ALLELUIA! .....there is light at the end of the tunnel

There is an old saying; “good things, come to those who wait”. But, in some cases we have to wait, and wait, and wait! This could be said with the New York Racing Association (NYRA) and the nearly nine year wait for the installation of Video Lottery Terminals (VLT) at Aqueduct Race Track. Finally, this past week New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli granted final approval for a contract to Genting New York to build and operate video lottery terminals we all have been waiting for. There is a “light at the tunnel” and this near impossible task has been overcome at last. This political football has bounced around more than I care to remember, but at last the state will move forward. Coming after a successful Saratoga meet in the eyes of NYRA officials, this news was good for the future of thoroughbred racing in New York . But, what was lost in the meantime, the last nine years where the New York Racing Association has been “raked over the coals” by everyone and everything?

It’s been a long and tough road for the caretakers of the finest thoroughbred racing product in the country. Scrutiny was the main focus by the holders of public office in this state toward NYRA. Questions of past practices by NYRA were the topic of those officials and the association was cast in a bad light in many circles. NYRA’s feet were held to the fire and changes were made to improve how the company was run. Still, there was no relief from Albany and things continued to flounder. The villain was made out to be NYRA by many throughout this on going process. When the real “villains” were the people who owned NYRA the money needed to put toward their expenses and get the company back in the “black”.

Being a “non-for-profit” entity, NYRA relied on money from the state to run its day-to-day operations. The money was withheld many times in the past, until finally the state made what was considered a “bailout” of the company by some. This in real terms was just giving NYRA the money that was owed to them for their operations and making the company a viable, functional unit. Added with this was the often overlooked aspect of the money owed by New York City Off-Track Betting to NYRA for it’s simulcast operations. There is money STILL owed by NYC OTB as they too have financial difficulties and are near bankruptcy. These are the real reasons that NYRA has had such a downturn this decade.

But, things are slowly but surely getting better. The restraints put on NYRA to “clean up its act” several years back are slowly being lifted. The dreaded “detention barns” that were put in place are now gone. Attempt is being made by NYRA to get the money owed to them by NYC OTB and the money loaned to NYRA by the state for its day-to-day expenses had gotten them back on the right track. Now, we finally get this long overdue deal for the VLT machines at Aqueduct. Once up and running, this will generate millions of dollars for an improved racing product, on and off the track. Purses will increase; breeders and horsemen will get paid. And most of all, the state of New York will get their all important money back which comes down to what the state wants most. All this could have been up and running years ago, but the mentally of people in high places in the State of New York made this easy reality nearly impossible. Like many things in our state, nothing is made easy. But, the wait is over and the “good things” will be on the horizon. It’s been a long race and the finish line is near!