Upstate Rep. Scott Murphy is pressing Gov. Paterson to expedite the selection of a successor to scandal- scarred AEG to operate 4,500 slot machines at Aqueduct racetrack, saying the future of New York's racing industry is at stake.
Murphy's interest is clear: The historic Saratoga race course is in his district.
And he says that the loss of hundreds of millions in startup cash from whoever gets the Aqueduct contract -- coupled with the possible shutdown of New York City's OTB operation -- means that the cash-strapped New York Racing Association could run out of money by June 1.
Now as much as horse racing is an important economic resource, if the scandal-prone NYRA were to go under, it would be no tragedy.
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