John Velazquez, rider of Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness runner-up Animal Kingdom, will participate in a live web chat Friday, June 3, at 8 p.m. EDT. The homepage for the NYRA live chats is http://www.nyra.com/livechat.
Velazquez will discuss the Leroidesanimaux colt’s upcoming start in the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes, a possible rematch with Preakness winner Shackleford, as well as several other Kentucky Derby and Preakness starters including Nehro and Mucho Macho Man.
Owned by Team Valor International and trained by H. Graham Motion, Animal Kingdom made his first start on dirt in the Derby, winning by 2 ¾ lengths and giving Velazquez his first victory in the race, then fell short by just a half-length in the Preakness.
A native of Puerto Rico, Velazquez came to the United States in 1990 under the guidance of Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero, Jr., his longtime agent. A dual Eclipse Award winner and four-time leading jockey in New York, Velazquez has taken 21 individual NYRA meet titles and was the leading rider in Saratoga last year with 57 victories. Recent top mounts include the filly Rags to Riches, winner of the 2007 Belmont Stakes, Quality Road, winner of last year’s Metropolitan Handicap and Woodward, and 2010 Juvenile Champion Uncle Mo.
Fans who wish to participate in the live dialogue with Velazquez may log on to http://www.nyra.com/livechat beginning Friday, June 3, at 8 p.m. No pre-registration is necessary and users may simply type questions and comments in the chat field at the bottom of the page for Velazquez to address. At the conclusion of the chat, an “instant replay” is created for future reference.
NYRA has conducted live chats since October 23, 2009. NYRA TV Analyst Serling regularly hosts the chats, and there have been 17 guest hosts: NYRA President Charles Hayward, NYRA Chief Operating Officer Hal Handel, trainers Gary Contessa, Bill Mott, Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown, leading New York jockey Ramon Dominguez, recently retired veteran New York rider Richard Migliore, Hall of Fame riders Angel Cordero and Jorge Velasquez, jockey Rajiv Maragh, trainer and NYTHA president Rick Violette, Mike Repole of Repole Stable, one of the leading thoroughbred owners in New York, NYRA Racecaller and Director of TV Production John Imbriale, NYRA TV Analyst Jason Blewitt, NYRA Oddsmaker Eric Donovan, and NYRA Paddock Reporter Maggie Wolfendale.
Fans who wish to view transcriptions of previous chats may do so at http://www.nyra.com/livechat.
NYRA has a vast library of online offerings, including the following websites:
- NYRA.com – Main website for Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga
- NYRARewards.com – Watch and wager on races from NY and around the country
- BelmontStakes.com – Comprehensive Belmont Stakes coverage
- NYRAGroupSales.com – Group sales info on Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga
- Twitter.com/NYRAnews – Racing updates at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga
- Twitter.com/andyserling – Race analysis at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga
- Twitter.com/Belmontstakes – Updates on all things Belmont Stakes
- NYRA Community Relations Blog – NYRA’s community outreach efforts
- NYRA Facebook – Offers all the latest news on Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga
- NYRA Flickr – Offers pictures from Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga
- NYRA Insider Blog – Go behind the scenes at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga
- NYRA Spotlight – Videos spotlighting NYRA racetrack personnel
- NYRA Time Machine – Video memories of great races from the past
- NYRA Update – The latest NYRA news and developments
- NYRA YouTube – Offers videos including trainer and jockey interviews, Trips & Traps
- Backstretch Buzz – Exclusive videos from the backstretch
- Cordero on Cordero – Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero, Jr., offers his insights
- Forbes Firsters – Pedigree and sales analysis for 2-year-old debuters
- John Nerud “Lasting Impressions” – Hall of Fame trainer John Nerud shares his thoughts
- New York Watch – Read about up-and-coming stars from the NYRA circuit
- On The Record – Feature interviews with top NYRA trainers
- Riders Up – In-depth interviews with members of the NYRA jockey colony