Gary Contessa, four-time leading New York trainer, will participate in a live web chat on Friday, February 5 at 8:00 p.m. EST.

Contessa had 112 wins in 2009 at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park, and Saratoga Race Course, earning him The New York Racing Association, Inc., (NYRA) training title for the fourth consecutive year. He won 150, 159, and 151 races in 2008, 2007, and 2006, respectively.

His stable is home to Eightyfiveinafifty, a 3-year-old son of Forest Camp who broke his maiden January 9 at Aqueduct with a 105 Beyer Speed Figure. The colt is expected to make his next start in the Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct on February 6.

Fans interested in carrying on a live dialogue with Contessa may log on to www.nyra.com/livechat beginning this Friday at 8 p.m. No pre-registration is necessary and users may simply type questions and comments in the chat field at the bottom of the page for Contessa to address. At the conclusion of the chat, an “instant replay” is created for future reference.

“The internet has entirely reshaped the way society communicates, and, accordingly, it’s changed the way racing fans communicate,” NYRA TV Analyst Andy Serling said. “NYRA is committed to broadening the conversation about the sport and we hope these Live Chats will offer another opportunity to correspond with our fans.”

NYRA boasts a vast library of online offerings, comprised of the following websites:

NYRA.com– Main website for Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga

BelmontStakes.com – Comprehensive Belmont Stakes coverage

Rachel’s Sandbox – Everything fans want to know about Rachel Alexandra

NYRAGroupSales.com – Group sales info on Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga

On The Lead – NYRA’s official monthly email newsletter

Twitter.com/NYRAnews – Racing updates at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga

Twitter.com/andyserling – Race analysis at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga

NYRA Facebook– Offers all the latest news on Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga

NYRA YouTube – Videos regularly added featuring Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga

NYRA Flickr – Offers pictures from Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga

NYRA Insider Blog – Behind-the-scenes photo and video from Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga.

NYRA Community Relations Blog – NYRA’s community outreach efforts

NYRA Spotlight – Videos spotlighting NYRA racetrack personnel

Backstretch Buzz – Exclusive videos from the backstretch

Friday Night Live Chats – Live chats with racing analysts, horsemen, and key industry figures

Jockey Video Cards – Candid interviews with NYRA jockeys

On The Record – Exclusive interviews with NYRA trainers