another long layoff

[magicnight]

Returning with a summary of last month\'s NYRA community outreach initiative at Aqueduct. A \"reportage/commentary\" gumbo.

http://around2turns.com/2014/12/11/a-cup-of-coffee-at-the-longshots-bar/

[miff]

Thanks Magic. Some observations from a different angle.Not nearly as polite as you, nor as articulate.

1.Chris Kay is not a CEO of a $2billion GAMBLING business by any stretch of the imagination. During his time as NYRA CEO he has stonewalled any discussion of takeout, transparency, pool integrity, drug issue.His idiotic theme of \"enhancing the guest experience\" is a line taken directly from his days at Toys R Us.Gambling billions ain\'t about toys!!!

2.NYRA has been \"reached out\" to regarding the issues mentioned above and took umbrage and became very defensive when confronted about them.

3.When NYRA was contacted by Cuomo\'s Gaming guy about their smug attitude regarding critical player issues, the phone rang quickly and their attitude changed. Regretfully, NYRA\'s promise to get back about the issues was never fulfilled and during that time the Cuomo gaming guy retired.

4. Chris Kay and his team, along with certain NYRA Board members are desperate to hold on to the NYRA franchise which will be decided by Cuomo in April 2015. To that end NYRA has cooked the books by moving P & L items around on the balance sheet to show an overall profit without the slot subsidy but it\'s nothing more than fancy accounting.

5.Handle is being watched very carefully and an alarming trend has emerged. Briefly, in spite of a favorable gambling climate overall, handle is tanking with no apparent reason.Except perhaps for bankroll fatigue, players seem to be exiting from the game or cutting back their handle.The explanation given by Chris Kay is absurd, ranging from weather, to the college football playoffs, to the closure of Atlantic City casinos which carried NYRA,s signal.

6.One thing NYRA has done and probably will continue to do is to make unannounced shakedowns(raids) on barns to try to catch cheats. To date, it is my understanding that no trainer has been caught. In spite of what NYRA claims, the usual suspects were targeted and none came up dirty.

NYRA\'s winter racing product is brutal, not playable for the most part.Depending on horse population, they will go 4 or 5 days this winter.A mini war broke out when the suggestion to close for 6 weeks in winter was made.The bean counters, Violette and others arguing financial disaster all around if NYRA closed.

So while NY racing has critical issues which require urgent attention, the Clueless Clowns and politically appointed stooges are patting each other on the back while gamblers exit or cut back handle in disgust.

Mike

[magicnight]

Thanks,Mike. Great comments. One thing I didn\'t really get into was the sense that having flexibility on the number of racing days, especially for Aqueduct, was a huge part of NYRA\'s discussions with the gaming commission. Don\'t doubt that a six-weeks-off proposal would send Violette et al off the deep end. It wasn\'t really a question that was asked, but Kay pretty much implied that it was a big and pending issue.2015 should be interesting around these parts.

[miff]

Magic,

The number of dates which NYRA must run is mandated by the State. If NYRA chooses to run less dates, they would have to get permission from NYSGC.


Mike

[magicnight]

That\'s what I meant. That Kay indicated NYRA was trying to get relief from the state for the number of mandated race days.

[richiebee]

At the beginning of 2012, NYRA was facing problems common to many other Racing
circuits -- horse shortage, performance enhancing meds, erosion of fan base, etc.
NYRA has the extra pressure of two facilities which are, at best, outdated.

A privately held and/or publicly traded corportation would have recognized these
challenges, and when Charles Hayward was dismissed, would have searched the
industry and hired the best man available to face these challenges.

Instead, NYRA got a political appointee who not only had no industry experience,
but also gave the impression that he had only been to the racetrack a handful of
times in his life, if that many.

The only sign of improvement: Kay and his cadre seem to realize that the words
\"live gate\" haved no relevance at either Aqueduct or Belmont.