The only interruption in Aqueduct’s schedule was caused by foul weather.  The process has been tantamount to having run a two mile race and unfortunately not all of the participants will come out of the race well.

Horsemen are “temporarily” relieved and the fear of a shut-down of racing has been removed from businesses.  It is a relief but celebration has not won a place just yet.  The probable shut-down of Off-Track-Betting parlors still looms dangerously and threatens our state breeder’s awards and incentive programs.  NYRA does not expect to operate in the black until funds come to them through Aqueduct’s VLTs and these machines are not expected to be in place until June of 2009.  NYRA and our legislators must have had blinkers on when they skipped over these issues on Wednesday.  

NYRA will run the races on a temporary license until March 6, during which period they will use the $75 million granted to them by the state to emerge from bankruptcy.  The state has allotted them an additional $30 million to cover 2008 operating costs.  The state will name a racino operator and developer for Aqueduct’s VLT’s within 30 days.  Belmont’s VLT status is in limbo.

The state has secured the titles to a billion dollars worth of property for just over 10 cents on the dollar and NYRA has insured that it will be employed for 25 additional years.  Both our politicians and NYRA executives are gloating in the winners’ circle but I think we would be premature to join them.

Horsemen, fans and local businesses are in a better position than they were two days ago but remain a long ways away from safe.  New York racing has egg on its face; it is not going to wipe off easily and the state’s breeding program remains in peril.  Those 1000 mares we lost last year are not heading back anytime soon and Catienus, NY’s two-time leading sire has returned to Kentucky for stud duty.

The Breeders’ Cup committee just days ago allotted Oak Tree at Santa Anita the Cup for a second consecutive year.  This will be the first time that the same track has hosted this event back to back.  Other tracks had been eliminated from the running:  Churchill Downs because the BC committee would not accept that track’s negotiation for an upped percentage of revenue; Arlington Park, another former BC host was subsequently cast out because they are owned by Churchill Downs, Inc.  Monmouth Park, last year’s host is facing ‘imminent disaster’ unless a deal is struck with Atlantic City casinos to provide financial assistance for horse racing.  Gulfstream Park has hosted the Cup three times but since reconfiguring their plant to better accommodate VLTs, it is no longer equipped to host a BC.  Hollywood Park is on the sales block.  The BC committee cited that Belmont was not considered because of the uncertainty of racing's  future in NY.

New York will miss the $50 million dollars of economic impact that host states derive from this showcase of racing.  Belmont sure could have used the energy and revenues the BC would have brought to the plant and NY racing would have benefited from again being put on center stage for an international event.

It is unfortunate and perhaps not accidental that the franchise issue was not granted a few days earlier to have afforded Belmont a shot at this windfall opportunity.

The BC would probably have preferred to have the event in America’s number one media market as opposed to Los Angeles, the number two media market.  

If I were a person expecting to be awarded contracts for installing, running or overseeing VLTs I would be feeling pretty optimistic that this missed opportunity might allow for me to see action at Belmont Park sooner rather than later.  It is pretty suspicious that last week, VLTs for Belmont was a stumbling block in the franchise negotiation but on Wednesday it was not an issue of contention.

We should turn awareness to what it means to run the Breeders’ Cup a couple of years in a row on a synthetic track and on the West Coast.  To quote Todd Pletcher from a report prepared by Tom LaMara and Leslie Druckard for the Blood-Horse Magazine, “I’m sure it will affect the schedule of some of the horses leading up to the Breeders’ Cup, and maybe where they run their prep races.”  Del Mar has BC aspirations and they have a synthetic track. In 2010, the BC will be where?

We are going to have to earn back our spot as the premier racing state in America; it will not be handed to us on a silver platter.

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Marilyn Lane, a freelance writer, has a lifelong association with horses. Her experience includes more than 20 years as an owner, trainer and breeders of thoroughbreds. She was an assistant trainer to Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg during the legendary Alysheba’s racing career.