TurfPublicists: MONTBLANC TO BE OFFICIAL TIMEPIECE SPONSOR OF THE 142ND BELMONT STAKES

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Contact: Ashley Herriman

(718) 659-2218

Thomas Bunn

(212) 219-2787

MONTBLANC TO BE OFFICIAL TIMEPIECE SPONSOR OF THE 142^ND BELMONT STAKES

ELMONT, N.Y. – The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and Montblanc announced Thursday that Montblanc will be the official timepiece sponsor of the Belmont Spring Meet and the 142^nd running of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Stakes on June 5.

A fitting sponsor for the third jewel of racing’s Triple Crown, the global luxury brand will feature the Montblanc Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph - a timepiece honoring its namesake, the Paris watchmaker who invented the original chronograph, also known as a “time writer” in 1821, which could record the exact times run by individual horses to an accuracy of a quarter of a second. Special displays depicting the history of this distinguished timepiece will be set up on the second floor of the Belmont Park Clubhouse from June 2-5.

As part of the brand’s role as official timepiece sponsor, President and CEO of Montblanc North America, Jan-Patrick Schmitz, will present the Montblanc Nicolas Rieussec timepiece to the winning principal owner of the race immediately following the official trophy presentation in the Winner’s Circle.

“It is very appropriate for Montblanc to be associated with the Belmont Stakes,” Schmitz said. “Much like our brand culture, this race is so rich in history and tradition. This partnership underlines Montblanc’s commitment of preserving the tradition of timekeeping set out by Nicolas Rieussec in the early 19th century.”

About Montblanc

Established in 1906, Montblanc has built an unrivalled reputation for precision in design, materials and craftsmanship and today is one of the leading worldwide, diversified luxury brands, owned by the Swiss holding company, Richemont. For more information about Montblanc, visit www.montblanc.com.

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.

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