Gotham Stakes. (Photo: New York Racing Association)Senior aides to Gov. Eliot Spitzer have briefed senior legislative aides on their idea of breaking the state horse-racing franchise in two, allowing the New York Racing Association to continue running the racing operations while giving control of future gambling operations to one of several bidders.
“It’s an approach that we’ve described to lawmakers with a request that they consider it,” said Darren Dopp, a spokesman for Mr. Spitzer. “We’re obviously open to other approaches.” He also said that it had been the impression of Spitzer officials that while none of the three new bidders — Excelsior Racing Associates, Empire Racing and Capital Play — seemed overjoyed at the idea of splitting up the franchise, Excelsior had seemed the most open to it last Friday, when the idea was presented to each bidder in turn. (The bidders have all been hoping to get the whole franchise; NYRA wants to keep it.)
A spokeswoman for Excelsior, Katie Burke, would not comment directly on the split-franchise idea, but said “Excelsior remains ready to partner with the state to ensure the best possible future for the racing franchise.”
But Capital Play just put out a press release dumping heavily on NYRA, which has been plagued by mismanagement and financial problems. The release cites NYRA’s business failings, as well as “past criminal problems.” Similarly, Empire Racing Associates put out a news release earlier today throwing some cold water on the idea, arguing that there is “no successful model” for doing so and that it would be “a repeat of past mistakes and it is wrong for the growth and future of the industry.”
But Empire seems to be concerned that it gave some people the wrong impression. In an interview, a spokesman for the group, Robert J. Bellafiore, said that Empire was still open to the governor’s idea. “Empire proposed keeping racing and gaming together,” he said. “But if the governor and the legislature that it should be separate, Empire would pursue the gaming.”
