NY Horse Racing

2007 SEASON CONCLUDES AT FINGER LAKES

12.03.2007 - Premature end to 46th year of racing

Contact: David Mattice

Publicity Dept.

585-924-3232 x234 NEWS RELEASE


FARMINGTON, N.Y. – The final two days of the 2007 meet at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack have been cancelled, bringing the 46th year of live racing to an early conclusion.

A mixture of severe winter weather in the region necessitated the premature ending of the live racing season at the historic Western New York track.

TOP JOCKEYS

With 158 victories in 2007, John Davila, Jr. won the Finger Lakes jockey title for the eighth time in his career. The 44-year-old from Juncos, Puerto Rico was the leading jockey for the sixth consecutive year, establishing a new Finger Lakes record. He surpassed Kevin Whitley who won five straight jockey titles from 1986 to 1990.

After being sidelined for a good portion of last season with a career threatening injury, John Grabowski finished second in the jockey standings with 120 wins this year. The 45-year-old from Coalinga, California made a full recovery from a fractured pelvis from a spill that occurred before the running of the first race on August 6, 2006.

The six-time leading jockey notched the 3,000th victory in his career on Saturday, September 8. He became the third Finger Lakes jockey to hit the mark after guiding Diamond Hard Cut to a two length victory in the fourth race. The milestone victory occurred five days after he won his 80th stakes race aboard By the Light in the $137,925 Lady Finger Stakes.

Earlier this year, Grabowski passed Kevin Whitley to become the second all time leading Finger Lakes jockey. Les Hulet remains the record holder for the most wins at "The Thumb" with 3,244.

TOP TRAINERS AND HORSES

Chris Englehart won his fifth consecutive trainer title and seventh overall in 2007 with 117 victories. Englehart has a total of 2,164 victories in 10,511 career starts, amassing over $16 million in lifetime earnings. 1,974 horses saddled by Englehart have visited the Finger Lakes Winners Circle.

Carmen Seguin’s Tiger Speech was named 2007 Finger Lakes "Horse of the Year." The 5-year-old gelding won three handicap races at Finger Lakes this season for trainer Michael S. Ferraro.

Three other horses under the care of Ferraro also won awards at the Finger Lakes Horsemen’s
Benevolent and Protective Association’s Annual Awards Ceremony on Saturday, November 10. Friendship
Circle, Past Post and Sweet Lorena were all honored for their achievements during the 2007 meet.

MOST MEMORABLE EVENT

A crowd of 11,429 fans, the largest in over 30 years, watched as Funny Cide made the final start of
his career at Finger Lakes on July 4. The 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner retired after winning
the $100,000 Wadsworth Memorial Handicap by three lengths.

The "Gutsy Gelding" notched his eleventh career victory in front of the third largest gathering in the track’s 46-year history. The last time a comparable crowd assembled at Finger Lakes was in 1978 when 11,030 people came out to see jockey Steve Cauthen, who had just guided Affirmed to win the Triple Crown.

Finger Lakes will remain open all winter for simulcast wagering of up to seven tracks per day. Admission is free for simulcast wagering, which features on track payoffs. The gaming floor, with nearly 1,200 video gaming machines, is open 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., daily.

The 2008 live racing season at Finger Lakes will open in mid-April, on a date to be announced.