Harness: New York tracks reopening with fewer dates now scheduled

Racetracks in New York were officially permitted to open on June 1 and yet only one facility - Buffalo Raceway on June 3 - has opened its doors thus far. What about the rest? Especially Yonkers Raceway, which is the leader in the state in terms of purses and handle.

Tioga plans to open June 7 and Vernon on June 10. While no announcement has been made, according to sources, Saratoga is planning to open the week of June 14, and don’t be surprised if the Joe Gerrity Memorial, scheduled for July 25, is canceled for 2020. As a race where the track puts up $250,000 annually, it seems unlikely that it can survive in the current environment. Other races could certainly be in jeopardy as well and I'm sure we'll hear more in the coming weeks.

Monticello is a complicated picture according to Joe Faraldo, attorney for the horsemen, who said that track management is trying to use the leverage of racing to browbeat the horsemen into submission. The horsemen have a general membership meeting on June 5 to discuss the issues. While Faraldo said he would advise against succumbing to the track’s demands, he added that the final decision comes down to the horsemen. Monticello track officials refused to comment on the situation.

Back to Yonkers, where the news contains a mixed bag of good and bad. The good, according to Faraldo, is that MGM management and the horsemen have been in constant conversation and racing will start on June 22 (qualifiers will take place June 15 and 16). On the negative side is that the $4-to-$5 million currently in the purse account will need to be carefully monitored and nourished since an opening date for the casino, which fuels the purse account, is a huge unknown and perhaps as much as six-to-eight weeks away.

"We (horsemen) suggested to Yonkers a 25% purse cut. We are going to cut the number of days to a maximum of three per week. We are going to have no more than eight races a day, 24 per week, maybe 27 tops," said Faraldo on a potential near-term schedule for the track. "This has already been discussed with the track. As a matter of fact, that was our proposal. If we use up the whole $4-to-$5 million, we'll be shutting down racing before the casino even opens. We can’t have that."

Smartly, Faraldo said discussions have occurred to pick the best nights of the week to race rather than going head-to-head with the top-handling tracks in North America. The decision has been made to race Monday, Tuesday and Thursday for the time being.

While not widely publicized, Goshen Historic Track has been hosting qualifiers recently, but starting this week it will be run by the Standardbred Owners Association of New York. Faraldo, who is also President of the Association, said that the plan is to offer up the opportunity to qualify on both June 4 and June 5. Nine races were carded both days.

The biggest questions surrounding Yonkers revolve around the stakes schedule. What happens to the currently suspended Borgata and Blue Chip Matchmaker series? Will there be a Yonkers Trot and Messenger Pace? Can the $1 million MGM Yonkers International Trot possibly survive COVID-19 in 2020?

While nothing is set in stone, Faraldo said that no decision has been made on the stakes races as of yet. Back in March, he spoke with Racing Secretary Bob Miecuna about the Borgata (Ley) and Matchmaker. Some of the ideas discussed were to only race a couple of legs or perhaps race one leg per month with a final later in the year. Everything is still on the table, including potential cancelation, though that seems less likely.

The Yonkers Trot and Messenger should be safe because technically the races don’t cost the track much money. Although the official stakes schedule on the Yonkers website lists both races as $500,000 guaranteed events, and they were guaranteed at that number for the last few years, the actual conditions tell a different story. Both races are "estimated" at $500,000 for 2020 and Yonkers only has to put up 20% of all nomination, supplemental nomination and sustaining fees. After a rough estimate, the track only has to put up about $25,000 to $35,000 per race for the final, which depending on the number of entries could still reasonably offer a purse in the $225,000 to $275,000 range. Of course, Yonkers could put up more money, but it isn’t required.

The Yonkers International is the elephant in the room in terms of stakes since it requires a large chunk of the money allotted for such races. Under contract, Yonkers sets aside 10% of all purse money for stakes and horsemen can provide approval for up to 2% additional funds. With the loss of dates due to COVID-19 and the projected three-night schedule to start the year, the amount available for stakes will be greatly reduced. That said, the International Trot has been Faraldo’s baby since its return a few years ago and it was clear he won’t give up that race without a fight.

"No one has broached that subject yet, probably because they know it is a sensitive issue with me," said Faraldo about the International Trot. "It is very important to have a marquee race and we are trying to make that our marquee race. Internationally, people call it the world championship, because most of these other races on the continent, like the Prix d'Amerique, which is a tremendous race and a tremendous spectacle, they have mostly French and European horses. It is limited to the continent. The International Trot . . . is extremely important."

Faraldo added that he wouldn’t be surprised to receive a call about wanting to cancel the event but that a lot depends on when the casino at the track reopens and how long before it can operate at full capacity.

The final cog in the New York puzzle is the New York Sire Stakes series. According to a June 2 release, the event will tentatively begin during the week of June 21 at Tioga and Vernon with racing for 3-year-olds. Two-year-olds will start competing in July.

"We know what a hardship this uncertainty is and that horsemen are eager for dates. We are hammering out several details now and will provide a revised schedule as quickly as we can. We thank all of our participants for their continued patience," said Kelly Young, executive director of the Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund, in the release.