At Sunday’s fan forum presented by the New York State Gaming Commission’s Fan Advisory Council, one of the first speakers was a man who was introduced to horse racing by his fiancée’s family, which is from this area. “They said, ‘We’re going to take you to a horse race,’” recounted Bill Sullivan of Beverly, MA.…
Last Friday afternoon, as I was out shopping for the Belmont Child Care Association’s holiday party, this landed in my inbox: “If you know who is responsible for the NYRA/NYS Gaming Commission’s equine injury and death database, could you please alert them to this entry for 11/20/2013. Something seems amiss.” Amiss, indeed. Over the weekend, the…
On Saturday at Belmont Park, the New York Racing Association will run its annual autumn showcase for New York-bred horses. Re-named this year, Empire Showcase Day will feature 11 races exclusively for horses that were foaled in this state. More than 100 horses will compete for purse money totaling more than $1.6 million. Showcase Day…
Fifty years ago, as the centennial Saratoga racing season came to a close, this paper’s editorial board began, after a summer looking back at Saratoga’s history, to look forward. More reliant then than now on the summer season for economic prosperity, Saratoga was anticipating the opening of a new hotel, one expected to attract more…
2012—well, late 2011—was supposed to be the start of a new era for New York racing. After a decade of uncertainty, the leadership and financial holes were closed, management stabilized, a positive revenue stream guaranteed by the opening of the Genting Resorts World New York City casino at Aqueduct Racetrack, a percentage of whose profits…
Brooklyn Backstretch 