This whole thing just stinks, and has for so long.
Last night I'm channel surfing and get to our OTB channel and on teh screen is Yonkers raceway. They were closed for like 18 months for "remodeling".
The point is that heres this harness track that was on the verge of extinction and here they are up and running with slots.
Saratoga Harness has had them forever it seems, Vernon Downs was closed and shuttered and bankrupt(its in central NY state) and now they are also open and racing with slots humming.
Monticello is like the worst place on the planet, and they have slots up and running(harness track about 90 miles away from NYC), Finger Lakes has had them a long time, and on my way home from Kentucky I pulled off the Buffalo exit to go to the harness track there for the first time in my life to catch the last few from Aqu and CD the day after the BC and to my shock, all these cars were in the parking lot and when I walked inside there were slots everywhere.
Yonkers, Monticello, Vernon Downs, Buffalo, Finger lakes, and Saratoga Harness all have slots in place but noone will approve NYRA's at Aqueduct? Where they would reap the most money?
Its been a disgusting display of politics and anyone with a brain can see that political forces motivated by special interest groups have done everything they can to try and force NYRA under. There is no way that these slots shouldn't be running, and thats sure not NYRA's fault. Its a disgrace.