The Bug Boys

Exports, Track Records and the Dash

2009-10-21T21:09:00.000-04:00

- In these desperate financial times, a country has to do whatever it takes to sustain itself. Apparently, the salvation of the United States will be predicated on exporting stallions to Asia. Over the past few days, Peace Rules was sold to Korea, Alke was deported to Thailand and Johannesburg was expatriated to Japan. So annyong-hi kashipshio to Peace Rules, Sawatdi to Alke and sayonara to Johannesburg. Thanks for the memories.

- What was going on at Belmont Park today? It was like a NASCAR track. $35,000 claimer Super Shape tied the track record for 6.5 furlongs at 7-1 in the first. Then, in the third, Birdrun established a new record at a 8.5 furlongs in a NW1X race. It seems too coincidental that two horses with limited resumes would put in such remarkable performaces on the same day at the same track. Was the timer working correctly? Was the grounds crew testing a track condition for the next big day that they want to have fast times? Or maybe the track condition was just listed as concrete? Good one, Dana.

- The renewal of the DeFrancis Dash at Laurel Park is this Saturday after a year off because of a lack of purse money in Maryland. Vinyard Haven will be the favorite but I am rooting, as always, for Ah Day. Brooklyn Backstretch favorite Saratoga Russell is also in the race. The Grade I Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash is one of my favorite races and I attended it in 2006 when Thor's Echo won and solidified his hold on Champion Sprinter of that year. Thor's Echo was sent to Dubai by his new owner but then returned to Doug O'Neill's barn in 2007. I can't find any updates on his status. Any input you have would be greatly appreciated. We know, as a gelding, he is not standing stud anywhere.

At Least I took a Good Photo

2009-10-03T19:44:00.001-04:00

I used to think that every big day at the track is a good day. Not any more. I should have seen the signs and not bothered going. But I did.

First, my friend had a change in plans and would not be joining me. Then, my son's soccer team got crushed 4-0 by a cross-town rival. The weather report guaranteed rain and lightning. But 5 Grade Ones! I had to go to Belmont Park. By myself.

I saw Ernie from afar, but he was working his video magic and I didn't want to interrupt. I couldn't find Handride because of cell phone issues. So, I enjoyed the Beldame as it began to rain.

After Music Note's victory, I positioned myself on the chute to the winner's circle that is only used for Grade 1 races. I was hoping to get a photo of Rajiv and Saeed, and I did.
I also captured a bonus photo of Music Note getting a hose-down. She seemed to love it.
I was knocked out of the Pick 6 in the first leg because I tried to beat the favorite. After that, the heavy rain and lighning came. Kodiak Kowboy was very impressive in beating Fabulous Strike in the Vosburgh, but that knocked me out of the Pick 4 in the first leg.

When I realized that I was envious of Geno, who was dry at an OTB with cheap beer, I knew it was time to go. After getting SOAKED running out to my car and a short ride home, I was comfy watching the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic and the Jockey Club Gold Cup on TV.

Kudos to those of you who were chatting up Summer Bird before the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. I thought you were crazy, but you were right. He is the real deal and just needed a little time to mature. The trainer and the owners are easy to root for. I expect that he will be back next year with the breeding market going south.

Looking forward to the next (dry) day at the track. Perhaps the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct.

Update: I forgot the highlight of the day for me. I met Steve Byk and had the opportunity to tell him how much I like his radio show. He's as nice in person as he comes across on the show.

Weekend Thoughts - Twitter, BC Classic and Cosmonaut

2009-09-13T21:09:00.001-04:00

- Those of us that follow Sheik Mohammed on Twitter hoping to pick up a gem about his vast horse racing empire were treated to about 100 tweets this week regarding the new Dubai Metro - and this video. I wish he would address racing rather than documenting that he sent congratulations to a 3rd world country on their independence day.

- It is perplexing to me why the Breeders Cup would try to entice Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta to compete in the Breeders Cup Classic by adding an extra million to the purse. First, isn't $5 million enough? Second, Jess Jackson has made it abundantly clear that Rachel will not run on a synthetic surface. Third, common sense says that Rachel will sit out the rest of the year, as her resume has already qualified for horse of the year. And fourth, even if Rachel came back for another race this year, it will not be at a mile-and-a-quarter. She just doesn't do that distance.

- Comparing two new retirees - I think I'd rather breed my mare to Cosmonaut than Pioneerof The Nile.

Maimonides and the Monkey

2009-09-12T21:56:00.000-04:00

Maimonides was officially retired this week and plans were announced for him to stand at Vinery in Florida. I was at Saratoga the day the $4.6 million colt broke his maiden in impressive fashion in his first start.
He raced one more time and got hurt. After giving him a chance to come back, Mr. Zayat decided to retire him. In my opinion, this is another case of a precocious, fast, but frail thoroughbred being put in a position to pass on his frailty to another generation. This will just perpetuate the decline of the breed.

This makes me think of The Green Monkey who stands at Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds in Florida. These guys were the pinhookers that sold him at auction and apparently felt so guilty about taking all of that Coolmore money that they agreed to stand the biggest bust ever at their farm. I was also in attendance for his first start at Belmont Park.
In retrospect, maybe I'm the bad luck charm. Maybe I should just stay away from big-buck debuts in the future.

I'm reading Jim Squires' book, Headless Horsemen, and he has a good quote about The Green Monkey, "...The Green Monkey, who will go down in history as the prototype of the modern thoroughbred "sale horse" - a commodity that became for the racing industry what the subprime mortgage derivative was for Wall Street - a kind of overvalued product that sucked the money out of the market until it was gasping for survival."

Perhaps thoroughbred auctions can now be considered a leading economic indicator. I should dust off my Economics degree and look into that.

Race Course Justice

2009-08-24T21:18:00.000-04:00

I made my 3rd annual pilgrimage to Saratoga this past weekend. It is always a pleasure to be there among the thousands celebrating the sport that seemingly fewer and fewer of us still love. I just wonder why the Alabama cap giveaway was weeks before the Alabama Stakes? Not complaining, just wondering.

So, I like to watch races from different locations around the track. For the 2nd race on Saturday, I was watching from the rail on the Clubhouse side of the Winner's Circle. Not the best view of the stretch run, but it's on the finish line and somewhat replicates my favorite spot at Aqueduct that has the best view of the horses coming back after the race.

After a little bumping, City Trooper and Javier Castellano beat Fenway Faithful and Alan Garcia by a length. But hold all tickets, the inquiry sign went up because Garcia claimed foul on Castellano for interference in the stretch. From my spot, I had a great view of both riders making their cases to the stewards on the phone next to the scale:
About 30 seconds after Javier hung up, Tom Durkin announced that the results would stand and City Trooper would not be taken down (correct call by the officials). It was very interesting to see this happening in real time and trying to make out what the jockeys were telling the stewards. It was even better than a scene from Jockeys on Animal Planet.

It's a Man, Man!

2009-08-20T11:04:00.003-04:00

18-year old Caster Semnya of South Africa won the Women's 800 meter World Championship in Germany this week, but

Semenya dominated her rivals to win the 800 on Wednesday despite revelations that surfaced earlier in the day that she was undergoing a gender verification test because of concerns she does not meet the requirements to compete as a woman.

This leads me to wonder if we have ever had the same problem in horse racing? Is that filly really a filly, or a "very gelded" colt? I'm sure Jess Jackson had the equine OB check out Rachel before he bought her. And does the Breeder's Cup do anything to ensure gender at our World Championships?

Why Saratoga is Special

2009-07-28T19:22:00.002-04:00

I should actually title this, "One of the Thousand Reasons Why Saratoga is Special". I am running through the entries for Friday, and as a fan of the jockeys, this lineup jumped out at me.

The race conditions are:

MAIDEN CLAIMING $35,000

Purse $25,000. (up To $4,750 Nysbfoa) For Maidens, Three Years Old And Upward. Three Year Olds, 118 Lbs.; Older, 124 Lbs. Claiming Price $35,000. One And One Sixteenth Miles. (Inner turf)

So, a Maiden Claiming event for 3 and up. $25,000 purse. And here are some of the jockeys:

John Velazquez
Julien Leparoux
Kent Desormeaux
Cornelio Velasquez
Javier Castellano
Calvin Borel
Edgar Prado
Alan Garcia
Ramon Dominguez

This is an All-Star team riding a Double-A event. It happens elsewhere from time to time, but it is more common in Saratoga. I even excluded the "Successful in New York Jocks" Maragh, Arroyo and Lezcano, who win more than their fair share too.

I love the Saratoga meet and I am looking forward to the next six weeks.

Delaware Park Photos and Thoughts

2009-07-23T08:55:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I visited Delaware Park last Sunday for the first time. I was very impressed with how the slots and the racing peacefully coexist and seem to thrive together. The modern-feeling grandstand nicely complemented the classic-looking paddock.

I was told that the building that houses the jockey's room is protected as some type of historical site. I was unable to corroborate this, but you can certainly feel the history in the area. Does anyone have any information on this?

A particularly charming area of the track is the bench on which the jockeys wait for their mounts to be saddled. Here are Justin Shepherd, Dusty Shepherd, Gabriel Saez, Ramon Dominguez and Osvaldo Vargas waiting.

Alan Garcia was the man on Sunday, emerging victorious in the Barbaro Stakes and the Del Cap.
He started celebrating a little early, but Garcia and Swift Temper took the big share of the $1,000,000 Delaware Handicap purse over Icon Project and Unbridled Belle. The photo is much better if you click on it.
This view of watching a race was new for me. You can go right up to the rail in the clubhouse turn to see the action. This is also where the playground and picnic area are. Due to the lengths of the races, there was more action there in the post parades than competition, but it was a great place to be if you have to balance enjoying your kids and enjoying the races.
I'm looking forward to a return to Delaware Park. I was impressed that the casino did not step on the toes of the track. It is a race track with a slots parlor underneath the grandstand. If you don't want to see it, you don't have to. Sports gambling is coming this Fall and I wonder how this will affect the dynamic.

The Really Important Stuff

2009-07-20T20:13:00.005-04:00

I made my first visit to Delaware Park on Sunday. I can't write much now, but it was a wonderful place to watch racing. The Paddock is beautiful and the Grandstand is clean and comfortable.

However, being a homer, I have to point out one thing.

The playground at Delaware Park...

is nothing compared to the Belmont Park playgound.

There. I said it. And those of you that have to consider the kids when trying to get out to the track will understand.

Video Get Well Card to Rene Douglas

2009-06-11T17:26:00.001-04:00

My friend, former jockey Robert Montano, filmed a "Video Get Well Card" to Rene Douglas while at Belmont Park on Belmont Stakes Day. It features numerous jockeys and NYRA people offering encouragement. Take a look, you'll recognize a lot of faces.

Double click on the video to get to the Youtube page where you can see it in full screen.

Bow Our Heads to the Jockeys

2009-06-09T12:08:00.001-04:00

One thing that was overlooked on Saturday due to all of the great racing was the jockeys paying tribute to Rene Douglas and the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund during the day.
At Belmont Park, jockeys will gather for a ceremony in the winner's circle at approximately 4:15 p.m. Eastern. Jockeys in the United States and Canada are scheduled to have similar tributes at approximately the same time at all tracks that are running Saturday.

All active riders are being encouraged to donate one losing mount fee from their Saturday earnings to Douglas.

In addition, NYRA made a $5,000 contribution to the fund.

The jockeys wore tributes to "RD" and the "PDJF" on their boots all day. Take a look at Calvin Borel's right boot here while sitting on the Kentucky Derby winner.

Contributions in support of Rene Douglas can be made out to his name and sent to Citibank, 539 N. Michigan Ave, Chicago, Ill., 60611.

Also related to the jocks, I absolutely love the piece by Sid Gustafson on The Rail yesterday entitled Here's to the Jockeys. I want to quote the whole piece, but here is a snippet

Let us take a moment and bow our heads to the jockeys. They take all the risks and talk about none of them. They take criticism close-lipped and quiet-like, the true horsefolk they are. All the risk is theirs, yes, but the blame for losing a race is not theirs, not in the last two Belmonts at any rate.

I think we often forget who indeed accepts the most risk at the track every day. The owners and gamblers may lose money. The trainers may lose their livelihood. The fans may suffer broken hearts. But it's the jockey colony that faces their collective mortality every time they get a leg up. Thank you for what you do.

Belmont Stakes Day Miscellany

2009-06-08T19:54:00.000-04:00

You have certainly seen enough coverage of last Saturday at Belmont, but here are a few photos of what I found interesting throughout the day....

I never noticed this before, but the metal fence behind the paddock on the Clubhouse side has these horses painted in the colors of the last two Belmont Stakes winners.

There was a lot of law enforcement around the park - including these guys on the roof.

Kevin Plank of Under Armour fame is a refreshing addition to the thoroughbred racing world. First he buys and restores Sagamore Farm, and now he is throwing big advertising bucks at the sport. Here is his infield sign right up there with Sheik Mohammed's

And the saddle cloths were sponsored by Under Armour too. "I must protect this horse, I mean house."

The ESPN robot camera operator was trying to look down dresses all day

And most importantly, this baby didn't move an inch. They all came back safe.

10,099 Happy People

2009-05-25T20:48:00.003-04:00

That was the attendance at Belmont Park today for the card including the 2009 edition of the Met Mile. Maybe it was the perfect weather, but people just seemed happy today. There was a lot of noise at the finishes, a lot of cheering for the horses and jocks and very little heckling.

- Bribon took the big race for trainer Bob Ribaudo. I think I may be good luck for Mr. Ribaudo. I was at Saratoga last Summer for the Sword Dancer Stakes, won by his Grand Couturier. And now I was there for Bribon winning the Met Mile. That's 2 of his 3 lifetime Grade One wins. I am available whenever you need me, Mr. Ribaudo.

Bribon was cooled off right in front of me at the rail, which gave me a chance to catch this photo.

He's very handsome, but there will not be any dates in his future because he is unfortunately a gelding. The Twitterverse lit up shortly after the race pointing out that the three most recent "stallion-producing" races have been won by a filly and two geldings.

- Curious claim in the 7th race by owner Lords of Racing and trainer Assaf Ronen. They took Masala T for $10,000. The Tale of the Cat gelding went off at 36-1 and has lost 8 races in a row. Good luck to them with that and congratulations to Lianna Stables for cutting their losses.

Monday Preakness Thoughts

2009-05-11T21:43:00.001-04:00

- Why is Calvin Borel working out Mine That Bird? Shouldn't they get Mike Smith on him? Or anybody else for that matter?

- Why no outrage that Tone It Down is presumably running in the Preakness? As an earner of $46,470 and a best credential of coming in 3rd in the Federico Tesio Stakes, he doesn't seem any better than any horse Zayat, Allen or Whitney were going to run.

- Another Sheik trying to buy his way into dominating a sport. This time, Drag Racing.

"...an estimated $10 million per year budget for a two-car team"

"A top team spends about $4 million and up for the NHRA series"

Sounds a lot like Godolphin, Darley, Shadwell, etc. (h/t to autoblog.com)

Sagamore Farm - Update

2009-05-10T07:40:00.003-04:00

Over the last few years I have crafted a number of posts about Sagamore Farm, and its owner Under Armour founder Kevin Plank. Today the Baltimore Sun has an excellent article about the improvements that Kevin Plank has done to the farm. This article is chock full of great quotes.

I also recommend the photo and video links below.

Photos

Video

Calvin Borel Should Not Ditch Mine That Bird

2009-05-08T21:58:00.002-04:00

This may be the Pinot Grigio talking, but I think Calvin Borel ditching Mine That Bird is a real asshole move. I have no idea what Jess Jackson is promising Calvin other than a few more rides on Rachel Alexandra, but it must be sweet to get him off the Kentucky Derby winner. And if Jackson pressured Borel to vacate his triple crown opportunity, then he is an asshole too. I am no fan of Mine That Bird or his connections, but it is my opinion that it is Calvin Borel's responsibility to continue on him until he loses.

And on that note - I am a fan of Rachel Alexandra's new owner, but where's the sport in buying the filly a week before the Preakness? Did you really do anything to earn the glory? No. You just threw enough dollars around to buy into that spot. And, you're welcome for all of the wine that I've bought over the years to support your hobby.

I understand that Mine That Bird was bought after winning Stakes in Canada and Jess Jackson's team bought Curlin after he broke his maiden convincingly. But, this is the 20+ length Kentucky Oaks winner. We all know that she is great. Let the pre-existing connections win the races and buy her later to breed to Curlin.

This all being said, I am excited for the Preakness. I greatly enjoy the gamesmanship and the discussion of entering more Triple-Crown-Nominated horses to exclude Rachel Alexandra from the 14 that go to post. Does Mr. Zayat, who buys yearlings at auction, want to keep her out?

Time to refill my glass. If you are at Belmont on Saturday, please come and find me. I'll be the one with the bloodshot eyes.

Separated at Birth?

2009-05-03T21:59:00.005-04:00

Maybe it's just my frustration over the what happened in the Kentucky Derby, but doesn't Bennie Woolley....

....remind you of Jeff the Drunk from the Howard Stern Show?

Chip may be accused of having the same judgment as Jeff if he doesn't run his horse in the Preakness.

Photo credits to ESPN and HowardTV

"SAVE THE PREAKNESS"

2009-04-12T13:05:00.003-04:00

Almost 25 years to the day, Maryland (Baltimore) lost the Colts, when they moved to Indianapolis. Now that has become the rallying cry for saving the Preakness. Every day for the last three weeks, the local papers have led with a story about saving the Preakness Stakes. The lawmakers are trying to draft legislation, the city is trying to back investors, and the citizens are fearing the loss. Did we not learn anything in the last 25 years? I guess not!

You would not need to "save" the Preakness, if you would have "saved" racing. You would not have had to save the Colts if you spent the money to build a stadium. If the state would have pledged a fraction of the money they need to "Save the Preakness" five years ago, the industry would be strong, the tracks would be profitable, and the industry healthy. Now, they are throwing time and money at saving one race. If you worked to save/promote the other 364 days, the industry and tracks would be able to stay open. Did I mention that if you had more/better racing, you would have more training and breeding farms, which equal more jobs, and at the end of the day MORE TAXES.

Don't "Save The Preakness", SAVE HORSE RACING IN MARYLAND!

Oh No, Joe!

2009-04-04T22:20:00.000-04:00

Great day at Aqueduct today. Great racing, great people and no rain.

Here is Joe Talamo almost going down with Kurbat at the start of the Excelsior Handicap.

Here is I Want Revenge telling me that he's worried about Talamo getting on his back again after seeing that last race.

And despite a slow, awkward start, Joe and Revenge emerged victorious in the 2009 edition of the Wood Memorial.

Thanks to everyone that made this day so memorable.

Bad Business Plan

2009-04-01T16:28:00.003-04:00

The front page of today's Baltimore Sun sports section had an article about the closing of Maryland Stallion Station. The article for the most part blames the economy and the failures of Maryland racing. In my opinion, those were just the final two straws that broke the camels back. Maryland Stallion Station had a bad business plan from jump.

Let me start off by saying I have a great amount of respect for Don Litz, and his partners. They built an amazing facility, and brought in some very promising young stallions. The did a tremendous amount of marketing, and had client list that would be considered the "who's who" of the mid-atlantic horse industry. But..........The plan had a tragic flaw.

When they opened five years ago, the plan was to be a stand alone stallion operation. Have the mares shipped in, a quick trip to the shed, and shipped back out. This idea was different from all the other local farms that had stallions, pregnant mares, and mares with foal. Most of the other farms were one stop shops. At the time I thought it was very progressive thinking. Do what you do best, and nothing else. It only took a year to see that the numbers were not going to be in the favor of Maryland Stallion Station. I even spoke to a few friends that would not breed to a MSS stallion because of the hassle of shipping. Most owners with a heavy mare will send her to the farm of her next breeding stallion. It makes sense. The mare hangs out waiting to foal, delivers, and is bred back on her foal cycle. The plan has worked for a hundred of years, why change it.

The economy and the local industry were just a small part of the problem. The business plan is what put them out of business. It will take a few years for the proof, but all of the stallions were shipped to other Maryland farms to stand. I guess we will need a few years to see if it was the plan, the economy, or the stallions.

The Horse or the Jockey?

2009-03-23T21:18:00.000-04:00

I'm catching up and watching the Rushaway Stakes on the DVR this evening with my 9-year-old son. After the win by Cliffy's Future, they went to Jeannine Edwards with the news that the colt was scheduled to be gelded after the race.

My son was intrigued by the word and thus asked for its definition. The conversation went like this:

Son: What does that mean?
Me: Do you really want to know?
Son: Well, yeah, I do.
Me: It means that the Doctor will cut his testicles off.
Son: The horse or the jockey?

I'm still laughing as I type this. I can understand his confusion with the horse being named Cliffy. I don't know what these Pokemon games are teaching him, but that kid is hard core.

Handicapping the Stimulus

2009-03-23T21:00:00.000-04:00

The State of New York has named the person in charge of spending Federal stimulus money in the State, and I like the way he thinks.....

Timothy J. Gilchrist, New York's stimulus czar, is using analytical skills honed from handicapping racehorses to win more federal aid.

Gilchrist has lived within a short drive of the Saratoga Race Course for most of his 51 years. That's where he can be found watching the thoroughbreds on weekends during the summer and some weekdays, if his job as a top adviser to Gov. David A. Paterson allows.

"Handicapping is analysis; it's looking for the hidden things, what gives a horse an advantage," Gilchrist said. "I'm now handicapping the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, looking for what gives New York State an advantage."

I hope he hits a few superfectas with Uncle Sam's bankroll!

Formula One is Making Changes - How About Us?

2009-03-17T14:21:00.005-04:00

The Formula One auto racing series is making some changes for their upcoming season. I think horse racing can learn a lesson from some of them:

Formula One's next championship will be decided by the number of race wins and not accumulated points.

Sure, many of us have been advocating for a point system that F1 is moving away from, but the "point" is that they are trying to fix something that is not working. Their method of determining a champion is flawed much like our subjective Eclipse balloting is. They are changing it. We are not.

Car weights will be published following Saturday's qualifying session and would rename tire grades for better clarity to spectators.

I'm not exactly sure what this means, but it seems that they are making an effort to get more information to the fans. I'd bet that they don't charge for this information.

Drivers must also be available for further autograph sessions and better media availability.

Two good ideas - market the riders and increase media access. Kinda like "Jockeys" but without Denman's shoehorned calls dubbed over the action.

There are several other rule changes in the article for which there are no horse racing corolaries. Formula One has proven that it is possible to change old concepts that are not working. However, it required the actions of a governing body that has real authority. We all know that horse racing has no such entity.

Despite the fans clamoring for it, it's unlikely that we will see real change anytime soon.

Saturday Notes

2009-03-14T09:39:00.002-04:00

- I will ignore the big fancy Derby Trail races today and shine a light on lesser races at Aqueduct. The 1st is a $10,000 claiming affair for 4yo+ non-winners over the last 6 months. Those that complain that today's horses don't run enough have to check out this race. The average number of lifetime starts for the 8 contenders is 37. Come on Chas is the most experienced while making his 68th start and looking for his 9th win. Hedge Fund is making his 8th start in 2009 alone.

The 4th race is another geezer event with the 8 entries averaging over 33 starts each. Commissioner Chris brings the experience to this State-bred OC25000n2x in his 64th start. Nice to see all of these old guys racing in New York today.

- If the old guys aren't your thing, take a look at the 2nd race. This Maiden race features 7 entries with 5 combined starts among them. Morning line favorite and $400,00 auction purchase, Much The Best, has one of those names that just put added pressure on everyone. Good luck to him against $800,000 Darley purchase, Now Act, also looking for his first win in his 2nd start.

- In the 5th race, there is a 4yo first time starter named John 'N Howard. This one is owned by legend John Nerud and Howard Kaskel of Sugar Maple Farm. I don't have time to research the history behind this colt, but I'm paying attention to any horse that John Nerud names after himself.

- I wanted to comment on the news about Scott Lake filing for bankruptcy, but John has said it much better than I could.

- Check out the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance homepage. There is a lot in racing information flying around and the homepage does a good job of pulling it together and making it usable.

The Illusion of Belmont Park Redevelopment

2009-02-23T15:48:00.002-05:00

The New York Racing and Wagering Board and Empire State Development Corp. today released a document entitled, "Belmont Park Redevelopment Study". As the title suggests, it documents suggestions on the redevelopment of Belmont Park and its surrounding area. For example:

"The report looks at developing two parcels totaling 36 acres at Belmont. The report said a hotel and casino could be located on an eight-acre portion, while a nearby 20-acre parcel could house retail space, a small hotel, senior housing and recreational facilities."

I am excited about the prospects of development at Belmont Park. I have believed for a long time that the proposed racino should be at Belmont and not Aqueduct. However, my excitement waned when I read the following:

- it would take 10 months to prepare a request for proposals, which first must be approved by the state Franchise Oversight Board before going to developers

- Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who controls the fate of bills in the Democratic-run house, has sharply criticized the idea of adding another casino in downstate New York

So, 10 months to RFPs, a likely glacial timeframe for selection, and lack of political support. Perfect. This project is going nowhere fast. And, there is the proposed casino at Aqueduct that is still technically alive. Is the State using possible development at Belmont merely as leverage in its negotiations with Delaware North?

The common sense solution to downstate racing is to add an all-weather track at Belmont to the existing tracks, update the grandstand, develop a casino, hotel, retail, etc. on its vast grounds and provide adequate transportaion there. Then, of course, close Aqueduct (sorry purists) and sell off that land to fund the Belmont renovations.

At the end of the day, downstate will have one fantastic racing facility that is efficient because it runs most of the year. It will have built-in subsidies with the casino and other endeavors. Of course, the subsidies will not be necessary if the OTBs are merged into NYRA, but that's a conversation for another day.

The full report is here. I hope to dig into it tonight for the particulars, but will be pessimistic as to whether any of this will ever get done.