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Paterson says Saratoga meet will go on as planned

Posted: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 6:35 PM

by Paul Post

New York Gov. David Paterson gave verbal assurances on Tuesday that the state will give the New York Racing Association the money it needs for the Saratoga Race Course season to go on as planned.

Another prominent horseman, however, at least has partially abandoned a ship that NYRA barely is keeping afloat.

Trainer Gary Contessa, who has one of New York’s largest stables, said on Tuesday that he has committed 12 horses to Monmouth Park in New Jersey this summer.

“My hand has been forced,” said Contessa, winner of the 2008 Belmont Park fall training title. “I’m still a New York guy, but first and foremost I’m a father who has to support his family. You can’t attract new owners to New York racing because of all the instability going on.

“I’ve got people all the time in New Jersey asking me if I want to go over there. Every trainer, every owner in New York is on edge, not knowing what’s going to happen.”

NYRA President Charles Hayward held a Tuesday morning press conference at Saratoga Race Course, where he said NYRA would run out of money by late June or early July, forcing a racing shutdown.

“That’s not going to happen,” Paterson told reporters at the state capitol in Albany shortly afterward, The Associated Press reported. “We have a plan to loan NYRA, in the short term, money to get through Saratoga, and we’re working on a long-term plan to help beyond that.”

Paterson said he has a new plan to loan NYRA from $15-million to $25-million until Aqueduct’s racino becomes operational. The plan still requires legislative approval, and anything NYRA-related usually is slow in coming because of the legal complexities involved.

“We are reviewing proposals to ensure that NYRA continues operations,” said Dan Weiller, a spokesman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan). He declined additional comment.

Paterson said he believes legislators will approve his loan plan.

Paul Post is a New York-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent