2013 Finger Lakes “Horse of the Year” Frisky Warrior will make his 2014 debut in Friday’s seventh race. The 5-year-old New York-bred will run as part of a coupled entry with Exley for trainer Ralph D’Alessandro.

Frisky Warrior will be making his first start since December 10, 2013. He performed a four furlong bullet workout of :48.60 on April 10 in preparation for the $19,300 allowance test. The talented gelding had a total of five wins in nine FLGR starts last season.

The $200,802 earner will battle eight other rivals in the Opening Day feature with regular rider Jaime Rodriguez in the irons.

Rodriguez will be honored after Friday’s third race for being the top FLGR jockey in 2013. The 23-year-old from Carolina, Puerto Rico won his first career jockey title after making 149 visits to the FLGR winners circle last year.

Rodriguez won the richest race of his young career on September 28, 2013. He took the $237,457 New York Breeders’ Futurity aboard Wired Bryan.

Chris Englehart will also be presented an award for his achievements in 2013. He was the top FLGR conditioner for the eleventh consecutive year. Englehart saddled 143 winning horses to register his thirteenth career trainer title. He surpassed the 3,500 mark in lifetime wins during the FLGR break.

New faces / Popular names
Hector Berrios recently joined the FLGR jockey colony for the 2014 meet. The veteran journeyman has an outstanding resume that includes over 2,600 career wins and over 80 stakes victories. He was a top ten rider at Hipodromo Camarero in Puerto Rico before arriving at FLGR.

“I chose to ride here because of the length of the meet and the larger purses,” said Berrios. I can still ride in Puerto Rico during the four months off.”

The 42-year-old from Coamo, Puerto Rico began his riding career in California. After working for Laz Barrera he competed in his first race at Santa Anita. Berrios earned his first career victory at Hollywood Park in 1991 aboard Drum Sound.

His most notable triumph was on December 2, 2007 at Hipodromo Camarero. Berrios guided Soy Conquistador to a five length victory in the $290,000 Clasico Internacional del Caribe. The one mile and one-eighth time of 1:50.06 in the Caribbean’s richest race was a track record.

Berrios will see immediate action with two mounts on Friday. He is listed to ride in the fourth and seventh race.

Regular FLGR jockey Jose Gutierrez notched his 1,000th career North American win during the FLGR offseason. The journeyman from Panama directed Sharp Tongue to victory at Calder on April 11.

What’s New
A new wagering option has been added to the FLGR menu for the 2014 season. The Pick-5 will be available beginning with race three on a typical nine-race card. The minimum play for the Pick-5 is fifty cents.

FLCR recently launched an interactive wagering platform that allows the customer to bet on thoroughbred racing through the internet and telephone. Horse players can register at FingerLakesBonusBets.com and make deposits and withdrawals to a secure account.

The claiming price for the bottom level was increased from $4,000 to $5,000 for the 2014 meet. There will be five races with the higher tag on Friday.

FLGR will begin the season with live thoroughbred action four days a week with dark days of Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. Thursdays will be added to the schedule beginning May 15. Post time for most days will be at 1:10 p.m. with the exception of Friday which will start at 12:35 p.m. Season schedule after May 31 is pending approval from the New York State Gaming Commission.

About Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack
In operation since 1962, the facility added gaming to its offering in 2004 and expanded again in 2013 by adding 33,000 square feet with a $12 million expansion. Nearly two million visitors annually now visit the facility highlighted by over 1,500 gaming machines, the 448-seat Vineyard Buffet, Wolfgang Puck Express, Remedy Bar & Lounge, as well as live and simulcast thoroughbred racing. Gaming doors open at 8 a.m. and racing doors open at 11:30 a.m. daily. For more information, visit www.FingerLakesGaming.com.

About Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment
Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment is one of the most innovative gaming and racing operators in the country, owning and/or operating several successful regional destination casinos and specializing in racing venues with added amenities such as table games, video gaming machines, poker rooms, full-service restaurants, retail shops and lodging. The company operates gaming and hospitality services at locations in New York, Illinois, Florida, Arizona, West Virginia, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. The company is owned by Delaware North Companies, a global leader in hospitality and one of the largest privately held companies in the world.

About Delaware North Companies
Delaware North Companies is one of the largest and most admired privately held hospitality companies in the world. Founded and owned by the Jacobs family for nearly 100 years, it is a global leader in hospitality and food service. Its family of companies includes Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, Delaware North Companies Gaming & Entertainment, Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services, Delaware North Companies Sportservice, Delaware North Companies International and Delaware North Companies Boston, owner of TD Garden. Delaware North Companies has revenue exceeding $2.9 billion annually and 55,000 associates serving half a billion customers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. For more information, visit www.DelawareNorth.com.

Contact:
David Mattice
Assistant to Director of Publicity
Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack (FLGR)
Phone: 585-742-9234
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