The contract between MGM and the SOA of New York is about to run its four-year course on May 31 and to date there has been little to no progress on its renewal. Should the two sides remain as distant as they have been over the last two months, you have to wonder if the immediate future of some major races could be in jeopardy, since planning events such as the $1 million MGM International Trot would not be possible. SOA of New York President Joe Faraldo sounded more than frustrated with not just the lack of negotiations, but the suggestion that horsemen should just take whatever is given and not have the means to negotiations. "It's been radio silent," Faraldo said. "According to the terms of our existing contract, we're supposed to have monthly meetings with management. We had a virtual meeting in February and there was no meeting in April or May." Perhaps adding a bit of insult, at least to the horsemen, was the notion that MGM, currently gaining momentum for its proposal to New York State to receive a coveted New York City-region full casino license, lacks the "bandwidth" to negotiate with the horsemen at the same time. Faraldo clearly understood the effort required for MGM to submit its casino proposal to the State. "If they need time we can extend the existing contract to July 1," said Faraldo, with the understanding that a deal could be struck at that time on a new agreement. "We had that situation in May of 2021, and we extended the contract then and got a deal done," Faraldo said with hope that a similar path can be set this year. Given what's at stake for the MGM property should it be granted a full-casino license, time is of the essence, and perhaps that is what has hardened at least one side currently. Faraldo, over the course of his tenure as head of the SOA of NY, has been through countless negotiations, including the original agreement with the Rooneys that propelled the Yonkers purse structure to industry-highs more than 15 years ago. The prospect of a full casino bordering New York City will certainly go a long way towards seeing MGM realize the return on investment it was looking for when it paid $850 million for the property in 2019. What Faraldo doesn't want to see is what has happened over the last three months continue unchecked without substantive negotiations taking place. "They've put an offer on the table and told us to sign," Faraldo said. "Then they offered to extend the current contract until December." ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter An extension of the contract until the end of the year was a non-starter for Faraldo, who can clearly see the handwriting on the wall. Should MGM be granted a full casino license before the end of 2025 without reaching an agreement with its horsemen, there would likely be way too much momentum to stop the rush to new construction necessary to revamp the property, putting harness racing at Yonkers in obvious peril. "I'm not going to allow this track to turn into Pompano," Faraldo said, referring to the south Florida track that ultimately shuttered after losing a long battle to be coupled with alternative gaming. Frustrating to the horsemen, as outlined in a recent letter to members, is that what appeared to be progress during early discussion in February that would later hit a wall. Per the letter: "The SOA and MGM commenced negotiations in February of this year. The parties discussed their respective proposals at two separate negotiating sessions, including their views on the term of a new agreement. While MGM suggested a three year contract, the SOA proposed a six year deal. MGM only indicated that they could not agree to anything more than a five year deal. There were also a handful of unresolved issues to be negotiated." According to the letter, things changed dramatically prior to a third negotiating session in early April. "...MGM abruptly stated that they were not in a position to negotiate a new contract. Instead, MGM incredulously took the position that MGM, one of the largest casino operators in the world, purportedly did not have the "bandwidth" to even participate in negotiations with the SOA at this time, citing MGM's need to file an RFA by June 27 in connection with its application for a casino license. MGM took the position that all they would be prepared to do was to extend the current contract until the end of the year—not engage in good faith negotiations." As the deadline approaches there could be some movement that at least puts the parties back in contact with one another, though perhaps not prior to the May 31 deadline. "In the last few days, MGM has finally agreed to meet regarding the contract-on June 4th, after the termination of the current contract. Given the obvious importance of the matter, we have urged that a meeting be held this week, before the termination of the current contract. The SOA's negotiating team is ready to proceed as soon as possible." The letter to the horsemen concluded with an explanation that there are protections in place within the state in the event of an extended impasse. "The Gaming Commission is aware of what's going on," said Faraldo. Given the huge potential for a full casino on the Yonkers property, there is plenty at stake for both sides as they hopefully come to terms and reach an agreement.   For the sake of the current calendar year and major races still on the calendar, a good faith extension that doesn't push negotiations into December, but hopefully wraps them up in the early parts of the summer, is critical. While a minimum number of racing dates is mandated by law, the SOA of New York, with its efforts, has helped revive the MGM Yonkers International Trot, and its very existence in 2025 could depend largely on whether it can carve out a deal with management in the next few months. The clock is ticking.