Monday, March 15, 2010

Is this even possible?

A summer in Saratoga without Thoroughbred horse racing?

Saratoga racing season is one of the main highlights of summer in the NY area, and the region triples in population when the TBs come to town. There is nothing that parallels breezy, sunny days sitting in the Saratoga boxes in summery dresses and sipping something cool, while the ponies parade in from the paddock. Saratoga County is, unfortunately, a region who's economy is almost entirely dependent on the TB industry and the wealth of business that it brings to the area each summer. But as the Saratogian reported on Friday, the "unthinkable" scenario of Saratoga being forced to shut its doors for a season might become reality if NYRA cannot find a way to make peace with the Albany politicos and improve its cash flow. More posturing from the NYRA folks to pressure our state government into decisive action? Or a true potentiality? One thing is certain, the Saratogian is spot on when it describes the full scale meltdown that a summer without the horses would bring to the Saratoga region, and the NY TB industry in general. Something that our imperiled industry would find it very hard to recover from.

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