New Calls for Racing Consolidation Between Aqueduct and Belmont

[ScottJ]

Newsday's Yancey Roy today reported on discussions taking place in light of the New York Islanders groundbreaking at Belmont Park. Making Belmont a "sports destination" comes with the following questions in the article.

[1] Consolidate all downstate horse racing operations at Belmont, promoting the site as a hockey, horses, hotels, and shopping destination.

[2] Authorization of three new downstate full-fledged casinos by 2023 or sooner.

[3] Permit Aqueduct to become a full-fledged casino in addition to Yonkers Raceway.

[4] Selling the excess acreage at Aqueduct to developers. The article reminds the reader that the State owns the land and horse racing is just a tenant (the result the NYRA takeover years back).

Kevin Law (CEO, Long Island Association) has established himself as a proponent of the actions at Belmont. Michaelle Solages (D-Elmont) remains cautious. Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach) states that "[n]o one has floated this as anything coming up soon".

The article goes on to say that "consolidation of downstate racing" is "really what needs to happen to ensure the horse racing industry in New York..."

Patrick McKenna states via e-mail that "[s]ince 2013, NYRA has invested $18 million in capital improvements at Aqueduct ... As the home of winter racing in New York ... Aqueduct plays an important role within the overall ecosystem of thoroughbred racing in New York State."

Comments?

[ScottJ]

Some preliminary views of my own follow.

First, moving to Belmont splits the horse racing/casino discussion as Aqueduct becomes a casino only site and Belmont becomes a destination. How do you think that advertising battle will go? Subsidies from the casino activity to NYRA will be immediately questioned. Turning Yonkers into a full-fledged casino pushes MGM one step closer to dropping racing to free up their land for other uses.

Second, if the casino subsidy is lost which is the next logical step, why does New York continue to offer winter racing at all? In other words, doesn't New York revert to an eight month season (three at Belmont, spring and fall each, and two at Saratoga)? While Gulfstream might be a winner here, what happens to mid- and bottom-tier horses? Can you imagine that Pennsylvania might actually gain from such a decision in New York?

Third, what happens about stabling at Aqueduct? If that moves to Belmont by necessity, a major infrastructure investment will be needed.

Fourth, the reminder that NYRA does not own the land and is a tenant forms a sobering reminder that despite the strong gains made by the Saratoga Live, Belmont Live, and NYRA Bets platforms, there is a fundamental and structural threat that exists : land ownership.