Track operator moves ahead

Joel Stashenko

Wednesday, June 30, 2004 | 9:19 a.m.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The New York Racing Association is demonstrating its fitness to continue running New York's premier thoroughbred tracks every day and does not need a record Saratoga meet to convince skeptical state officials, an NYRA executive said Monday.

Improved attendance and handle at all three NYRA tracks, capped by a record crowd that witnessed Smarty Jones failure to win the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes on June 5, shows NYRA has the New York tracks moving in the right direction, said association Vice President Bill Nader.

"I wouldn't say that we're out to prove a point any different than any other year," Nader said. "We're here to make the best presentation that we possibly can to our real audience, which is the customer. We've been effective because the numbers don't lie. Our attendance and handle have grown remarkably over the last several years."

Nader and other NYRA executives spoke at a news conference to publicize the summer meet at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs. NYRA will conduct 36 days of racing at the scenic track beginning July 28. The Travers Stakes, its biggest of the summer, will be run Aug. 28.

Also this year, a court-appointed monitor will be at Saratoga making sure the track has corrected deficiencies exposed in investigations by federal prosecutors, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and state Comptroller Alan Hevesi. Charges included systematic money laundering and tax evasion scams by pari-mutuel clerks at NYRA tracks.

"The rules and regulations will be followed," Nader said. "There's really no wiggle room."

NYRA's franchise to run the three thoroughbred tracks expires in 2007 and its legal problems have raised questions whether Gov. George Pataki and the Legislature should seek another operator. Pataki has proposed legislation, approved earlier this month by the state Senate, to appoint a commission to study renewal of the NYRA franchise and to make a new state entity eligible to run tracks -- and affiliated video lottery terminal casinos -- instead of NYRA.

Nader said NYRA continues efforts to get construction going again on a casino at Aqueduct that will eventually house 4,500 of the video lottery terminals. Construction was abandoned amid doubts that NYRA will continue operating the track and investors will get their money back from a casino there.

"We're anxious to get started at Aqueduct," Nader said.

Pataki said last week the legislation is needed to remove the "legal shadow" that is preventing the Aqueduct casino from opening -- and the state from collecting an estimated $35 million a month from its operation.

"At the very least, we need to have oversight over NYRA," Pataki said.

While NYRA still hopes to go into the casino business at Aqueduct, Nader said it opposes the casino that is operating at a harness track in Saratoga Springs not far from the thoroughbred Saratoga Race Course.

The two operations are competing for a finite amount of gamblers' dollars, Nader said.

"It's just increased competition during our brief window of opportunity. We're here 36 days for five hours a day," Nader said. "Any impact at all would be negative."