- Shayla Colon, Times Union
A cluster of organizations and businesses have formed the We Are NY Horse Racing coalition to educate New Yorkers about the sport’s contributions to the state's economy.
The collective is comprised of unions, non-profits, small businesses and trade organizations who all have a vested interest in the tourism-driving industry and want people to know about it. Patrick McKenna, the group’s spokesperson, said the sport is a “powerful economic engine” for the state.
He pointed to a 2018 study conducted by the American Horse Council that concluded horse racing generated a more than $3 billion impact on the economy and contributed roughly 19,000 jobs. Additionally, he said an average of about 26,000 people daily, if not more, attended the latest summer meet in Saratoga, further underlining the sport as “big business.”
