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."

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