A Letter to The Editor from Dionne Johnson, NYTHA Business Manager (Published March 11, 2023)
The project to modernize Belmont Park has repeatedly been mischaracterized and unfairly criticized in the pages of The Post (“Burning Public Cash on NY’s Tracks,” Editorial, Feb. 27).
These attacks couldn’t be further from the truth — and they discount the incredible opportunity the sport provides for people like me across the state.
I am a single mom who has worked in horse racing for four decades. Thanks to the well-paying jobs supported by this sport, I was able to raise my son, put him through college and graduate school and fulfill my dream of homeownership.
Modernizing Belmont Park would safeguard and strengthen horse racing in New York for generations to come, ensuring there are more well-paying jobs for New Yorkers like me. It’s downright offensive that The Post would attack a sport like this and discount jobs that support families across the state.
I know I speak for myself and the thousands of New Yorkers who rely on horse racing for their livelihood — from blacksmiths to exercise riders to grooms to union carpenters, electricians, and more — when I urge our leaders in Albany to support the Belmont modernization project.
Dionne Johnson, Business Manager, New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, Valley Stream