**Please see the attached image of the Richard Migliore “Get Well” card**
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Contact: Jon Forbes
jforbes@nyrainc.com
‘GET WELL’ CARD FOR MIGLIORE AVAILABLE FOR SIGNING AT BELMONT MAY 1
ELMONT, N.Y. – Patrons at Belmont Park on Saturday, May 1, will be able to sign a “Get Well” card for jockey Richard Migliore, who will undergo surgery next week to fuse four vertebrae in his neck.
The card will be displayed by the NYRA Store in the Clubhouse from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. and will be available for signing by the NYRA Store in the Grandstand from 1 – 3 p.m. After 3 p.m., the card will be walked around to various locations within the building.
Migliore, one of the most popular riders in New York, was diagnosed with a concussion following a spill at Aqueduct on January 23. He returned to the saddle two weeks later, but continued to experience pain in his neck, leading to the discovery that he had also reinjured his neck in the accident. Now 46 years old, Migliore had previously suffered a serious neck injury at Belmont Park back in 1988.
A native of Brooklyn, Migliore won the 1981 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice, and was NYRA’s leading rider that year and in 1985. “The Mig” has captured 10 meet titles at Aqueduct, having most recently won the 2005 Spring meet title. In 2008, he posted his first victory in a Breeders’ Cup race when he guided Desert Code to an upset score in the inaugural Turf Sprint, and teamed up with Flashing to win last year’s Grade 1 Test at Saratoga and Grade 1 Gazelle at Aqueduct.
On May 1, Belmont Park will also feature simulcast wagering on the 136th running of the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby from Churchill Downs, and will also host a pair of Grade 3 stakes on the turf, the Beaugay and Fort Marcy.
The 59-day Belmont Park Spring/Summer Meet runs April 30 through July 18, with live racing Wednesday through Sunday. On most days, gates open at 11 a.m. and first post is at 1 p.m. General parking is free, except on Belmont Stakes Day, Saturday, June 5. There is no live racing on Mondays or Tuesdays, with the exception of Memorial Day, Monday, May 31 and Monday, July 5. Belmont Park will be dark on Sunday, June 6. Visit www.NYRA.com for more information.
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