Blue Ribbon Run, art exhibition among Belmont week
festivities
Triple Crown hopeful I’ll Have Another’s training team, including Doug
O’Neill, plans to run in the inaugural “Belmont Stakes Blue Ribbon 5K Run for
Prostate Cancer” on Sunday. Runners will finish the race on the dirt track at
Belmont Park, crossing the finish line where I’ll Have Another will vie for the
Triple Crown title next weekend.
The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA), is hosting the event and the
Grand Marshal of the Run will be champion jockey Ramon Dominguez, winner of the
prestigious Eclipse Award as the nation’s top rider in both 2010 and 2011.
Every year, 230,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and funds raised
from this event will support NYRA’s co-sponsor, Integrated Medical Foundation,
which offers educational and support programs and free prostate cancer
screenings.
The Blue Ribbon Run will be the prelude to the 144th running of the Belmont
Stakes on June 9, and is the third and final leg of the Triple Crown. Every
entrant will receive a T-shirt to commemorate the occasion. “Win, place and
show” awards will be presented to the top male and female overall and masters
finishers, as well as the top men and women finishers in each of 17 age groups
from 12 and under through 85 plus.
“The Belmont Stakes Blue Ribbon Run promises to be one of the most exciting
5K Runs in the United States!” said Joanne K. Adams, NYRA’s director of
community relations. “This will be a real test for all of the champion runners
as they make their way onto the dirt track at Belmont Park.”
In addition to the race, registered runners will receive free admission to
Belmont’s “Family Fun Day” from noon to 4 p.m. (EDT) Sunday where they can enjoy
a full day of Thoroughbred racing before the run. Free cancer screenings will
also be available for men over 40 on Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the
office of Dr. Carlton Barnswell. Please call (516) 328-8775 for an appointment.
Online registration is now open and applications are available at
imfcares.org,
glirc.org or by calling the
Greater Long Island Running Club at (516) 349-7646. Entry fees are $25 for those
who pre-register and $30 for race-day registration.
Also, Hofstra University and the Backstretch Employee Service Team (B.E.S.T.)
are collaborating on a premier art exhibition showcasing the talents of
backstretch workers and their families. A free, public reception to open the
exhibit will take place on Wednesday at Hofstra’s Joan and Donald E. Axinn
Library. The event is sponsored by Hofstra University, B.E.S.T. and NYRA.
The exhibit, entitled “PRIDE — Celebrating the Art of the Backstretch
Workers of Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack,” is made up of various original
works of art and photography by backstretch workers and their families,
including children. Artistic expression is encouraged among the workers by
B.E.S.T. as a means of relaxation and release from a long day at the track
handling vital behind-the-scenes work.
“There are more than 20 very impressive works of art that will be on
display,” B.E.S.T. Executive Director Paul Ruchames said. “They are all done by
untrained, unschooled artists with remarkable talent. We deeply appreciate
Hofstra’s generosity in hosting this event, bringing the rich contributions of
backstretch workers to light. In fact, this is the first of what we hope will be
an ongoing collaboration with Hofstra University.”
The exhibit will open with a bilingual reception including brief remarks by
Ruchames; Bronwyn Hannon, the curator of acquisitions for special collections at
Hofstra; and Adams. The relationship between B.E.S.T. and Hofstra came about as
a result of NYRA’s community relations efforts and outreach. Backstretch workers
and their families, as well as a number of jockeys, are expected to be in
attendance. The general public is invited to the free reception.
The reception is being held from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Lowenfeld Gallery and
Exhibition Hall on the 10th floor of the Axinn Library on Hofstra’s South Campus
and features music performed live by native Columbian saxophonist and flautist
Jay Rodriguez, twice nominated for Grammy Awards as best Latin and jazz artist.
Reception guests will enjoy hors d’oeuvres, beverages and an exhibition space
that is surrounded by windows, offering an unrestricted view of New York City
and Eastern Long Island. Free parking is available.
The art exhibition is also free and will be on display for five weeks.
For more information about the exhibit, or to RSVP for the reception, please
contact Nuevia Greene at (516) 463-6158.
Bet the Belmont Stakes at TwinSpires.com