Belmont Bash to Benefit Equine Research and Belmont Child Care Association

The Rags to Riches Belmont Bash, hosted by the New York Racing Association and The Jockey Club, will be held Thursday, June 5, at The Clubhouse at Meadowbrook Pointe in Westbury, N.Y. Proceeds from the event will benefit Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and the Belmont Child Care Association. Tickets are $250.

The Bash, named after 2007 Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches, will feature a charity casino, dinner and musical entertainment by the Faze 4 Orchestra. Live and silent auctions will be held and they will feature, among many other items: an all-inclusive trip to Las Vegas, a VIP trip to the 25th anniversary of the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park in October, and Rags to Riches' halter with a framed photograph of the 2007 Belmont Stakes winner signed by trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez.

"The Belmont Bash is always one of the highlights of Belmont Stakes week because it brings people together for the benefit of charitable causes," said NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward. "We are proud once again this year to support the important work of Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and the hard-working families on the backstretch of NYRA's racetracks through the Belmont Child Care Association."

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation (http://www.grayson-jockeyclub.org) is a leading provider of equine medical research funding aimed at enhancing the health, safety and soundness of all horses. In 2008, the foundation is underwriting 24 projects for $1,226,457, including projects devoted to laminitis and equine herpesvirus, two of the most visible maladies horses face. During the last 25 years, the foundation has underwritten 239 projects at 35 universities for more than $15.5 million.

The Belmont Child Care Association is an independent, not-for-profit corporation dedicated to raising financial resources necessary to maintain a quality child care center, Anna House. Located at Belmont Park, Anna House is the first and only full-time child care facility based on site at a U.S. racetrack. The BCCA is committed to providing early childhood education to the children of the families working at the NYRA racetracks. The BCCA also determines the admissions criteria for the children using Anna House, serves as an Advisory Board to its child care service provider, and acts as a liaison between the center and race track management and other services.

Additional information about the Rags to Riches Belmont Bash is available by contacting Nancy Kelly at (212) 521-5305 or nkelly@jockeyclub.com; or Jenifer Van Deinse at (212) 521-5327 or jvandeinse@jockeyclub.com.