“Racing is not the only business in New York suffering this insanity”

The gathering of horseplayers on this day — 8,553 — a shadow of Wood-day crowds of old but the largest of the year at Aqueduct, is somewhat subdued in the face of a chilly wind off Jamaica Bay and a frigid outlook for racing in the weeks and months at hand. Eskendereya* is the overwhelming favorite to win the Wood but the conversation among bettors, owners, trainers and others whose livelihoods are derived from the proceeds of betting pools inevitably turns to the political morass that threatens to engulf racing in New York and with it American racing as we have come to know it.

8 Replies to ““Racing is not the only business in New York suffering this insanity””

Attendance at these things requires leasure time during working hours and a degree of disposable income.
Lots of the former…but a shortage of the later during periods of enemployment. Those with jobs will not risk losing them by playing hooky—playing the horses.

So the government makes a poor bookie.
Color me unsurprised.

That was kind of a tedious read. I’ll readily admit to only skimming it. Once you get past all the pomp and circumstance of the horsey set, which reads like a society columnist’s breathless description of all the gowns at the ball, we get to the gist of the matter: a Democrat governor has f****d things up. Gee, who woulda thunk it?
On another note, though, I have to wonder why a horse racing track figures its salvation lies in having a bank of VLTs to draw in patrons. Isn’t the gambling on the nags attraction enough? Are we going to see brothels installing video game rooms in an effort to increase business?

Kate, perhaps you should truck it to Winnipeg this summer and take in some racing at Assiniboia Downs:
http://www.assiniboiadowns.com/
(Besides the horses, you could run into a fish there.)
ASD: no phoney baloney artificial track surface, friendly staff, a very good buffet restaurant. The Red River EX is on adjacent property (June 18 to June 27), so before and after the horses run you can venture over to the midway, and end the day with fireworks.
No, I am not a member of the local Chamber of Commerce or Provincial Tourist Dept.

There is method to my tedium, Gord. 😉

I agree with Gord in knee hill – a dreadfully written article. The author unconciously demonstrates why horse racing is failing by failing to focus and react to the reason for its failure, so self-absorbed is he about the good old days. that gambling regulation is subject to political cronyism should come as no surprise as it was political cronyism that gave horse (and dog) racers a monopoly on betting for decades. Now that that monopoly has been removed the industry is in collapse. Boo hoo.
(and i, i should note, am a freak for the horses. It is a good thing that Alberta lacks a good track otherwise i would be spending too many afternoons there. Nothing excited me more during my university days than a spring day spent at beautiful Woodbine with $20 (10 2$ win bets) and a racing form.)

Yeah, and the emperor has no “cloths” apparently.
I still have a grudge about horse racing after repeatedly blowing through my pay cheque in my teenage years. How could one young man be so wrong, so often?

Damn, it’s hard to like a Chestnut colt. And it is easy to dislike Pletcher.

8 Replies to ““Racing is not the only business in New York suffering this insanity””

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