From the Huffington Post:The New York Racing Association is running out of money and may have to shut down in less than three weeks, the day after the Belmont Stakes.
One leading horseman described the situation as "catastrophic" and said that even Saratoga – the jewel of New York racing – could be threatened by the turmoil.
NYRA president and CEO Charlie Hayward said Monday that cash problems must be resolved with the state "to make it through the entire Belmont Park race meet."
He did not give a timetable for a possible closing, but several horsemen said racing could be halted June 6 – a day after the Belmont is run without any star power since Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky are bypassing the final leg of the Triple Crown.
The Belmont meet ends July 18 before racing shifts upstate to Saratoga for the state's most lucrative meet, which runs July 23-Sept. 6.
"NYRA's current cash position will not allow us to make it through the entire Belmont Park race meet," Hayward said in a statement. "We are in discussions with the state regarding potential avenues for us to acquire funding."
6 comments:
the racing business is a profitable one in which requires an out of the box approach to support it's facilities during down time. Racino is not perfect but is in line with betting and Belmont is a jewel of a race track that would do well with a business model. Thanks Gov Patterson for ruining every last good thing NYS had left to produce revenue - now will will need to go to the Meadowlands to spend our money. How ironic and pathetic.
Ive never understood why they can't make racing work-- except that it does appear to be the sport of old old men, and no one else.
"Belmont closing?"
Nay!
"Belmont closing?"
Nay!
Good! I hope it does close down.
Horse racing is total animal abuse.
I've known jockeys who have admitted that the worst one can imagine is happening!
wtf. NO funding for this shit.
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