Saratoga thoughts

When will NYRA step up on the pandemic?

Posted by noonante on August 10, 2021
Posted in: Horse Racing, Political/Social commentary, Saratoga thoughts. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

When even elected Republican leaders are starting to get religion on dealing with the increasing spread of Covid-19, how long will NYRA continue to ignore it? As I wrote in this post, NYRA had initially planned to separate the vaccinated and the unvaccinated, but changed prior to the open of Saratoga in favor of a policy of trusting the irresponsible to become responsible so they could get down on the double. So the track was open to all, with no restrictions, as if the virus were no longer a threat.

But the Delta variant of the virus has become an increasing threat both because of its higher level of transmissibility and the more serious consequences if one contracts it. According to the Albany Times Union, Saratoga County now is rated “high” in its level of community transmission. This prompted the county’s Public Health Services to recommend “that all people — whether fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, or unvaccinated — wear a mask when … outdoors in crowded settings, and when engaging in activities that involve close contact with others who are not fully vaccinated.”

That sounds like a description of the rail on Whitney Day where the crowds were 10, 15 or 20 people deep, almost none of whom were wearing masks. With some 70 per cent of vaccinated folks in Saratoga, that would indicate the odds were that one of every three in that crowd were not vaccinated.

While this may not put Saratoga on the same level as a super spreader event as the Sturgis motorcycle rally, it doesn’t require a hundred thousand people for you to get the virus, it only requires one. NYRA is apparently content with doing nothing to minimize the risk of spreading a deadly infection.

“The more things don’t change….”

Posted by noonante on August 24, 2020
Posted in: Horse Racing, Political/Social commentary, Saratoga thoughts. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

You know the expression: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” That doesn’t actually apply in the world of American horse racing because things don’t change all that much.

This past week the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium issued a “Thyroxine Advisory” in concert with the American Association of Equine Practitioners. It was a necessary step according to the groups because of evidence of “wholesale use of thyroxine in entire populations of racehorses as a ‘wellness’ supplement rather than as the prescription medication that it is.”

When I showed their news release to my spouse, she responded, “Is that from five years ago?” While her memory on pedigrees is close to infallible, she was off this time by two years. Thyroxine hit the spotlight in the world of racing seven years ago in connection with an investigation of a cluster of cardiac fatalities in the barn of trainer Bob Baffert.

Although the California Horse Racing Board did not pinpoint the use of thyroxine as the cause of the “extremely abnormal” cluster, Baffert acknowledged giving the drug to all the horses in his barn. He did so even though it is a prescription medication intended for treatment of specific medical conditions.

The CHRB issued its own guidance in May, 2014, to address what it called “apparently indiscriminate use” of the medication. It required that thyroxine only be administered for a “specific horse and condition” and prescribed by a CHRB-licensed veterinarian.

That month was also the time of reports by NBC and HBO on the controversies regarding the treatment of horses, partially sparked by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals putting an undercover agent in the barns of Steve Asmussen at Churchill Downs and Saratoga.

HBO reporter Bernard Goldberg questioned Asmussen about a filly suffering a fatal heart attack after crossing the finish line. Asmussen acknowledged the horse had received both Lasix and Clenbuterol (both legal medications at the time). Then he said that he “feeds” thyroxine to his horses. Again, treating it as a nutritional supplement as opposed to a prescription medication with potentially serious side effects.

The New York State Gaming Commission conducted an investigation of the many allegations by PETA of abuse in the Asmussen barn. They cleared him of many of the claims, but did find that 58 of the 66 horses that ran in Saratoga in 2013 were incorrectly administered thyroxine too close to a race. They fined him $10,000, although my calculations at the time concluded that the minimum fine should have been $29,000. For one of the game’s most successful trainers, $29K probably amounts to a rounding error.

So there you have it. Two Hall-of-Fame trainers are found to have violated standard veterinary guidelines and administered a prescription medication as a matter of course regardless of whether it was being used to treat a medical condition. One was not penalized and the other got a slap on the wrist.

So I wonder why it became necessary five years later to issue an “advisory” restating that standard guideline because of concerns over “wholesale” use of a prescription medication as a nutritional supplement.

It may not have been deliberate, but the RMTC and AAEP did not issue the advisory until after The Jockey Club Round Table on August 16. It has become a forum for the necessity of a national body that oversees uniform regulations and a consistent enforcement mechanism.

In that interview on HBO with Bernard Goldberg, Asmussen explained his 28 drug violations (in 2014) as the result of inconsistent state regulations. With the New York findings that number is now at least 86. The cheaters are just laughing at the rest of us who want a clean sport.

Travers and Whitney Festivals in Saratoga?

Posted by noonante on July 11, 2020
Posted in: Horse Racing, Political/Social commentary, Politics, Saratoga thoughts, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

The Saratoga Chamber of Commerce is advocating that Broadway be closed on Travers Day and Whitney Day to allow for a street festival. In their new house organ, Saratoga Report, they boast of pressuring the City Council to close Henry Street, a small street two blocks away so the bars and restaurants there could have expanded outdoor seating.

I think there are good reasons why closing Broadway for weekend days in warm weather so there could be outdoor dining makes a lot of sense. What does not make sense, however, is promoting a “festival” where crowds will throng downtown for “dining,” and bars with takeout service, on track days that typically attract large crowds.

If you think the crowds will not come because the track is closed to spectators, consider the “Chowder Fest.” This annual event, on the first Saturday in February, features long lines outside restaurants and bars to get a two-ounce cup of their chowder made especially for this occasion. I am not making this up; it’s actually one of my favorite days. But temperatures can be below zero and/or it can be snowing. Still the crowds come. The last time I went, the crowds on the sidewalks of Broadway were so packed it was nearly impossible to walk down them.

So, bump the thermometer by 80 degrees, make it a sunny day, and add the hype that always accompanies these race days. Do you think Broadway will be jammed, despite the Chamber’s suggestion that “crowds are limited to ensure safe distancing?” Right.

Crowds will not be limited, but rather attracted by the prospect of a big outdoor party. The experience in the numerous hot spots around the country is that it is the fun events that attract the big crowds that inevitably have a lot of irresponsible conduct. Will Chamber members be taking temperatures at the many access points to Broadway and then monitoring compliance with social distancing and mask wearing? No, I did not think so.

Tracks that have “re-opened” have quickly experienced their own issues. Lone Star Park in Texas celebrated their resumption with a photograph of spectators standing shoulder-to-shoulder at the rail. They have now closed again because of an “abundance of caution.” While I have not seen a specific reason from the track, we can assume that positives showed up among either track workers or racing folks.

Monmouth Park on the Jersey shore obtained permission from the state government to admit spectators. The track thought that meant 15,000 people. The state responded with a “not so fast,” so the actual number was south of 3,000. While masks were required for spectators, Bill Finley reports in Thoroughbred Daily News that he saw few masks by the end of the day, and there was no apparent effort to enforce the requirement. For the Haskell, the track’s big day, there will only be 500 general admissions sold.

Saratoga Springs has been fortunate in not having a major problem with fatalities and Covid-19 positives. This is in large part attributable to the leadership of Governor Andrew Cuomo and his constant calls for responsible behavior. There is no national leadership apart from Dr. Fauci (whose name sake horse just won at Keeneland). Inexplicably, common sense safety measures have become a politicized matter.

But it is foolhardy to think that Saratoga Springs is immune from the terrifying spike in cases (and deaths) from around the country. This is not the time to relax our guard, particularly with events likely to attract people from around the country. The Chamber of Commerce should promote long-tern economic recovery and not leap at the first shiny object that presents itself.

The Saratoga meet should not be in Saratoga

Posted by noonante on June 28, 2020
Posted in: Horse Racing, Political/Social commentary, Politics, Saratoga thoughts. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 4 Comments

Horse racing is gradually resuming in the Northeast with Belmont starting on June 3 and Saratoga Race Course scheduled for its original opening day of July 16.  The training tracks at both locations have been operating under safety protocols imposed by the New York Racing Association.

Spectators, including owners, were not permitted for either live racing or the morning workouts;  indeed, only those working directly with the horses and personnel necessary for running the track and televising the races were allowed in the facility.

I think a more pressing question, however, should be whether the Saratoga meet takes place in Saratoga Springs or moved downstate to Belmont and/or Aqueduct.  After watching the disgraceful scene  –  in Saratoga Springs  –  by the owners and friends of Tiz the Law watching the Belmont Stakes who were packed together with barely a mask in sight, I am staunchly opposed to making the risk in this community any higher.

Martin Panza, NYRA’s Senior Vice President of Racing, argued (in The Thoroughbred Daily News podcast of May 21) that the “town needs us.”  Local business interests understandably want to re-open the hotels, restaurants, bars and retail shops that have been shuttered. The race meet is not just an important part of their annual revenue, but an essential one.

By all accounts, NYRA has done an effective job of minimizing the virus risks on the Belmont Park backstretch while allowing training to continue. It is, of course, located near the New York City and Long Island “hot spots,” and has experienced multiple infections and, even worse, a death. But their extensive protocols appear to have the problem contained. Nonetheless, the backstretch experienced 85 positive (and recovered) cases from a population of 585. Keeneland reported 27 positives from a resident population of 200. (The numbers are from BloodHorse.com. I do not know what the dates are, which would inform on infection trends.)

That does not mean, however, that it would be smart to move a substantial piece of that operation up the Northway. In addition to hundreds of horses – and the humans needed to transport them – there are hundreds of workers necessary to care for them. The Saratoga area has been relatively quiet in terms of the virus over the past several weeks. Introducing a significant influx of people who, by necessity, work in close proximity to their colleagues  –  and may be coming from a virus hot spot  –  is inviting a spread.

The unfortunate reality, however, is that last year’s crowds are not coming back this year. And I will hazard a guess that for every track worker coming for the meet who goes to a bar or restaurant there will be a local resident who is going to stay away.  It’s not that the track worker is inherently a risk, but that there is an increased risk, particularly in the confined indoor spaces where the virus thrives.

The last thing those businesses need, however, is a resurgence in the virus that results in either further restrictions or – even worse – a lack of public confidence that will have prospective customers staying away in droves for a prolonged period of time.  And as much as I hate to say it, the safe practices that have been observed in New York may be starting to fade.

Governor Cuomo said a week ago that the state has received 25,000 complaints from residents about the multiple failures to maintain safe practices, including congested parks, restaurants and bars. The Onion “reported” that the Mayor of Dallas told residents “they would soon officially be entering Phase 4 of pretending the coronavirus was over.”

Lone Star Park just tweeted a welcome to fans attending the track’s reopening with a photograph of spectators standing shoulder-to-shoulder at the rail, even though Texas is one of the states experiencing a terrifying increase in infections.  Delaware Park recently resumed racing and permitted spectators.  Shortly after opening, however, it was forced to cut back to just 1,000 patrons for reasons not reported.  But I think we can surmise that it was irresponsible behavior on the part of fans that compelled the reduction.

But NYRA’s concern for the town (and I do not doubt their sincerity) is perhaps secondary to their own business interests.  Martin Panza said it was important for the races to actually be run at the Spa in an interview with Bill Finley quoted in Thoroughbred Daily News on April 26:

“Even if we cannot have fans at the track, the handle for a Saturday at Saratoga will be close to double what we would handle if the races were at Belmont and certainly a lot more than what we would handle at Aqueduct. Being up there will allow us to handle a lot more money on our races and that means much larger purses.”

Now I am far from an expert on racetrack economics, but what Panza says about the handle does not make a lot of sense. If he is saying that a typical Saratoga handle exceeds a typical Belmont handle and far exceeds a typical Aqueduct handle, I cannot imagine anyone would disagree. But I think the recent experience with wagering in the United States strongly suggests that his concern is overblown.  And it is the Spa’s racing product  –  top horses,lots of turf and two-year-olds  –  that is the attraction.

Oaklawn Park’s Arkansas Derby is a must for racing fans every spring, but not to the level this year’s split divisions revealed. Oaklawn attracted a seismic 252 per cent increase in handle for the full card over last year’s version. Churchill Downs’ card on May 23 had five interesting stakes – a Grade III being the only graded one – and saw a 208 per cent increase over the same day last year according to TDN.

The TDN has been publishing handle figures from major tracks compared to comparable days a year ago.  These are recent changes for Belmont Park with increases this year compared to last year:

  •   Friday, June 5          + 55%
  •   Saturday, June 6     + 81%
  •   Sunday, June 7        + 85%
  •   Thursday, June 11  + 85%
  •   Friday, June 12        + 21%
  •   Saturday, June 13   + 12%
  •   Sunday, June 14      + 59%
  •   Thursday, June 18  + 86%
  •   Friday, June 19       + 130%

The only decrease in handle from a comparable day in 2019 was  –  of all things  –  the Belmont Stakes which handled 34% less than it did for the same race card lasy year.  But as Martin Panza would be the first to tell you, field size is one of the most definitive factors in handle size.  So, here are the field sizes for the five graded stakes preceding this year’s Belmont Stakes:  5, 6, 5, 7, 8.  Sunday’s card bounced back with a 62% increase over last year’s Sunday of Belmont weekend..

Most wagering, even when there are spectators, does not take place at a mutual window in an historic grandstand. I looked at the handles on eight days in the middle of last year’s meet. On every day I looked at – whether it was a Wednesday or a Saturday – the amount wagered through off-track sites was between three and four times that bet on track. So Panza’s argument that NYRA will lose the on-track handle is true, but the impact is blunted by the above data.

The Saratoga meet is obviously an important event for both the racing scene and the Saratoga community.  Having some of the best racing in the world moved temporarily to either Belmont or Aqueduct should not have a significant effect on NYRA’s handle.  But it could have a devastating impact on Saratoga Springs that could take years for a recovery.  It should not be a difficult call.

As a Saratoga resident, I have witnessed a disturbing lack of compliance with health mandates.  Perhaps if the city or state park replaced its flashing sign of “Please use a face covering” with “Wear a Mask, Tiz the Law,” maybe the Sackatoga people could comply instead of being the poster child for a Covid-19 hotspot on national TV.

 

New York is oblivious to the efforts to protect horses

Posted by noonante on August 5, 2019
Posted in: Horse Racing, Political/Social commentary, Saratoga thoughts, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

A horse was euthanized on the racetrack at Saratoga on Sunday after it collapsed during the running of the sixth race.  The race was for $25,000 claimers in which the purse had been increased as a result of the New York Gaming Commission’s weakening of a rule intended to protect the safety of horses (and riders).

The rule in question is referred to as the “purse-to-price ratio.”  It refers to the purse value of a claiming race in comparison to the claiming price for a horse in that race. In a race for $25,000 claimers, a 1.8 ratio means that the purse could not be greater than $45,000.  The purse in this race, however, was $52,000.

While this may appear to be an esoteric matter of little consequence, it became a major matter in 2012 when Aqueduct experienced a significant increase in fatalities.  The deaths resulted in a Task Force being appointed to investigate the causes and make recommendations. A potential cause of fatalities identified by the Task Force’s Report was horses being entered in claiming races in which the total purse value of a race far exceeded the claiming price assigned to the horse. The Task Force concluded that

“this imbalance contributed to perceptions that horses were being entered in claiming races beyond their level of competition and forced to perform to the point of serious injury or death….  Accordingly, the Task Force believes that the purse to claim price ratio should be no greater than 1.6, in which the value of the horse is approximately equal to the winner’s share of the purse, and that the Rule should be amended accordingly.”

Governor Cuomo agreed with the Task Force’s determination on the 1.6 ratio, explicitly citing it when he issued a statement ordering implementation of the Report’s recommendations in September, 2012.

Dr. Scott Palmer, DVM, who chaired the Task Force, however, had a different perspective. Three days after the Governor’s order, he wrote a memo to justify supporting a higher ratio of 2.0.  His statement at that time is indicative of his thinking – both then and now – on the relative balance between equine safety and the economic considerations for racetracks, stating that “the Task Force did not consider the business model of Aqueduct in a competitive environment for racehorses.”

The ratio remained at 2.0 until this year when the Gaming Commission  –  at the urging of Dr. Palmer, now New York’s Equine Medical Director  –  weakened the rule and permitted ratios greater than 2.0.  They did this even though Dr. Palmer said at a Commission meeting in July:

“… there’s some very good research that’s shown that there’s an increased amount of risk of catastrophic injury for horses in claiming races where the purse to price ratio is greater than 1.8 to one. This is a very sound piece of scientific information….”

Despite what he recognized as an increased risk to horses and jockeys, Palmer believed his proposed rule change would cause more horsemen to remain in New York rather than ship to a mid-Atlantic track, thereby increasing field size  –  for the economic benefit of the track.  That this justification is identical to the one rejected by the Task Force, however, apparently did not factor into Palmer’s advocacy for the change in the ratio.

I am not suggesting that the increase in the purse for this race is what caused the horse’s death  –  even if the rule had not been relaxed, he could have run for a $50,000 purse.  But a fatal breakdown in an event with an increased purse level was inevitable from the moment the Gaming Commission approved the weakening of the rule.

At a time when racing is facing increased scrutiny following the rise in fatalities at Santa Anita, a change that increases the risk to horses and jockeys is not only short-sighted but foolhardy.  I am not the one who connected increased risk to purse levels.  It was Dr. Palmer who despite saying it was a “very sound piece of scientific evidence” nonetheless advocated forcefully for a change he believed would inure to the economic benefit of a racetrack.

Dr. Rick Arthur, California’s Equine Medical Director, was interviewed on NPR during the Santa Anita crisis and said,  “if we don’t make racing safer, I don’t think the public’s going to allow us to continue the sport.”  New York’s Gaming Commission and its Equine Medical Director have shown they are oblivious to the worsening perception of the sport and placed horses and jockey at greater risk.

 

 

 

NY response to Spa deaths is PR nonsense

Posted by noonante on August 23, 2017
Posted in: Horse Racing, Political/Social commentary, Saratoga thoughts. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

Saratoga Race Course has witnessed a disturbing number of equine fatalities this meet.  Since racing began on July 21, eight horses have had catastrophic breakdowns while racing, and seven six more died while training in the morning.  It has been the cause of considerable consternation on the back stretches, and among fans and the media.

On Monday, the New York State Gaming Commission and the New York Racing Association issued a press release announcing they were “implementing additional actions immediately” at the track to address the health and safety concerns.  The release was five pages long (single-spaced), apparently in an attempt to convince the public that serious attempts were being made to address a crisis in public confidence.

It announced one new action being taken by the bodies responsible for the conduct of racing:  an additional veterinarian was going to be assigned to the track during training hours, “doubling” the number of vets who witness the morning training conducted on two tracks.

I must admit that I do not know if having a vet present during training is a good idea, but I assume it must be.  If that is the case, why has it taken the Gaming Commission and NYRA so long to take this step?  If you have been to the main track and the Oklahoma training track in the morning, you know that one person could not cover both facilities.

The only other new action being taken is the decision by the National Steeplechase Association —  not the Commission or NYRA  —  to ban apprentice riders from steeplechase events at both Saratoga and Belmont.  That decision was announced in a one-sentence policy announcement by that organization with no explanation or rationale.  That it applies only in New York indicates that this it is a panicked reaction to create the inaccurate impression that something is being done.

All the other “additional measures” are steps that have already been taken, which is not to diminish their significance.  The press release was reminiscent of one of my efforts in college to throw together a bunch of unrelated topics for a term paper under the sophomoric view that the professor would not recognize bullshit when he saw it.

The cause of fatalities is a complicated one, and there are many possible explanations ranging from track conditions to undetected physical issues to irresponsible use of drugs.  New York has implemented a number of steps in recent years to enhance the safety and welfare of horses.  Dr. Scott Palmer, New York’s Equine Medical Director, chaired a Task Force in 2012 that produced a landmark report identifying a number of steps that should be taken to improve the health and safety of both equine and human athletes.

Dr. Palmer also chaired a group that reported on 2014 Saratoga fatalities, recommending additional steps to enhance safety.  My memory is that the Gaming Commission reported that he was writing another report of 2016 fatalities, but the Gaming Commission has refused to answer my questions about whether there is such a report.  The Monday press release states that another investigation is being conducted on this year’s breakdowns, but the Commission refused to answer my questions about whether that would generate a report.

There is little secret in why the Gaming Commission and NYRA issued this press release now.  The Travers is the signature event of New York’s summer racing.  Media outlets that care little about digging into a complicated story will relish reporting on the number of fatalities, because that is simple.

But putting out a release trumpeting “immediate” and “additional” steps that are neither, undermines the credibility of New York racing, particularly when the claims can be so easily debunked.  As Rick Violette, Jr., President of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, said:  “The litany of programs and initiatives and safety measures are only impressive when they work.”

 

Only 317 days until Opening Day

Posted by noonante on September 6, 2016
Posted in: Horse Racing, Political/Social commentary, Politics, Saratoga thoughts. Tagged: , , , , . 1 Comment

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The morning after Labor Day is a bittersweet one.  Entire barns are already empty and the energy level is down significantly.  But the Spa backstretch remains a magical one.  Beautiful scenery, the early Adirondack autumn air and, of course, horses make for an unbeatable combination.

Some final thoughts:

The total handle was encouraging.  Last year was a record and this year was close to the same level.  That despite last year having ideal weather, fewer races coming off the grass and, needless to say, the excitement created by American Pharaoh’s presence.  One major jolt was the late Pick 5 on the last four days.  I had never paid attention to the handle on the early Pick 5, which is also significant, but was staggered by the size of the late one.  The Saturday card generated $980,000.  The Pick 6 pool for the day was $200,000 (also an amazing number).  The Pick 5 also allows a 50 cent bet which has to be a major factor in driving the handle.  Here’s hoping NYRA continues with this experiment at Belmont.

Attendance figures are meaningless.  NYRA reported a figure of 1.1 million, an increase of 5.4 per cent over last year.  Since they count season pass holders as being here even if they are on a Cape Cod beach, and double count ticket holders with a pass who do show up, why bother even reporting a number?  It used to be the only questionable attendance figures were on giveaway days.

There were many complaints about field size and racing quality.  I am working on an analysis of field size, but there seemed to be a bunch of five- and six-horse (or fewer) fields.  Also, a seeming surplus of low-level claiming and 5 1/2 furlong turf sprints.  Yesterday’s opener, for example, was a $12.5 claimer that scratched down to four horses.  I think, however, that the NYRA Racing Office is not carding such races to irritate horse players but, like most of us, would prefer full fields of stake and allowance horses.  But where are they going to get them?  After all,the purse structure and state breeding program may well be the most generous in the nation.

Gabby Gaudet is a breath of fresh air for a stale product.  I stopped the automatic use of the mute button when NYRA added Gaudet to their team of broadcast analysts.  I’m not the only one who started to enjoy the on-air handicapping when she was paired with long-time analyst Andy Serling and was obviously not overwhelmed by his self-perceived genius.  There is also the hope that Serling will realize that his not-too-subtle and constant sniping at Gaudet is doing nothing to enhance his appeal.

There are good food options at the track.  The Shake Shack is hardly a surprise and a frequent choice.  On the last day I discovered the wood-fired pizza, which will also be a frequent choice if they return.  There are the Saratoga Chips.  Druthers has a small stand near the escalator and provides top-quality beer brewed about a mile from the track.

And the Spa is the Spa.  There is nothing better than a morning on the backside followed by a summer afternoon on the front side.  I think NYRA’s management is commendably trying to come up with new things, but sometimes it is just better to step back and realize what a priceless experience is already there.

Some thoughts on the Spa meet

Posted by noonante on September 2, 2016
Posted in: Horse Racing, Political/Social commentary, Politics, Saratoga thoughts, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , . 1 Comment

The meet is inexorably winding down, but the last week restores a measure of peacefulness as outfits start to move out and traffic behavior returns to a more sane level (i.e., fewer NYC or Boston drivers).  Some observations:

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The “Big Day” concept took a hit on Travers day.  The notion of packing a bunch of Grade I stakes on a single day was designed to ensure a high handle even if a marquee star  –  a potential Triple Crown winner or actual winner  –  isn’t going to appear.  Last year, of course, American Pharoah won the Belmont and ran in the Travers.  With no superstar in this year’s Travers, attendance did not hit NYRA’s self-imposed cap of 50,000 and handle was down 9 per cent from 2015.

What NYRA loses when it loads Grade I’s onto a single card is the ability to promote other stars of the sport and grow fan interest.  When it’s the Travers, a Flintshire or a Lady Eli isn’t going to fit NYRA’s promotional agenda.  But you have a turf star and an undefeated filly who survived a life-threatening illness to come back after a break of over a year.  Each could have been the object of a marketing campaign that might have produced buzz on a day other than the Travers.

Speaking of buzz, the Travers had none.  Now when you have a Triple Crown winner drawing 15,000-plus for a gallop the day before the Travers, one cannot expect a repeat the following year.  This year, however, there was no danger of a sell-out.  Even hotels were available Travers week.  NYRA’s imposition of a cap may have deterred many who would have come had they not worried about being shut out.  (For last year’s Belmont Stakes, NYRA announced it would not sell tickets at the gate even if their self-imposed cap of 90,000 had not been reached.)

The Travers is an event that will draw a substantial crowd whether there are six other graded stakes on the card or none.  The handle from a stakes-heavy card, however, is going to be substantial when off-track bettors are added in.  NYRA is missing an opportunity to draw interest when the Grade I events are put on a single day instead of being spread across the calendar.  There was a time not too long ago when every day at Saratoga was a big day.

NYRA has done a great job improving living quarters for back stretch workers.  I guess I am paying more attention to the Oklahoma training track now that I have a couple of horses over there.  I knew about the new dormitories that were built recently, but missed the refurbishing of existing dorms.  I haven’t been inside them, but the exterior structures and the addition of air conditioning are a commendable improvement by NYRA to improve the conditions of those who are with the horses 24/7.

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NYRA needs to work on its treatment of trainers.

DSC_5189

This sign is along the rail at the Oklahoma Training Track in an area used by trainers and owners to observe their horses working out.  In late morning it becomes a parking lot for fans.  When I was there Wednesday at 9:30  –  as fans were arriving and training hours were coming to an end  –  there were all of eight cars that presumably belonged to owners or trainers.  The sign is obnoxious and rude.

Most trainers  –  not the Bafferts, Pletchers and Browns  –  have small operations and are struggling to get by.  They are often at their barns from sunrise to sunset.  If they could park closer to their barns, they rather obviously would, so the sign is not necessary.

There is another issue, however, that rankles trainers even more.  NYRA seemingly cannot produce timely condition books.  For those not familiar with the term, a condition book is a schedule of the races NYRA intends to run over a period of several weeks.  It is a most essential tool in planning the training of a horse since it enables the trainer to pick out a race and train his charge accordingly.  NYRA, however, is notoriously late in releasing them.  The Belmont meet is a week away.  The condition book was just released on Tuesday.

It’s time for Chris Kay to stop talking about his museum.  At this year’s Jockey Club Round Table  –  a prominent national forum  –  NYRA’s CEO was a featured speaker.  In describing NYRA’s capital improvements, the first two he identified were his own creations,  the so-called Walk of Fame incorporating the Red Jacket winners and the Durkin Replay “Center.”  The Durkin Replay “Center” is a monitor affixed to a pillar in a bar.  The Red Jacket ceremony is a superfluous event recognizing people who are in the Hall of Fame located across the street.  This year’s Red Jacket ceremony was an interminable production between races that delayed the start of the next race.  No one goes to the Walk of Fame.

While this presentation was embarrassing in its own right, it was particularly so when compared to the talk of Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, CEO of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, describing the remarkable changes brought by that organization’s management.  While Kay boasted of bringing the Goo Goo Dolls to perform after the races on Belmont Stakes Day, Hong Kong markets a Wednesday night card to attract a younger audience and draws 18,000 to one of its tracks.  It has also dramatically increased handle  –  or, as they refer to it, “turnover.”

Will NYRA start counting cats in the attendance figures?

DSC_5292

 

The sad state of “leadership” in New York racing

Posted by noonante on June 16, 2016
Posted in: Horse Racing, Political/Social commentary, Politics, Saratoga thoughts. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

It was sad watching the Saratoga Springs local Chamber of Commerce and an offshoot, Concerned Citizens for Saratoga Racing, hold a rally to support legislation they claimed would reprivatize the New York Racing Association.  As the group twice did a chant on command of “WHOA Cuomo” for the TV cameras, the Legislature was passing the bills they supported.

Unfortunately, as one of the group’s leaders acknowledged in response to a question, the Legislature’s bill would guarantee the Governor control of 11 of the 15 members of a new Board.  So much for stopping the Governor.

The New York legislative session ends today (or whenever they decide to start the clock again after stopping it at midnight), and there is a need to do something about the governing structure of NYRA.  The current law that gives the state government control of the franchise expires in mid-October.

Four years ago when Governor Cuomo seized control of NYRA following bogus allegations of mismanagement, he promised his takeover would last only three years, because “state government has no role in running horse racing.”  His administration did not come up with a recommended plan by their deadline, so government control was extended another year.

This year, NYRA, charged with coming up with a proposal, did as little as possible to meet their legal obligation, although it was clear that the only opinion that mattered was sitting (sometimes) in the second floor of the State Capitol.  One house of the Legislature came up with a plan on May 25 that was soon adopted by the other chamber.  The Governor’s plan was revealed a week ago.  When you have four years to do something, I guess late is better than never.

There are two major differences between the bills:

  • The Governor’s plan would give him effective control of appointing 13 of the 15 members on a new Board of Directors;  the legislative bills would give him effective control of 11 of 15 members of the Board;
  • The Governor’s plan would take $11.5 million in revenues from the Video Lottery Terminals at Aqueduct and direct them to government expenditures and not to NYRA.

Understandably, the debate on the legislation has focused on the money the Governor would like to take from NYRA.  They project $57.5 million in VLT receipts this year, and the Governor proposes capping it at $46 million starting next year.  The Comptroller of New York, Thomas DiNapoli, released an audit last week in which he concluded that NYRA is not currently profitable without VLT revenues, nor has it developed a plan to attain self-sufficiency without the monies.  Charles Hayward, writing in Thoroughbred Racing Commentary, outlines the history of the VLT monies becoming a guarantee for 25 years, both contractually and by statute.

The composition of a future Board, however, is as significant an issue.  On the current Board, remarkably, the Governor has less than half of the appointees, although he and his loyalists have controlled NYRA without needing a majority.  There is perhaps a misperception that a “government-controlled” Board means it is composed primarily of state employees.  Only one such person, however, has served on the Board since its inception four years ago.

So when both bills purporting to “reprivatize” NYRA would give increased and overwhelming control to the Governor, one would be inclined to laugh if the prospects for New York’s racing and breeding industries were not so grim.  When one reads the Senate chair of the Racing and Wagering Committee challenging the Governor to veto their legislation, one does have to laugh.  Cuomo is in a no-lose situation  –  he controls NYRA under either scenario, and he gets to keep his seizure of NYRA’s money alive.  Someday, the so-called racing leaders in the Legislature will realize they are playing checkers while Cuomo plays chess.

We should also not minimize the possibility of a new NYRA Board moving ahead with an agenda that acts as though NYRA does not get VLT monies and budgets accordingly.  This was actually proposed in August 2013, by Cuomo’s hand-picked Board Chairman David Skorton.  In a rare instance of the NYRA Board actually commenting on something, it became an idea that was shelved quickly.  Significantly, the charge was led by one of the Senate’s appointees and John Hendrickson, a Cuomo-appointee who resigned recently because the Governor did not listen to him.

So if we have a new Board composed of Cuomo loyalists, who can be counted on to serve the interests of New York’s owners, breeders, trainers, backstretch employees and fans?  The state’s Gaming Commission?  Mostly Cuomo appointees.  The Franchise Oversight Board?  Mostly Cuomo appointees.  NYRA?  More Cuomo appointees.  There are groups representing owners, trainers and breeders, but they have been mostly silent on this debate, possibly because of their need to work with the Administration.

And when the Concerned Citizens and their legislative allies finish draining their champagne flutes after yesterday’s vote, perhaps they can consider how they will explain a new NYRA Board composed almost entirely of Cuomo loyalists as a result of the legislation they supported.

Cuomo’s legislation increases his control of NYRA

Posted by noonante on June 9, 2016
Posted in: Horse Racing, Political/Social commentary, Politics, Saratoga thoughts. Tagged: , , . 2 Comments

Governor Andrew Cuomo introduced his legislation to replace the current law governing the New York Racing Association on Wednesday.  The bill not only increases his control over New York racing, but reduces revenues from Video Lottery Terminals that are now guaranteed to NYRA.

Here’s a comparison of the current law with Cuomo’s bill:

Current law

  • 17-member Board of Directors;
  • Cuomo appoints eight;
  • Legislative leaders each appoint two;
  • Five appointed by the prior NYRA Board;
  • Cuomo nominates chair of the Board to be approved by full Board.

Cuomo legislation

  • 15-member Board
  • Cuomo directly appoints four;
  • Legislative leaders each appoint one;
  • Eight appointed by current NYRA Executive Committee comprised almost entirely of Cuomo appointees;
  • NYRA CEO serves on Board;
  • Cuomo nominates Chair of the Board “who shall serve at the pleasure of the governor.”

Let’s go over this.  Under the current law, 12 of 17 appointees are made by state officials, and five are truly “private appointees.”  The Governor selects 8 of the 17.  In a bill laughingly described as a return to private control, all of the Board is selected either directly by state officials or indirectly in a process controlled by the Governor.  Cuomo goes from picking 8 of 17 to effectively picking 13 of 15.  That’s privatization?

A bill that is identical in the Senate and the Assembly is not much better, because it leaves the so-called “private members” to be selected by the Governor’s appointees.  Unfortunately, the media and outside groups persist in calling this a return to private control when the reality is that a Board picked under the legislative bills is likely to end up with a Board of Cuomo appointees.

To add insult to injury, Cuomo is also proposing to take VLT revenues currently dedicated to NYRA’s operating expenses and capital expenditures and capping the payments at $46 million.  Since NYRA’s budget for 2016 projected revenue of $57.5 million from this source, we are talking a significant reduction in NYRA’s ability to function.  I know there are those who say NYRA should not need this revenue, but it was part of the consideration for NTRA’s transferring title to the property on which the tracks sit to the state.  You know  –  just like a contract.

The sad part of this is that the groundwork for another coup by Cuomo was laid by a supine NYRA Board of Directors and an all-too complicit media.  They believed the nonsense that NYRA was profitable without the VLT revenues.  Now they are going along with a charade that this is a return to private control when the reality is that the Governor will have greater control.

John Hendrickson, a special advisor appointed by Cuomo to the NYRA Board, resigned when he saw the fix was in.  Let’s hope that leaders in the New York racing community and the media step up and follow his example, and start speaking the truth about this latest Cuomo outrage affecting racing.