NYRA continuing to send its signal to CDI

The New York Racing Association continued to maintain Friday that there would be no blackout over the weekend of its signal on twinspires.com or other properties owned by Churchill Downs Inc., despite the lack of a simulcasting contract between the two parties.

A previous contract expired at the end of 2013, but the two companies have agreed on extensions while they negotiate on a new deal. It is unclear what has caused the current stalemate on the new contract, though NYRA officials had previously said they would be pressing simulcast partners to pay a higher rate for the association’s signal in 2014.

Twinspires.com is the largest account-wagering service in the country, and NYRA’s signal is the most sought-after of any year-round signal in the United States, accounting for approximately 20 percent of the national handle.

NYRA canceled racing Friday because of a winter storm, and as of Friday afternoon, it said it planned to race Saturday. The association is currently conducting a Friday-through-Monday schedule at its Aqueduct racetrack.