The end comes on Jan. 1, a dark-day at Aqueduct. Legislators seem not to sense the urgency in picking up the reins on this loose horse.

It feels more like a poker game in progress rather than the fate of a multi-million dollar industry.

Are we expected to just wait and see who gets the best draw? 

There is too much money involved to think that racing will be shut down, but while the band plays on, other gaming entities will be jockeying for position.  The race for the gambling dollar is hotly contested and if horse racing is thrown off stride, valuable ground will be lost.

The world does not orbit around racing, but it spins in a much wider circle than the average person is aware. With the wrong leadership, the quality of life would be diminished even for those people who have never and will never own a racehorse, bet on one, or frankly “give a damn” about horse racing.  And for those in the industry, it is literally a life or death situation.

Be prepared for unexpected consequences if errors are made regarding the management of racing. This industry provides a path to make contact with something organic and though not a perfect route, it is a real one. The horses themselves provide an opportunity to connect with nature. They are born pure and no matter how far we take them from their natural habitats, they remain horses. They are born on farms and require acres to run and develop.  It has become increasingly popular to provide equine retirement homes for horses once their racing careers have ended. The breeding business provides America with some of its grandest green-space and great architecture is found on Thoroughbred farms all over the country.  To grow feed and bedding material for the thousands of horses in this industry requires even more green-space and even horse manure serves an end purpose as compost and fertilizer.  Racetracks themselves provide park-like elements in some of our most densely populated areas.  It would be premature for us to lose even more open space.

If NYRA is allotted a temporary contract, can its management jockeys ride their best races with the knowledge that they will be replaced at the eighth pole?  Would NYRA have incentive to set someone else up to win the franchise? 

Would new management grasp all the intricities of this mammoth operation quickly enough to win the race or might they finish second to VLTs.  Every trainer knows you have to educate horses and allow them time to learn their jobs.

A transition period should have been planned for a franchise alteration or change.  It would be a shame to discover at a late date that new management is familiar with stakes races, but lacks knowledge about over-night handicaps and claiming races.  A lack of experience would negatively impact racing.  It could allow for VLTs to reproduce and leave the racing industry barren.

Spurs need to be put to Governor Eliot Spitzer, state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno. It is time to pick up the pace. It is their race to win or lose. We deserve to be informed of what is going on.  We bet on them to lead us but it was not on the ballot that we should be forced to follow them if they go off course.

It is more than just another horse race, the stakes are high and the wire is coming up quickly. It involves all of us!  The winner’s circle is the place to be and it will take the best effort of the entire team to keep New York racing at the pinnacle of the industry. It is time that uniform colors are revealed.

With a Call to the Post-

Marilyn Lane