be possible.

“Hopefully, these discussions will take place at earliest possible time so that we can announce something that will give the fans a season to remember,” Jackson added.

Rachel Alexandra, the reigning 2010 Horse of the Year, became the first filly to win the Preakness since 1924, beating a field of world-class males, including Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird. She went undefeated throughout the 2009 campaign, defeating world-class males three times.