New NYRA

[jerry]

Amen.

[Boscar Obarra]

There were actually a few events on Sunday\'s card that resembled horse racing.

[miff]

NYRA continues to wander aimlessly!

David Grening DRF

NYRA to rescind two-week rule effective March 5

Effective with the entries for March 5, the New York Racing Association will rescind a rule that prohibited horses from running back in 14 days or less from their previous start, it was announced Tuesday.

The rule was one of four enacted last month in the wake of 14 equine fatalities during the first 27 days of the inner track meet, which began on Dec. 3. There has not been a fatality since Jan. 22, a period of 14 racing days. Four of the 14 horses who died ran back in 11 days or less from their previous start.

"Aqueduct operates under some unique circumstances, and equine welfare will always be the top of our concerns,\" said Martin Panza, NYRA\'s senior vice-president of racing operations. \"This rule served a purpose through a difficult period of time. We appreciate the understanding and support of our horsemen.\"

Three other measures that NYRA put in place starting Jan. 22 will remain in effect for the time being. One is a reduction to eight races from nine during weekdays. This rule remains in place despite the fact there have been 13 full-card cancellations this winter, eight since Jan. 28. Second, the bottom level maiden claiming level has been raised from $12,500 to $16,000. Third, horses defeated by a minimum of 25 lengths are put on a "poor performance" list and must complete a half-mile workout in 53 seconds or faster to be permitted to enter in a future race.

At meeting of the New York State Gaming Commission on Monday, Robert Williams, the organization's executive director, said the commission's "investigative review into the circumstances surrounding each fatality continues."

Beginning with Thursday's program, there are 19 scheduled cards remaining for the inner track season before racing moves to the main track on April 1.

[miff]

Someone was PAID to find Chris Kay to run NYRA!!!

Times Union
The New York Racing Association paid a search firm $130,060 to come up with the winning candidate for chief executive officer. Once NYRA\'s board acted on that recommendation and hired Christopher Kay, the payments didn\'t stop.


According to people familiar with the arrangement NYRA made with RSR Partners, a managing partner with the headhunting firm that found Kay was retained for another $75,000 to \"mentor\" the new CEO about the world of sports management.

Kay bonded with the adviser, lawyer John Keitt, to the point that Kay came very close to hiring him as NYRA\'s next chief counsel. But once the Cuomo administration learned of the plan, state officials raised concerns about the optics and suggested that Chairman David Skorton unwind the proposal. Keitt backed out while this push and pull was going on, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Keitt, a former top lawyer for the Associated Press, did not take calls from a reporter. His colleague at RSR, Joseph Bailey, said the firm never talks about its relationships with clients. NYRA spokesman Eric Wing also would not talk about the matter.

NYRA partially granted a Freedom of Information Law request for information about RSR\'s fees and reports. The limited information provided shows that the Greenwich, Conn.-based RSR received three payments in April and May for its search work, plus some expenses. Not included in the documents provided under FOIL was any mention of the additional deal with Keitt for his mentoring services — a type of consulting known as \"onboarding.\"

[TGJB]

Ummm... how do they get to \"partially grant\" a FOIL request?

[moosepalm]

I had always assumed Kay was someone\'s brother-in-law.  Now that I know what actually happened, I think I\'d feel better if I\'d been right with my first hunch.

[magicnight]

Curious hire alert! Mike, did you see this?

http://www.drf.com/news/jockey-club-purchases-controlling-interest-blood-horse

The Jockey Club buys a controlling interest in the Blood Horse, and who do they name as their new publisher? None other than John Keitt, the guy who brought Christopher Kay to NYRA. This smells of something, but I\'m not sure just what.

[miff]

Magic,

Not that surprising as most of those jackoffs hang in the same circle. Let\'s see if the useless Jockey Club makes the Bloodhorse a profit center and begins to nickel and dime the players.


Mike

[TGJB]

I can tell you for a fact that other publications are not happy about this.

[Topcat]

Wing\'s still w/NYRA, eh? That would be a scoop, were it actually true.