FOX Sports, a unit of Fox Corp. and the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) have developed an expanded partnership agreement that establishes FOX Sports as the official wagering partner of NYRA Bets and the leading media provider for elite thoroughbred racing through the next decade.

The prior FOX Sports/NYRA media rights agreement provided a FOX Sports subsidiary with an option to acquire a 25 percent stake in NYRA Bets LLC. The FOX Sports subsidiary will exercise this option by the summer of 2021, pending final regulatory approval.

The newly announced agreement provides a FOX Sports subsidiary with a future opportunity to increase its equity interest in NYRA Bets.

As an unprecedented year interrupted live sports around the world, horse racing operated safely and continuously.

Under the new deal, FOX Sports expects to air at least 700 hours of coverage each year from Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course and, outside of prior commitments, gives the network exclusive national broadcast rights at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course through 2030. NYRA will serve as the production arm for all horse racing events during the term of the partnership.

New York state will allow some spectators at Saratoga Race Course when the annual meet begins in  July, officials announced.
The announcement also applies to Belmont Park as of April 22. Spectators will be subject to the state’s safety guidance, which is currently in effect for other professional sports competitions with fans.
The Saratoga meet runs from Thursday, July 15, through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 6.
Attendees must show proof of a recent negative test or completed vaccination series prior to entry and are subject to the state’s health and safety protocols on face coverings, social distancing, and health screening.
The New York Racing Association “looks forward to welcoming fans back to Belmont Park this spring and to Saratoga Race Course this summer,” said CEO Dave O’Rourke. “We thank Gov. Andrew Cuomo for the opportunity to host fans at our historic tracks for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
“We will announce ticketing options for fans once we further review the guidelines and protocols set forth for thoroughbred tracks in New York state.”

Valiant Search, a search firm that focuses on recruiting for law firms, is now open.

Sean Macari, an experienced recruiter, said he saw an opportunity when many search firms dramatically scaled down or closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He saw the need to help  attorneys, support staff, and law firms get back on their feet as the pandemic starts to subside.

There was also an absence of legal-focused recruiting firms in upstate New York, he said. That inspired him to launch his own company, based in Albany.

“Valiant Search is currently serving law firms in all counties in New York state, however, being based in the Capital Region, we have a particular familiarity and focus on firms in Saratoga and Warren counties,” he said.

“In the wake of COVID, many search firms went through dramatic changes as they shut down or shifted their focus exclusively to bigger firms in the Manhattan area. With this, I saw an opportunity to help those firms in Upstate New York (including those in the Saratoga/Washington/Warren counties area) get back on their feet. As an experienced recruiter myself, I was inspired to start my own company during the pandemic to make sure that these Upstate businesses could have someone to help support them as they look to reopen amidst COVID.”

He said Valiant is  the only search firm that specializes in the legal industry north of New York City, “so we have a much greater presence in these upstate counties—like Saratoga and Warren—than others that focus primarily on New York City. “