NYRA Chairman C. Steven Duncker at the Ground Breaking of Resorts World New York

NYRA Chairman C. Steven Duncker joined Governor David Paterson and Genting Chairman K.T. Kim for the ground breaking ceremony for Resorts World New York casino. Elected officials, representatives of New York's gaming and racing operations as well as residents from South Queens joined them at Aqueduct Race Track for the exciting occasion.

NYRA President and CEO, Charles E. Hayward and NYRA Community Relations Director named Honorary Vice Chairmen of the 2010 Toys for Tots Campaign

NYRA President and CEO, Charles E. Hayward and NYRA Director of Community Relations, Joanne K. Adams, were named Honorary Vice Chairmen of the 2010 U.S.M.C. Toys for Tots Campaign. U.S.M.C. Major Chuck Kilbride (ret) thanked NYRA for its continued support at a kick-off luncheon at Oheka Castle. Each year, Aqueduct Race Track plays host to the Toys for Tots Campaign which is scheduled for the weekend of December 4th and 5th.

NYRA Welcomes Tuesday's Children to Belmont Park

NYRA was pleased to welcome the families of Tuesday's Children to Breakfast at Belmont. They enjoyed an early morning breakfast in the Belmont Cafe while watching the horses train on the main track. They were treated to tram tour of the backstretch and they visited the Centennial Exhibit of the 1910 International Air Show. 75 children and family members enjoyed a wonderful morning at Belmont Park! Tuesday's Children coordinates a program for the families of the victims of 9/11.

NYRA Welcomes 200 Students from Gateway Youth Outreach to Belmont Park

NYRA welcomed 200 students from Elmont's Gateway Youth Outreach after school program. The students visited the Centennial Exhibit of the 1910 International Air Show and they enjoyed viewing their mural in the Clubhouse lobby at Belmont Park. Town of Hempstead Councilman, Ed Ambrosino, stopped by to join them for their field trip.

NYRA President and CEO, Charles E. Hayward, Honored at Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce Breakfast

NYRA President and CEO, Charles E. Hayward, was honored by the Elmont Chamber of Commerce at the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce Legislative breakfast on Friday, October 16th. He received an award from the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce and he received citations from Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead for his outstanding leadership in the community. The breakfast was attended by over 500 people and over 40 Chambers of Commerce were represented.

NYRA Update with Charles Hayward, NYRA President and CEO

NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward discusses a variety of topics, including updates on the Genting casino project at Aqueduct Racetrack and the New York City Off-Track Betting situation, a recap of the 2010 Saratoga meet, and a look at what the future may hold.

Hayward, who was appointed to his current position in November 2004, previously served as President and CEO of the Daily Racing Form and before that was the President and CEO of Little, Brown Publishing. He also held executive roles at Simon & Schuster Publishers, HP Books, and Macmillan Publishing.

A horse racing fan for more than 30 years, Hayward currently serves on the Boards of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau, Thoroughbred Racing Associations, and the Belmont Child Care Association.

NYRA Welcomes 650 Students from the Elmont Public Schools

NYRA was pleased to welcome650 third grade students from the Elmont Public Schools who visited Belmont Park on October 13th to view the Centennial Exhibit of the 1910 International Air Show. The students toured the first floor of the Clubhouse to view the mural that they presented to NYRA which hangs in the Clubhouse lobby. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to experience the rich history in their own backyard!

NYRA Hosts Floral Park Community Day at Belmont Park

The Floral Park Community Day was held in Marquee tent at Belmont Park on Sunday, October 10th. The event was attended by 700 people! NYRA welcomed the Floral Park Little League, New York State Champions, as well as the Floral Park and Covert Avenue Chambers of Commerce in addition to many other local community organizations. Village of Floral Park Trustee, Dominick Longobardi, coordinated the great with Village Administrator, Ginny Appel.
NYRA hosted the Floral Park Art League on October 9th and 10th in the Grandstand and our neighbors visited the Centennial Exhibit of the 1910 International Air Show during their annual visit.

NYRA Welcomes Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and Board Members from the Cradle of Aviation Museum

NYRA was pleased to welcome Nassau County Executive, Ed Mangano, and board members from the Cradle of Aviation Museum for the official opening of the Centennial Exhibit of the 1910 International Air Show. They viewed the exhibit and enjoyed an exciting afternoon of thoroughbred racing. NYRA named the second race in honor of this historic event.

International Air Show Centennial at Belmont Park Opens Today

From October 8 to 17, Belmont Park will host an exhibit honoring the 1910 International Air Show, sponsored by VisitNassauCounty.com, the first international aviation meet held in the United States, which took place at the racetrack 100 years ago this fall.

To commemorate the anniversary of this historic event, The Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City has created a special exhibit featuring rare photographs, artifacts and film from the International Air Show, as well as examples of aircraft flown at the meet, including the “Antoinette,” an early French monoplane, and the ultra light “Demoiselle.”

The 1910 aviation meet assembled the world’s leading aviators and state-of-the-art aircraft to compete for $75,000 in prize money in various categories. Competitors set world records for altitude (9714 feet) and speed (61 mph) during the 10-day meet, which marked the first time many New Yorkers saw airplanes in flight.

The exhibit will be displayed at The Cradle of Aviation Museum from September 10-20, before moving to Belmont Park where it will be available for viewing during race days on the first floor of the Grandstand near the NYRA store. Admission to the exhibit at Belmont, sponsored by NYRA, the Cradle of Aviation Museum, Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead, is free with general admission to the racetrack.

About The Cradle of Aviation Museum
The Cradle of Aviation Museum has over 75 air and spacecraft that take through over 100 years of aviation history from kites and balloons to man’s first steps on the moon.
The Cradle is located on Charles Lindbergh Blvd., Museum Row in East Garden City/Uniondale area. For information call 516-572-4111 or log onto www.cradleofaviation.org.

About The New York Racing Association, Inc.
Founded in 1955, and franchised to run thoroughbred racing at New York’s three major tracks through 2033, NYRA boasts a lineage that actually stretches back almost 150 years. NYRA tracks are the cornerstone of the state’s thoroughbred business which contributes more than $2 billion annually to New York State’s urban, suburban and rural economy. In 2009, more than 1.6 million people attended the live races at NYRA tracks. Factoring nationwide off-track wagering, the average daily betting handle on NYRA races alone totals more than $9.3 million every race day. NYRA has a vast network of websites, including www.nyra.com, www.belmontstakes.com, and www.nyragroupsales.com. You can also follow NYRA on social media platforms Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and YouTube.