by Frank Angst

The Southern Racing Cooperative, which represents several Thoroughbred tracks, has reached an agreement with the New York Racing Association on the Belmont Park signal.

Since the start of the meet on April 30, the Belmont signal had not been available to members of the cooperative. But Beulah Park General Manager Mike Weiss, who serves as the cooperative’s president, said a deal was reached late Tuesday.

“Tracks that were ready to go had the signal on Wednesday,” Weiss said. “I would think everyone else had it by Thursday.

Weiss said the agreement is a multiyear deal.

The deal also is welcome news for horsemen. The Ohio Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association Executive Director Dave Basler said the loss of the signal was costing the River Downs purse fund $3,100 a day.

Besides River Downs and Beulah Park, other Southern Racing Cooperative members that offer Thoroughbred racing include Delta Downs, the Downs at Albuquerque, Ruidoso Downs, Sunland Park, SunRay Park, Zia Park, Fonner Park, Horsemen's Park, Retama Park, Sam Houston Race Park, Tampa Bay Downs, Turf Paradise, and The Woodlands. The cooperative also includes some Standardbred and greyhound tracks.

On May 8, the Mid-Atlantic Cooperative, which represents 16 East Coast tracks, reached an agreement with NYRA.

Frank Angst is senior writer of Thoroughbred Times