When the grass race first launches in 2022 at Aqueduct race track on April 7—provided Mother Nature cooperates—it will generate a standing ovation from New York fans eager to once again witness the verdant fields and rallies. competitive racing with vast fields and great betting opportunities.
In large part, those cheers should go to the dedicated race track maintenance team working for the New York Racing Association Senior Vice President of Operations and Capital Projects, Glen Kozak, who deserves a nod. salutes for their tireless efforts in preparing two turfs for the Aqueduct for the Races on Thursday as well as the first bet on the 9th of April of the year, the Danger Hour of $100,000. la.
While the home team at Yankee Stadium was cheered on while playing “YMCA” as they happily got their nails done in the yard, for much of last week Kozak’s team worked diligently without any fanfare. or any advertising to get both the patio and the patio at Big A ready at a time when the temperatures in the Northeast are still frigid, making it difficult to create a lush green field.
Fans who attended the races at the Aqueduct this past weekend got a bird’s-eye view of the permitting process which began about two weeks on the pitch as a team of workers ranging in size from 12-18 years old began. remove blankets. miles and 7/8 mile circumference of both fields.
All told, a total of about 17 miles of polyurethane coating will be removed when the process is repeated at Belmont Park.
Yes, 17 miles. Think about it. If each strip was placed end-to-end in a long line, it would extend from the Aqueduct to the Nassau Veterans Memorial Arena in Uniondale.
Also, once the grass blanket is picked up, you need to be careful and have strong hands so that even if the wind can blow it away, the canvas can be folded neatly into three inches by two inches, six. – square one inch tall and put away until December.
The green grass is revealed during the cleaning process
Consider all the time, effort and financial costs and it’s a striking indication of the importance and value of the NYRA to grass racing.
“It was a labor-intensive job with a lot of practice and helped us a lot,” said Kozak. “We started doing small sections of the track about 12 years ago and after seeing the results we now cover all four courses at Aqueduct and Belmont. It’s a tough task. imagine you go to work knowing you have to drop off or pick up six miles of blankets. But it gets us racing on grass about two weeks earlier than without them and it’s worth it.”
Because of the way the blanket is loosely woven to let water and air in and provide some heat to keep the grass from dying, the blanket creates an almost ready surface when they are removed.
Last weekend, for example, under the blanket at the Aqueduct was about five and a half inches of lush green grass that really needed trimming to meet the NYRA’s 4 1/2 to 5 inch length standard. In contrast, patches of grass lying dormant, uncovered along two yards are about an inch and a half high and will take several weeks to reach that length.
“We’re not going to race on grass on Thursday without a blanket,” Kozak said.
Glen Kozak
While this week’s rain forecast could delay the actual run of that first grass race, the ability to add grass races to the Aqueduct’s daily card is a welcome addition. to senior vice president of racing operations Frank Gabriel.
“We still have to deal with the weather coming, the climate and the showers in April, but it’s a plus is having the visors so we can start racing as soon as we can and that’s it. is a boon for riders, owners and public bettors,” Gabriel said. “Grass racing is an important part of the NYRA program and if we can get an early start it’s a huge plus for the horses that have been with us and who are coming here after racing in the south. Glen’s team had a lot of great work it went into it, but it paid off in the end.”
It’s no surprise that the introduction of grass-court racing had a profound and immediate impact on the cards at Aqueduct. While rain could lead to a shift of races to the main track, Thursday’s card included three grass-court races that drew 34 starters (8 of which were mainline-only entries) on a day when 72 horses were entered for eight races.
The next day’s card also features three races with 33 participants (6 MTOs) on an eight-race card with a total of 69 starters.
The process of doubling down on putting down and picking up all those blankets begins in December with a routine that’s more time-consuming than spring.
While it may appear that the canvas is curved, it is actually the result of straight bands that overlap. Various sizes are used, each with different sizes ranging from 100-300 feet long and 20-30 feet wide. They are nailed to the ground with a lawn stapler 6 inches long and 2 inches wide and are light pink in color so they can be easily spotted.
“It takes about a week to cover each course in the winter, and our ability to work depends on the weather,” says Kozak. “We need to finish before the ground freezes so we can get the staples in the ground.”
Led by Brian Jabelmann, Jermaine Dyer and Mike Haneman, the spring blanket removal takes about two days and another two days to fertilize and groom the fields and uses magnets to ensure no staples which is left over.
“I appreciate these men for all the hard work they do.” Kozak said. “People can’t appreciate what we’re doing until they look at the field and here we are, one of the most northern races and we’re on the pitch before so many other places. Our boys get satisfaction from that.”
Who knows? Perhaps some musical accompaniment could give more recognition to a job well done.
“I’ll think about it. Maybe we can play ‘YMCA’ on the sound system when we take off our blankets in Belmont,” Kozak said with a laugh.
