Horsemen in New York had little to be thankful for this year; in Thursday’s Saratogian, Paul Post reported that with the future of NY racing up in the air–STILL!—trainers are looking for stalls elsewhere. Trainer Rick Violette, president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, is quoted extensively, saying, “Getting the Legislature back, even for one day, to deal with a racing issue might be an uphill climb. The stars might have to be aligned perfectly for this to get done, there’s no question about it.”

So I hope that Messrs. Spitzer and Bruno had a lovely Thanksgiving with their families and are making plans for a joyous holiday season, while the backstretch workers, mutuel clerks, and concession stand operators wonder when their last paycheck will come, whether they will have to uproot themselves and their families to move to distant points, and how they will spend their Christmas, Hanukah, New Year’s. It’s despicable, it’s inexcusable, and it’s the height of self-centered arrogance. It’s unfathomable to me that these two could continue their political feud at the expense of hundreds and hundreds of New York State workers. And I gotta say it: while I don’t admire Spitzer’s behavior (really, what prevented him from meeting his self-imposed deadline of naming a VLT operator before Thanksgiving?), if racing comes to a halt in this state, we can lay it squarely at the feet of Bruno.

The newest member of the Thoroughbred Bloggers’ Alliance, That’s Amore Stable, has a nice post up about what it gives thanks for this week. It’s worth a read.