NYRA Adjusts Race Times for Cigar Mile Card

The New York Racing Association announced Dec. 9 that—following a review of the Dec. 1 Cigar Mile (G1) card at Aqueduct Racetrack, in conjunction with Teletimer, the official timing system for NYRA racetracks—the running times of three one-mile races on the main track, including the Go For Wand Handicap (G3), have been adjusted.

The Teletimer system initiates the timing of each race when the first runner crosses the timing beam. However, because of an auxiliary starting gate incorrectly parked on the outside fence of Aqueduct's main track during the first half of the card, the beam was not engaged, which resulted in the first three one-mile races being timed directly from the gate, without the customary run-up. The run-up that day was 54 feet from the starting gate to the first beam.

The issue was recognized and addressed prior to the final one-mile race of the day, the Cigar Mile.

Following the review, official times for the three one-mile races affected by timing issues have been corrected as follows:

• Race 2, a maiden special weight for juveniles won by Kentucky Wildcat, which was originally timed with splits of :25.85, :49.82, 1:15.30, and 1:41.41, has been corrected to :24.68, :49.14, 1:14.01, and 1:40.17.
• Race 3, a $25,000 claiming event for older horses won by Stronger, which was originally timed with splits of :26.08, :50.55, 1:16.62, and 1:42.92, has been corrected to :25.13, :49.78, 1:15.37, and 1:41.77.
• Race 6, the Go For Wand won by Marley's Freedom, was originally timed with splits of :25.27, :48.56, 1:13.34, and 1:38.35, and has been corrected to :24.52, :48.14, 1:12.14, and 1:37.50.

NYRA has reviewed the circumstances of this incident with stewards and staff and instituted additional protocols to prevent a similar error from occurring in the future.