If Aqueduct Race Track closes to make way for a flashy new development, the 113-year-old thoroughbred park won't be missed by many racing enthusiasts.
"It was always the third track," legendary breeder Cot Campbell said yesterday, a day after the Daily News revealed Gov. Spitzer is considering shutting Aqueduct. "It doesn't bring back the glorious memories of Saratoga and Belmont."
Aqueduct runs races in the winter, when the best horses have moved to warmer climes. Its track and grandstands are worn and fading, with fewer than 3,000 fans each day.
The marquee races left years ago, and its biggest hope in recent years was to be reincarnated as a casino full of video slot machines.
"I would not particularly be glad to see Aqueduct closed," Campbell said. "But if closing it would right the ship and put things on an even keel, then I'd be in favor of it."
The state is considering what to do with the three thoroughbred tracks operated by the bankrupt New York Racing Association, which has a franchise expiring at the end of the year. Developers covet Aqueduct's 192-acre site in southern Queens, though the community is concerned about the hotels, conference centers and housing that could be built there.
Spitzer has not said whether he favors closing Aqueduct. Senate GOP Leader Joe Bruno (R-Rensselaer) said he opposes selling the track.
With Melissa Grace
