Incentive a draw for Diodoro

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Robertino Diodoro’s first year on the New York Racing Association circuit was a success.

Diodoro, who first stabled in New York with the beginning of last year’s Belmont springsummer meet, won 32 races from 150 starters in the last 12 months.

Diodoro is hoping for even more success in year two. Lured by a NYRA incentive designed to attract Oaklawn shippers, Diodoro plans to have 40 head at Belmont this meet, which begins Friday.

NYRA will pay a one-time 30 percent purse bonus to the connections of a horse who runs in a non-stakes race at Belmont who made his last start at Oaklawn. Additionally, NYRA will pay a $1,500 shipping fee for that horse.

Diodoro said he has brought an additional 23 to 25 horses to New York because of the incentive put in place by Martin Panza, NYRA’s senior director of racing operations.

“It’s a pretty good incentive, especially when you got an owner who has five, six, seven horses just on the shipping; everything adds up,” Diodoro said. “It was a good move by Martin. It’s definitely made us bring more than we were going to bring.”

Last year, Diodoro won with his first starter at the meet on opening day with Set the Trappe, a horse he claimed for $25,000 at Oaklawn and ran for $16,000 here.

His only starter on Friday’s opening-day card is Blame Us All in the first race. Diodoro claimed Blame Us All at Aqueduct for $25,000 two starts back and is dropping the horse in for $14,000. David Cohen rides.

At Oaklawn, the DiodoroCohen team combined to win 24 races.

Steve Asmussen, who made 225 starts at Oaklawn, said the bonus program prompted him to ship six horses from Oaklawn to Belmont, where he already maintains a yearround string.

“I had planned on probably 10 but I thought a few of them could use a little break,” Asmussen said.

McCarthy to stay in New York

Pleased with his success during the winter and spring meets at Aqueduct, jockey Trevor McCarthy plans to stay in New York for the remainder of the year.

McCarthy, who missed seven months in 2017 due to injury, won 42 races at Aqueduct between the winter and spring meets. He won six stakes, including one each this past Saturday and Sunday.

“I was very happy with my Aqueduct meet,” said McCarthy, the 23-year-old son of the former jockey Michael McCarthy. “Coming off a seven-month layoff into a new place it was nice that everybody gave me a chance, and I tried to take the best advantage of it.”

McCarthy said he looks forward to riding on a regular basis against top riders such as John Velazquez, Javier Castellano, Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose Ortiz, and Luis Saez.

McCarthy has calls in five races Friday and four on Saturday.

Venezia Award nominees set

The New York Racing Association released its list of nominees for the Mike Venezia Memorial Award, which recognizes jockeys who display extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship. Venezia died as the result of injuries he suffered in a spill at Belmont Park in 1988.

This year’s nominees include Joe Bravo, Javier Castellano, Manny Franco, Irad Ortiz Jr., and Jose Ortiz.

Fans may vote online at NYRA.com/Venezia beginning Friday through May 15. The winner will be announced May 16, with the award to be presented on May 28 (Memorial Day) at Belmont.

My Boy Tate off until Saratoga

My Boy Tate was conspicuous by his absence in Friday’s $100,000 Affirmed Success Stakes for New York-bred sprinters at Belmont.

Billy Koch, president of Little Red Feather Racing, which owns the horse in partnership with Michelle Nevin, said the horse is getting a break after “running hard all winter.”

My Boy Tate has won five consecutive races, including the Hollie Hughes in January and Say Florida Sandy in February, both New York-bred sprint stakes.

My Boy Tate began his win streak in a maiden race last August at Saratoga.

Gronkowski to Belmont Stakes

Gronkowski, the 3-year-old who was forced to miss the Kentucky Derby due to an illness, will now target the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes on June 9, his connections announced Tuesday in a press release.

Gronkowski is expected to resume training next week after missing some time due to an infection. Gronkowski, named for the New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, is trained by Jeremy Noseda for Phoenix Thoroughbreds. Gronkowski, the football player, was reported to have purchased an interest in the horse.

Gronkowski, the horse, is a son of Lonhro, and has won four straight races all over synthetic surfaces.