If you are in a NYRA stall at SAR, during the meet you should not be paying rent. If you are there before or after then you will get a bill. If you were in a non-NYRA stall (say over on Gridley St) and got a bil for the 6 week meet, you are paying the owner of the stalls, not NYRA.

If you were in a NYRA stall for the 6 weeks and got a bill, contest it.

And, furthermore, the rent charged ( $15 a day I believe ) for use of the Oklahoma during the " off-season " is passed along to owners. Perhaps this is less relevant to OutoftheBox because he is a private trainer....thus his owner foots all the bills.

So true. Sounds like a dolt to me.

Most hilarious post of the day. Thanks for the laugh fm.

Everytime this discussion, or arguement takes place -- every single time -- I think it's crystal clear as to who understands the actual and substanative issues; and who is more oriented toward "the noise" -- the propaganda, and whatever else you want to call it. Anyone who comes from a place of getting rid of NYRA because they have failed, and bringing in someone who can build a successful business model, clearly doesn't understand anything about the economic and political environment of not only NY racing, but the entire industry. Now, there is nothing wrong with that, and in saying that I mean no offense to anyone and it's not meant to be riduculing in any way. However, it does point out that it is extremely difficult to have an intelligent, meaningful conversation when people are on two completely different planes of knowledge.

NYRA declaring bankruptcy is not a measure of their financial prowess or lack thereof. It's not cause and effect. It was, in part, very simply a strategic move and I think some people are upset not that NYRA did it, but more so that it actually worked. Think about that. The bankruptcy is however very and extermely indicative of the current political and legislative landscape that any franchise operator would have to operate under. It was not NYRA's business model that was broken. Yes, the propaganda will talk about expense accounts, NY Bred races, the taxpayers -- and while I don't mean to trivialize any issues, those are not the real issues. The critics and the people who are absent of facts and understanding must make it those items the issues. NYRA's business model -- any business model, in the current environment, would fail.

How many of these bidders were considering the franchise before the VLT legislation was passed? How many bidders were throwing their hat in the ring before the state legislature agreed to change the laws that make it impossible for anyone to operate the tracks in a prudent, dilligent and "profitable" form and fashion? For the first time, the state (or at least part of it, LOL) is actually looking to work with the various components of the industry and be part of the solution.

This is not about NYRA, although some people tend to make so. This entire situation is not a NYRA issue -- it's an industry issue. It's about archaic laws that were once feasible. However, the world has changed, and NY Racing -- not just NYRA -- has been dying a slow death. Like an old car that gets real old real fast, the death has been accelerated. NYRA has made mistakes, like CD, Magna, Woodbine, Delaware North, Empire, Excelsior, Capital Play, and so on. Everyone on the rosters have made mistakes -- just like all of us.

I think people need to set aside the sour grapes, animosity, hostility, and everything else -- and truly understand the issues and look to what is best for the sport and the industry.

Eric

As usual, Eric cuts through the BS, and posts the definitive response.

Mr Eric that was a well organized, cogent, well thought out post........................OVER RULED

You are as Bill Parcells once said what your record is and NYRA is poor.

Wow imagine you and yours backing your friends at NYRA.. Obviously NYRA mgt. has either directly or indirectly received advise from a team of OBJECTIVE friends and family. Why wouldn't you all just raise your hands and tell the world that NYRA's solutions for racing are a based on advised broughtforth by Crist's friends and family team.

Not suggesting that the advice or direction that you and yours are giving NYRA is bad,or that Crist's boys aren't right on many accounts, but at least rep the obvious. Can it be anymore transparent that Crist is NYRA right hand man behind the scenes? Geez you can't make this crap up. We have Eric's woe is me argument(although wonderfully written) The Sheriff(Crist) and the Deputy(you) all singing NYRA party line.

ELA should send in his resume for White House Press Secretary. Who knows...George Bush could become President for life with the help of that brilliant wordsmith.

Freddy, you hate NYRA because they didn't buy your T-Shirts. It's as simple as that.

What is funny, however, is you suggesting someone else is not being up front. My associations are well known.

ror!

Please I am much more swallow then that, you give me far too much credit. BTW the last show was clearly the best yet.

You can not run a business as a business without accountablity.. Dinny can do what ever the F he wants with the Phipp's foundation(a client to be fair) its his fn money.. He can't with Bessemer since it isn't all his. One is a NON Profit one isn't.

1) NYRA they don't earn they are a NON profit DING DONG. Hence of course they don't keep money(although in the past they just stole it).. The whole point of a Non Profit is not to earn but to distribute..You can't make this crap up?

2) BTW Cannon Ball at best it was 50/50 that a judge may have ruled NYRA was the owner of the land.. And why the F to the taxpayers have to bank role NYRA's potentially flawed quest? So now they can spend as much as they want to fight any crusade they choose says who Wilke Farr and Gallagher?

3) Becareful who you call a simpleton especially when you don't know who you are talking to. I may be nuts but I am far from stupid. Maybe my man BENE has a point perhaps you could focus a bit more on what you haven't been as successful as others have been. I may sell pens and tees but at least I sell a fn lot of them and help 200 hard working people earn a living.

To me, people are down on NYRA because there's nothing tremendously different about the how they operate vs a couple years ago when all the **** went down.

In the end, two mutel clerks were found guilty. One paid $5,000 in restitution and the other got 2-3 years probation.

In the meantime, Barry Schwartz, who was CEO of NYRA when a contract worth $750,000 was no-bid awarded to his daughter and son-in-law was allowed to just walk away instead of being indicted for fraud.

$750,000/$5000 = 150. Schwartz's "indiscretion" was 150 times, in dollars, worse than the mutuel clerk's. Yet he was able to retreat to his 600 acre farm and maintain his place in the ownership and breeding industry in NY.

When you have this kind of blatant and unpunished malfeasance occur at the top of a non-profit organization, people are going to want change. Supporters of NYRA can point to all the staff and oversight changes made since but with this kind of recent history as well as poor financial results, nobody can be surprised that people are distrustful and want change.

Look that makes way too much sense Studly obviously you are just pissed at NYRA because they dont buy your sperm..lol

The way it works is you tell everyone those were bad people who did bad things but you now have good people who do good things and all is forgiven because you came to jesus and confessed your past sins. Imagine a couple of Jewish boys are steering the ship from the second deck while the capt. smiles and perks them out. All because they lost their front man to HK..

I kind of like the new plan.. But the whole thing on an auction block and hawk it like livestock. What's so special about horse racing anyway and why do we need a bunch of care takers.

It's a clusterf@#k there at NYRA/NY State for sure. And it's probably not going to change. Folks can bluster about things like Magna and CDI falling off the screen but, to me, when Kirkorian (MGM) loses interest that means there's probably no money to be made or at least not fast enough to justify the expense.

As far as Nader leaving, that's always an issue with non-profits... trying to compete for good people. He was there a long time, 10+ years I believe.

Black beard cares about NYRA because he makes his living at those tracks and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Racing has had a storied tradition in NY and it will evolve with or without NYRA.

Fellas, the NYRA has been awarded the horse racing part of the franchise. What is now needed is resolution of the casino side of it.

Even critics of NYRA, like me, have no problem with them being awarded the franchise. The issue is accountability. Nobody is worthy of a 30 yr franchise, but a group that has a "shaky" history really isn't worthy.

If the problem is with OTB's then they need to resolve it. I just wonder why if the setup is so bad, why is NYRA fighting so hard for something that is impossible to break even with. Makes ZERO sense. Somebody is making money off the current situation and I suspect that somebody(ies) is connected to NYRA somehow.