"Today's meetings were held in order to share the views of the governor's office in terms of the future of racing and gaming in New York," said Spitzer spokesman Paul Larrabee. "Any characterization that a final decision has been reached or without flexibility would be a premature characterization."
Still, two officials close to the competitors - the New York Racing Association, Empire Racing, Excelsior Racing Associates and Capital Play - agreed Spitzer is at least considering the idea of a "reconstituted" NYRA, which has held the franchise since 1955.
Spitzer appears open to keeping NYRA as the operator of Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga race tracks, but the new NYRA could have new top leadership from one of the competitors, said one official who was in the meeting representing one of the competitors.
The officials spoke only on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.
Each of the four competitors have, or are about to have, partners in gaming that could run the video slot machines planned for Aqueduct and possibly Belmont. Video slot machines are projected to provide hundreds of millions of dollars a year in revenue to the state and help local economies.
No deadline for new proposals was set to win the franchise that expires Dec. 31.
The scheduled transition to awarding the franchise was disrupted May 1, when casino operator MGM Mirage Inc. withdrew its proposal to develop and manage a video lottery terminal facility at Aqueduct racetrack. MGM's role was assumed by all four competitors in their proposals made in April.
NYRA is the only entity with experience running Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga race tracks. NYRA's new management has argued its recent decline into bankruptcy isn't a problem of running tracks, but with the old, nonprofit racing model that couldn't compete for revenue with casinos and other forms of gambling.
NYRA declined comment after Friday's meeting.
Complicating NYRA's future - and the awarding of the franchise to a competitor - is NYRA's growing debt estimated between $150 million and $300 million. Further, NYRA contends it owns the tracks, a claim strongly disputed by the state that could end up in court and threaten uninterrupted racing.
