Travers purse could be boosted to lure American Pharoah

New York’s horsemen would be willing to put up an additional $750,000 for the purse of the Travers Stakes this year to lure Triple Crown winner American Pharoah to Saratoga as long as the purse account is made whole through revenue on the day, the head of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association said at a board meeting of the New York Racing Association on Wednesday.

The tentative offer is the latest proposal in the high-stakes competition among racetracks for an appearance by American Pharoah this summer and fall. The colt’s connections have not announced a plan, but they are thought to be leaning toward the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park in New Jersey on Aug. 2 and then the Travers on Aug. 29. American Pharoah’s ultimate goal – and the last race of his career – is expected to be the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 31 at Keeneland in Kentucky.

Rick Violette, the president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, told the NYRA board that horsemen have approached management about the plan to boost the total purse of the Travers to $2 million. However, Violette said horsemen would rather “share the risk,” and he said the plan to devote an additional $750,000 from the horsemen’s purse account should be balanced by dibs on the first $750,000 in revenue generated on Travers Day.

Also at the Wednesday board meeting, Andrew Rosen, a clothing retailer and New York horse owner, was selected to fill the board seat vacated by the resignation earlier this year of Charles Wait. Rosen was recommended by a committee set up by the board.

The Wednesday board meeting was the first chaired by Michael Del Giudice, who was elevated to the chairmanship after the resignation this month of Anthony Bonomo. Bonomo stepped down after it was alleged by New York prosecutors that a firm he owned gave a no-show job to the son of former New York Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos. Bonomo has not been charged with wrongdoing.

Most of the board meeting was devoted to a presentation by Chris Kay, NYRA’s chief executive, about the recent running of the Belmont Stakes and the association’s plans for the upcoming Saratoga meet. Kay also outlined NYRA’s plans for renovating and constructing dormitories on the backstretches of NYRA’s three racetracks, at a total cost of $28.8 million from 2013-17, with approximately two-thirds of that spending concentrated at Belmont Park.

Michael Dubb, a board member and the founder of Anna House, a day-care center on Belmont’s backstretch, credited NYRA management for focusing on conditions on the backstretch, but he said NYRA needs to “expedite” its plans.

“People on the backside deserve better,” Dubb said.