Having My Doubts

Here's a blog post, by Sara Foss, in the Daily Gazette (of Schenectady) regarding the fight over a casino....or rather, an expansion of the one already there....in Saratoga.  And she says pretty much what I've been saying:

But given the powerful interests that want a casino in Saratoga Springs, I’d be surprised if the casino ended up anywhere else.  

The leader of SAVE (Saratogians Against Vegas-style Expansion) said that he's "optimistic," pointing to the "solid majority" of votes in Saratoga Springs that voted no to the referendum.  However, the grass route thing only goes so far when competing with money and power.  So, and as Ms. Foss agrees: "I have my doubts."

I know that Saratogians opposed to the casino expansion point to Massachusetts, where the vote was put to local communities to decide for themselves, and claim that their vote should count too.  But that concept hasn't exactly worked in Massachusetts.  When voters in East Boston rejected a plan for a casino built at Suffolk Downs by Caesars, the track came up with a plan for one by Mohegan Sun on the other side of the plant, and totally within the borders of Revere, which approved a casino at the polls. Now, we all sympathize with Suffolk Downs and don't want to see the industry die in the state.  But, hmmm, I just don't know what to say about that.  Voters in Revere have to vote again on the revised plan in February (59% of voters approved the plan in November); and then the track would compete with Steve Wynn, who hopes to build in Everett, for a single Boston-area license.  So, while, in theory, New York is no longer in danger of losing gambling dollars to Massachusetts, it has already lost a lot of laughs to the Bay State.

Ms. Foss also calls our attention to a purchase of an old packing plant on the border of Albany and Colonie by a Rochester-based entity called Capital Gaming LLC, which has obvious aspirations given its name.  But seem as if voters in Colonie don't want a casino there either.

Colonie voters opposed the casino amendment on last November's ballot, with 48.7 percent in favor and 51.3 percent opposed, according to AllOverAlbany.com. [Albany Times Union]

 - I've been following the recent exploits of Pletcher at Gulfstream in my Today in Racing feature at the TimeformUS blog.  Depending on what one considers to be the beginning of the current Gulfstream meet, he's hitting somewhere between 30%-35%.  The track's website is now showing the stats for the current calendar year, for which he is 52-18-13-5, for 35%, and 69% in the money.  These are the kind of statistics that could earn him extra security scrutiny if he didn't have Eclipse Awards and a high class of clientele.  We hear people complain today that "super trainers" are ruining the sport (as if it is a new phenomenon), but I don't think they are referring to the Toddsters and Chad Browns of the world.  Maybe David Jacobson should find himself a personal attire and hairstyle consultant.

Pletcher's latest winner, Gala Award ($4), in the 8th on Monday, was a $1.6 million yearling purchase in 2012 for Coolmore.  He was 10-1 in his debut last month when he ran second.  He's by Bernardini out of a Carson City mare; and he's a half-brother to the G1 Hollywood Futurity winner Stormello, and to the multiple turf stakes winner My Best Brother.