Gary Contessa Does It His Way
When Gary Contessa entered a $14,000 claimer in last Saturday’s Grade 3 Cicada Stakes at Aqueduct a lot of people probably snickered at him. As often happens, Contessa got the last laugh. The trainer...
View ArticleTrainer Gary Contessa On New York Racing
Gary Contessa is one of the most active trainers on the New York circuit. Two years ago, as patience among horsemen wore thin over delays in getting VLTs installed at Aqueduct, his outlook for the...
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Hoping to Get Lucky Again in the Travers
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — The pills rattled in the jar announcing that the post-position draw for the Travers Stakes was under way. On the edge of the paddock, the trainer Gary Contessatried to explain...
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Horse Trainer Gary Contessa A Little Rusty At Travers Stakes
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Gary Contessa hasn’t been involved in a Travers Stakes since 1981, and it showed. During Wednesday morning’s post-position draw in the paddock, not only did he attend but he also...
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Contessa, Nearing Win 2,000, Wants To Be On Hand For Milestone
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Gary Contessa doesn’t remember where he was or with which horse he recorded his 1,000th career victory. He doesn’t plan to make the same mistake when career win 2,000 comes...
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Contessa Nails Down Career Win 2,000
New York-based trainer Gary Contessa secured the 2,000th victory of his career on Feb. 7 when Al’s Rosie prevailed in a maiden claiming race for fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack (VIDEO). Contessa, 55, led...
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For Contessa, Rydilluc may be ticket to Churchill Downs
Jockey Edgar S. Prado takes Rydilluc for a recent workout. The Gary Contessa-trained colt will run in Saturday’s Blue Grass Stakes LEXINGTON, Ky. – When Gary Contessa emailed his owners last May to...
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Rydilluc Shows Turf Prowess in Penn Mile
Rydilluc got back on the winning track with a strong victory in the inaugural $460,000 Penn Mile for 3-year-olds on the turf at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course June 1 (VIDEO). The...
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Charming Kitten & Rydilluc Square Off In Hall Of Fame
Since March, 3-year-old turf standouts Rydilluc and Charming Kitten have been on parallel schedules, clashing four times beginning with their first confrontation in the Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes....
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Celebrating The Impact Of Exceller: On & Off The Track
It has been 35 years since Exceller flew down the stretch at Belmont Park to win the 1978 Jockey Club Gold Cup, defeating two Triple Crown champions, Seattle Slew and Affirmed. The Exceller Fund...
View ArticleTrainer Gary Contessa healthy as a horse, prepping for Kentucky Derby with...
Gary Contessa looks over Dose of Reality at Saratoga Racecourse in 2008. Four years ago, horse trainer Gary Contessa realized he had to take better care of his health after dealing with his most prized...
View ArticleUncle Sigh trainer Gary Contessa talks about wounded veterans
Uncle Sigh trainer Gary Contessa talks about wounded veterans and about Uncle Sigh. Learn more about the techniques that each horse requires to run well. Knowing a horse and the way he/she reacts is...
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Gary Contessa finally back at Kentucky Derby with long shot Uncle Sigh
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Thirty-two years after his first Kentucky Derby, trainer Gary Contessa finally is here with a horse of his own. Like Reinvested, who ran third in 1982 when Contessa worked for Stanley...
View ArticleUndercard: Station Chief prevails in Race 2
By Chris Maley SARATOGA SPRINGS >> After finishing a well-beaten third in an allowance race less than three weeks ago at Saratoga Race Course, trainer Gary Contessa and rider Julien Leparoux...
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Lady Finger Stakes Dominated by Contessa
By Dave Mattice FARMINGTON, N.Y. – A field of 14 New York-bred 2-year-old fillies started from the gate in the $141,675 Lady Finger Stakes at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack on Saturday. The event...
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Contessa fillies run one-two in Lady Finger
Trainer Gary Contessa didn’t need to sweat out the results of a photo finish in Saturday’s $141,675 Lady Finger Stakes. That’s because he had both New York-bred 2-year-old fillies involved in the tight...
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COMBAT DIVER wins battle at Belmont!
Published: 09 October 2014 It took a bit to figure things out, but when it clicked for the Dark Hollow Farm-bred 2-year-old COMBAT DIVER in his second start, the battle was on! Digging in and giving...
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Kitten’s Joy filly tops New York-bred yearlings in opening session of F-T KY
Tuesday, October 21st, 2014 By Sarah Mace In the opening session of the three-day Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling sale at Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, trainer Gary Contessa, agent, went to...
View ArticleCongratulations Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean parlayed a strong closing kick to take down the $60,000 top prize in the filly division of the OBS Championship Stakes. Arctic Ocean raced toward the rear of the field early after breaking...
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Shayjolie Overcomes Mud to Seal Victory in Cat Cay Stakes
Shayjolie fought a muddy track and five determined opponents to seal the victory in the second running of the $100,000 Cat Cay Stakes on the Gotham undercard at Aqueduct on Saturday, March 7th....
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