- That's the latest of what I'm being told about a 90 day extension of NYRA's franchise. "Everybody at the track is aware of the agreement," is what I was told by the reader, who was on the backstretch today. Why an announcement would be delayed, I can't say; perhaps to announce it on a certain day - Xmas eve, or maybe when they appear at court on Thursday. Or maybe there are still some details to work out. But I was told it's a "done deal."
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Sunday, December 23, 2007
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If Alan is correct, that makes it through March 31st not the end of April. I too have heard this, but only in the context of moving the NYRA out of control and out the door. Fine with me.
So this means, Alan, that NYRA agrees to hang in there for three months, bringing us to a week before the Wood Memorial. And sometime in that three months, the state could award the franchise someone else?
And the other entity then steps in a week before the Wood to host the event? NYRA in effect saying, "Yeah, sure, we'd be happy to handle the inner track meet, then graciously step out of the way so that you can handle our hallmark spring event"?
The only way that this seems to make sense is if NYRA is assured of getting the franchise back at the end of it. Otherwise, the only reason they have to do it is the not-insubstantial PR hit they'd take if they don't.
Curiouser and curiouser...
It somewhat begs the question: what or rather who is NYRA?
If it really is just a layer of execs, then I have to assume provided those guys get employment packages then they'd be somewhat satisfied. Right?
The heart of the day to day operations: gate crew, stewards, mutual clerks and such I have always assumed if Empire or Capital Play were given the nod would be retained 'as-is' for the initial period.
Selected folks might be replaced in time, but you cannot assume running the complexities of racing from scratch. 1,000 people (or whatever NYRA is composed of) aren't going to lose their job day 1 and from nowhere 1,000 new people take their place.
So while it could always be a bit less then seemless - converting from one overseeing organization to another - I don't think the Wood Memorial would be the huge mess some may suggest.
The question is not what happens to the Wood IF another party is installed to run the operation and NYRA disappears without a whimper, but rather what happens IF NYRA fights back and invokes its land claim in court and denies access to the newly annointed party?
Or even more likely, Albany sits on its arse for the next three months and it goes down to the wire yet again.
If another entity takes over the franchise and NYRA is out, they WILL NOT RUN the Wood Memorial! Oh, maybe under another name...but rest assured, even if NYRA doesn't own the land, it owns the "intellectual properties," including the names of the stakes races.
So if NYRA is gone, the Wood, the Belmont Stakes, the Travers, the Woodward, etc., will all be run under new names.
Use your brain. If NYRA doesn't retain the land, under what legal theory can they retain the names to the races?
The 'assets' of the association transfer, not just the land.
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