NEWS
New York racing officials plan for brighter 2011
Posted: Tuesday, September 07, 2010 4:19 PM
by Paul Post
With the Saratoga Race Course summer meeting in the books, New York racing officials already envision an improved 2011 season with the promise of gaming revenue and a restructured New York City Off-Track Betting Corp. on the horizon.
The proposed Aqueduct racino’s first 1,600 video lottery terminals are expected to become operational early next spring, and New York City OTB President Greg Rayburn has predicted a conclusion to the company’s bankruptcy by the end of this year.
The first impact of the gaming revenue is expected to be an improved purse structure and restoration of graded stakes, such as the Go For Wand Stakes at Saratoga, that currently are on hiatus. Restoration of the state’s devastated breeding industry might take longer.
“Horses don’t come out of a factory,” New York State Racing and Wagering Board Chairman John Sabini said on Tuesday. “I think you’ll see a difference once VLTs get up and running and people believe in the program again.”
New York’s foal crop has dropped almost 50% from mid-1980s levels to projected 2011 numbers.
The New York Racing Association already has earmarked more than $100- million worth of capital improvements at historic but aging Saratoga Race Course. NYRA President Charles Hayward said the first priority will be backstretch dorms and barns before analyzing a revamping of the turf course.
NYRA officials are contemplating new townhouse-style living quarters for its backstretch workers. At present, workers live in outdated concrete block dorms where air conditioning is not allowed because of insufficient electrical equipment.
“We'll be in a position to probably start work on the backstretch here in 2011,” Hayward told reporters on Monday at Saratoga.
State leaders already have approved Genting New York LLC, an arm of a huge Malaysia-based casino company, to run Aqueduct’s racino. State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is reviewing the contract, which must also be reviewed by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, the final step in the process.
“If the state blows this, it'll be a dark day for racing,” Hayward said.
Paul Post is a New York-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: Jim, Queens, NY on September 08, 2010 at 01:03 PM
What is taking Cumo so long to review this document. Doesn't sound like a friend of racing to me. Let's remember this at election time.
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