More than 100 New Yorkers rallied on Monday to support a project they say would create and protect thousands of jobs.
Union members, backstretch workers, small business owners,
veterinarians, trainers, and other New Yorkers joined lawmakers for a rally at the Capitol supporting the project to modernize Belmont Park on Long Island.Rally in Albany calls for modernization of
Today, a rally in support of a project to modernize belmont park: legislators from both parties, union leaders, and horse racing supporters. are calling on lawmakers to back the proposal.
News 12 Long Island, 3/13/23
"We're trying to put the 'park' back into Belmont Park," said New York Racing Association president and CEO David O'Rourke.
To carry out this vision, NYRA is asking for a $455 million loan from the state—a loan that has been included in Gov. Kathy Hochul's 2024 fiscal year budget proposal that awaits approval by lawmakers ahead of an April 1 deadline. BloodHorse hopes state lawmakers approve the loan, a move that would allow NYRA to compete for fans in the modern era, ensure a year-round racing circuit, and generate revenue.
More than 100 workers and elected officials held a rally at the state capitol on Monday in support of including the redevelopment of Elmont’s Belmont Park in New York State’s 2023-24 budget.
The gathering in Albany was organized by a coalition called We Are NY Horse Racing, which advocates for the sport and promotes its benefits for the economy. In this case, the group says a modernized Belmont Park would create thousands of jobs and over a billion dollars in economic impact, as well as freeing up space for development at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens.
More than 100 people rallied in the New York State Capitol on Monday in support of legislation to improve Belmont Park.
The supporters included union members, farmers, backstretch workers, small business owners, veterinarians, trainers and others, according to a news release from We Are NY Racing, a coalition that supports the industry.
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With state officials set to determine this month whether to okay a major borrowing plan by the New York Racing Association for a new Belmont Park racetrack, dozens of supporters descended on the state Capitol in Albany on the morning of March 13 to press for the $455 million capital construction package.
The plan, embraced by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in her 2023 budget plan that is being considered now by lawmakers, is backed as job creation, economic development, and a financial lifeline for the horse racing and breeding industries in the state.
Horsemen, backstretch workers, business leaders, organized labor, and about a dozen or so members of the New York state legislature attended a 30-minute rally Monday at the State Capitol in Albany to support a budget proposal to grant the New York Racing Association a $455 million loan to redevelop Belmont Park.Supporters are hoping the proposal is included in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s budget, which is due to be passed by April 1. Hochul has previously announced her support for the plan, which would create thousands of new jobs and ideally stimulate economic activity in Elmont and surrounding areas.
Over 100 people, including union members, backstretch workers, trainers, veterinarians and farmers gathered Monday in Albany, New York, in support of a plan to modernize Belmont Park, which, according to a release, promises significant new job creation and as much as $1 billion in one-time ecomomic impacts while freeing up 110 acres of state-owned land at Aqueduct Racetrack for future development. The project was included in Governor Kathy Hochul's Executive Budget Proposal.
Through this year’s state budget process, our leaders in Albany have the opportunity to rehabilitate a globally recognized facility that could have a positive benefit for the entire state of New York. On the table is a $455 million loan for the New York Racing Association to modernize Belmont Park, which will be paid back in full, with interest. Here is why the Long Island Association, our region’s leading non-profit and non-partisan business organization, supports the project to modernize Belmont.
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Horse racing is a powerful engine for the New York economy that supports families and communities in every corner of the state. Our racetracks employ union electricians and carpenters, trainers and grooms, security guards, maintenance staff, and many others working every day to care for horses and keep these facilities running.
Beyond the gates of Belmont Park or Saratoga Race Course, horse racing stands at the center of an ecosystem that includes thousands of small businesses — like hotels in Saratoga Springs and restaurants on Long Island — and hundreds of family-owned farms which rely on the sport’s long-term success to thrive.
As a new arena rose at Belmont Park, the grandstand stood in its shadow, a relic of another time and place.
Yet Belmont remains a critical economic engine for the region. The park and backstretch form their own mini-city, housing more than 80 training-related small businesses, employing up to 2,000 people at the busiest times of year, and featuring a health clinic, day care facility, and more. But for Belmont to fully realize its economic potential, for its impact to ripple through the region, the rest of the park — including the tracks and grandstand — must be re-imagined, too.
So, Gov. Kathy Hochul's effort to include a $455 million loan for Belmont's redevelopment in the state budget is a smart wager.
A coalition of horse racing industry groups and business organizations is launching an ad campaign to build support for a proposed renovation at Belmont Park in Queens.
The ad campaign from We Are NY Horse Racing is set to air on digital platforms as well as TV in Albany and New York City for the final six weeks of the state budget season.
The campaign is meant to promote the effort to give borrowing authority to the New York Racing Association in order to support the project. The association wants to build a new grandstand at the facility, home to the final leg of racing's triple crown.
One of the major economic development initiatives in Gov. Kathy Hochul's budget proposal is a $455 million overhaul of Belmont Park on Long Island, which would be facilitated by state-secured loans to the New York Racing Association. NYRA Vice President for Government Affairs Jeff Cannizzo joins the show to explain what the project would entail and why the state has an interest in fostering major changes to the downstate racing scene.
Ice racing at Belmont?
In Assemb. Ed Ra’s vision, a modern Belmont Park would be more than a home to year-round horse racing.
“The greatest thing would be, if this gets done, to get an Islanders-Rangers Winter Classic there on the property, sell out the grandstand, have a great celebration and watch the Islanders beat the Rangers,” Ra said during a state legislative hearing Thursday.
“I couldn’t agree more,” said New York Racing Association chief executive David O’Rourke.
The executive budget ticks off many boxes in attempting to meet state and regional needs. [...] Hochul's commitment to allow the New York Racing Association to borrow $455 million to remake Belmont Park is an enormous opportunity.
The budget proposal also included a $455 million loan to the New York Racing Association to renovate Belmont Park, winterize the renowned track and make other improvements to allow year-round horse racing there. That could pave the way for the state to potentially repurpose the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens into a new full-fledged casino.
Belmont Park Borrowing
Hochul’s budget proposal also includes support for a major overhaul of Belmont Park.
The governor’s outline includes a plan to allow the New York Racing Association access to $455 million in state-backed bonds to complete the project.
NYRA, which operates racetracks at Belmont, Aqueduct, and Saratoga, is looking to use the funds to replace the 430-acre facility’s grandstand and clubhouse, which have not been renovated since 1968. Belmont Park is located in Elmont, along the border between Queens and Nassau County.
ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul will back a plan for the state to loan $455 million to make extensive improvements at Belmont Park — including a new grandstand and clubhouse and new racing surfaces at the venerable horse racing track.
The governor plans to announce the initiative as part of her proposed state budget, set to be unveiled Wednesday afternoon.
“We have these major events that want to come back to New York...they just need a modernized facility that has the hospitality offerings fans expect.” - Jack Sterne, WRNHYR spokesperson
Business and labor groups on Long island are banding together, calling for a major renovation at Belmont Park. WCBS's Steve Burns has more.
This month, labor groups including those representing steamfitters, electricians, carpenters, operating engineers and plumbers backed the project in letters to Hochul, as well as the Long Island Association, the Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.
A coalition of allied horse racing interests on Monday is set to launch a six-figure ad purchase to promote upgrades at Belmont Park on Long Island.
The ad campaign will highlight the economic effects of the proposed construction, including 740 full-time jobs as well as 3,700 construction jobs. The construction is also estimated by supporters to have a $1 billion economic impact.
Horse Racing: Racing industry leaders pushing for a major overhaul of Belmont Park and are seeking access to $455 million in state-backed bonds to complete the project. Supporters see the project as a way to consolidate downstate racing and end racing at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, where Genting’s Resorts World is expected to apply for full casino license. The push comes as some lawmakers hope to pass a bill limiting subsidies for the racing industry.
A newly published study claims that a new horse racing facility at Belmont Park would be a massive windfall for the state and local governments — as the proposed project would generate $1 billion in economic activity, and lead to the hiring of 3,700 construction workers. After completion, the facility would rake in $155 million annually for the economy, while creating 740 full-time jobs. The state and local governments would get an additional $10 million in new taxes per year, the survey claims.
A coalition of business groups and horse racing industry leaders pushing for a major overhaul of Belmont Park are touting a new analysis showing the project could be a job-generating boon to the local economy. The analysis, conducted by HR&A Advisors on behalf of We Are NY Horse Racing, found the Nassau County project could potentially generate $155 million in annual economic output, support 740 full-time jobs, and produce $10 million in new state and local taxes per year.
According to the rigorous analysis completed by HR&A Advisors, a leading economic development and real estate consulting firm, the multi-year project to build a new Belmont Park will generate $1 billion in one-time construction-related economic impact while supporting 3,700 construction jobs. Upon completion, racing and non-racing activities at the new Belmont Park will generate $155 million in annual economic output, support 740 new full-time jobs, and produce $10 million in new state and local taxes per year.
A coalition of horse racing industry leaders in New York is asking state government to approve borrowing to overhaul Belmont Park on Long Island. They say the improvements there will buoy the racing industry across the state.
Supporters of New York’s horse racing industry gathered at the New York State Capitol on Thursday to call on legislators to approve a plan to rebuild Belmont Park. Renovations would be funded through bonds rather than taxes. New York Racing Association said it would be responsible for paying off the bonds. NYRA still needs approval from state lawmakers to move forward with the plan.
Business and racing industry groups on Thursday urged the state to approve borrowing for $455 million to make extensive improvements at Belmont Park to secure the future of the 120-year-old track for year-round racing “at no cost to taxpayers.”
“Belmont Park would be taken down and started from scratch, a completely new grandstand and clubhouse,” said Jeff Cannizzo, senior director of government affairs at the New York Racing Association.
An effort to strengthen New York's $3 billion horse racing industry is moving forward on Thursday with a coalition of business groups, trade organizations and labor unions ramping up its efforts to aid the sport. The groups, part of the We Are New York Horse Racing campaign, will launch an effort to push for bonding authority for the New York Racing Association in order to renovate Belmont Park in Nassau County, home of the Belmont Stakes and the third and final leg of racing's triple crown. But the organizations are also framing it as a broader call to boost the sport statewide. The coalition is set to include the Business Council of New York State, the Queens Chamber of Commerce and a range of small businesses and non-profit entities.
Today, major organizations from across New York State including the Business Council of New York State and Queens Chamber of Commerce joined We Are New York Horse Racing, a coalition of small businesses, labor unions, nonprofits, and trade associations that advocate for the future of horse racing in New York State.
The Breeders’ Cup is willing to return to Belmont Park provided the aging horse racing facility is modernized and its surrounding infrastructure improved. That was the crux of a letter sent to the New York Racing Association co-signed by Breeders’ Cup Limited chairman of the board Barbara Banke and president and CEO Drew Fleming and obtained by Newsday. Belmont Park hosted the annual two-day championship thoroughbred festival in 1990, 1995, 2001 and 2005 before it was determined the non-heated, non-winterized racetrack and surrounding facilities such as hotels were inadequate.
We Are NY Horse Racing coalition today announced that the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has secured a commitment to bring the Breeders’ Cup World Championship back to New York if Belmont Park on Long Island is modernized. Thoroughbred horse racing’s year-end mega event, the Breeders’ Cup is a two-day spectacle that attracts fans and competitors from around the globe. Due to aging infrastructure at Belmont Park, the World Championships have not been hosted in New York since 2005. Bringing the event back to Belmont would result in an estimated economic impact of at least $100 million each time the event is hosted in New York.
The New York Racing Association is looking to build new horse racing facilities at Belmont Park — and a majority of voters support the idea, according to a new poll.
Global Strategy Group conducted the poll, which asked 1,141 New York State voters about the issue, and found that 51% have “ a favorable opinion of horse racing in New York.”
We Are NY Horse Racing coalition today released a public opinion poll that found 68 percent of voters statewide and 75 percent of voters on Long Island support using state bonding authority to construct new horse racing facilities at Belmont Park. In addition, according to the poll, New Yorkers view horse racing favorably by a 3-to-1 margin and broadly acknowledge the sport’s importance as an engine for New York State’s economy.
We Are NY Horse Racing today announced the launch of a new television advertisement to further expand its campaign to educate and inform New Yorkers about the importance of horse racing to the New York State economy. Titled “Community”, the :60 ad presents the stories of the dedicated individuals who are working every day to ensure the continued success of horse racing in New York.
“Helping backstretch families advance their children’s education is critical to our mission,” said NYTHA President Joe Appelbaum. “The King family and others who earn their living on the backstretch are the foundation of the Thoroughbred industry. Watching our scholarship recipients move into a wide variety of careers is nothing short of inspiring.”
As state officials and potential developers tried to rethink Belmont Park, the notion of a bustling Belmont at times felt unattainable. Now it’s here — a modern racetrack, a grand arena, and a sports and entertainment centerpiece that will benefit nearby communities and the entire region.
"For generations, the sport of horse racing has supported small businesses, industries, and families across New York. When New Yorkers think about the sport of horse racing, many will jump to the stereotype of the glitz and glamour of the Belmont Stakes, but in reality, behind the scenes, are the hardworking men and women who are the backbone of this industry and make events like this possible."
We Are NY Horse Racing held its first Lobby Day to educate lawmakers about the importance of horse racing to the New York State economy. Dozens of stakeholders from a variety of organizations, non-profits, and labor unions joined together to educate lawmakers about a sport that drives an industry responsible for 19,000 jobs and more than $3 billion in annual economic impact.
"Recent attacks on the sport of horse racing cite several wildly irresponsible claims about equine and jockey injuries that are completely unsupported by facts or reviewable data. This speculation regarding the cause of equine injuries is based on rumor and innuendo and paints an image of a sport where life-altering injuries to jockeys are as commonplace as a sprained ankle. This couldn’t be further from the truth."
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We Are NY Horse Racing recently unveiled its first television advertisement, which is now airing on cable television and digital platforms. Channeling the central goal of We Are NY Horse Racing, the ad highlights the importance of horse racing to the New York State economy.
Working in New York horse racing has given me a life and sense of security that allows me to provide for my family. People in the trades can work in this industry for a long time, earn a competitive wage, and not have to skip from job to job. That creates a real sense of satisfaction in being a part of something significant – in my case, really contributing to the betterment of Belmont Park and helping to put on the Belmont Stakes and other major races.
"As a single mom, I was able to raise my son, put him through college and graduate school, and fulfill my dream of homeownership, thanks to horse racing in New York. It’s something I’m very proud of, and I couldn’t have done it without New York racing.I’ve been lucky to work in the sport for 39 years. Everyone here is part of a community that loves the horses and is dedicated to putting on the best and safest racing in the country. Making it possible is an industry that provides access to good-paying jobs that helps all of us raise our families."
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed Jerry Zaro to the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) Board of Directors, NYRA announced today. This appointment fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Michael J. Del Giudice and is effective immediately.
Mr. Zaro is an active breeder and thoroughbred owner. Among the horses he has campaigned are the New York-bred Blindwillie McTell, a three-time stakes winner; and Baby Yoda, who recorded the fastest Beyer Speed Figure [114] at all NYRA tracks in 2021.
We Are NY Horse Racing, a coalition comprised of small businesses, unions, non-profits, and trade organizations, recently launched a campaign video highlighting the economic impact of the sport. The sport of horse racing generates $3 billion in annual economic impact and 19,000 jobs across New York State.
"I’ve been able to build my business from the ground up, train 14 horses, and employ my parents and wife all while caring for my two children. I’m particularly proud of the fact that I’ve even been able to give back to my family in Mexico by building them houses and supporting them financially. On top of it all, working with horses every day barely feels like a job – it’s a dream come true."
"My life in horse racing also provides a path forward for my family. This sport is full of people like our gate crew – working behind-the-scenes as exercise riders, grooms, blacksmiths, clockers, maintenance people, truck drivers and the like, who are providing for their families as well. We’re a community united by our love for the horses and working hard to ensure that our kids will get the opportunity to go to college and purse their own dreams."
"Racing industry executives in New York State, where Thoroughbred racing has been under fire from animal rights activists and some state legislators, said their industry is safe, has improved the welfare of current and retired racehorses, and that lawmakers should block to steer video lottery casino proceeds away from track-related interests to education and social needs of the state."
"With states constantly looking to close budget gaps, racetracks that depend on funds derived from casino gambling are increasingly nervous that lawmakers could raid their purse accounts. A recent bill introduced in New York, for instance, proposes redirecting legally protected video lottery terminal payments to more popular needs like public schools, agricultural grants, human services, and workforce protections."
"A public hearing on New York horse racing held Wednesday took an enthusiastic tone, as testimonials touted the industry’s successful comeback this year after a pandemic-stifled 2020 and looked to potential future gains in online betting."
"Lawmakers in the state Assembly today will assess the horse racing industry in New York, and a coalition of business organizations, labor unions and those involved in the sport are urging officials to continue backing the industry."
"Today, ahead of a New York State Assembly hearing to examine the state of the horse racing industry in New York, the We Are New York Horse Racing coalition emphasized the importance of the sport of horse racing to the state’s economy. The coalition called on lawmakers to continue their support for the horse racing industry."
"This would have been beyond my wildest dreams all those years ago in Mexico.. And my story is not unique. Every single day I work with men and women who came to this country as immigrants and, because of this sport, have been able to build a life and raise a family. And you can be sure that none of it would have been possible without New York horse racing."
"Some may think that horse racing is a sport for the elite or privileged few. From my experience, that depiction couldn’t be further from the truth. The heart and soul of our sport are the hard-working people on the backstretch who make racing possible throughout New York and across the country. They’re people like my mom and dad, for whom racing is a livelihood and has given my sister and me the opportunity to go to college."
"Total wagering on harness racing in the U.S. is up 11.35 percent, almost $130 million, through Sept. 30, 2021, compared to the same nine months in 2019. The comparison to 2019 is due to the COVID-19 pandemic that canceled all racing in April and limited the number of races to 154 in May of last year."
“Without it, I’m not sure how local businesses like mine would survive,” she said. “I am very happy to be joining We Are NY Horse Racing and its initiatives, especially as the restaurant industry recovers from the pandemic and we look towards the recovery of our local economy.”
"The range of the coalition's membership would suggest the seriousness with which the racing industry takes the increasingly organized opposition to horse racing in New York. "
"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."
"A coalition comprised of small businesses, unions, non-profits, and trade organizations today announced the launch of We Are NY Horse Racing, a coalition designed to educate New Yorkers regarding the importance of the sport of horse racing to the New York economy."
"Nothing says Saratoga Springs is back quite as ebulliently as the daily run for the picnic tables in the backyard of this historic racetrack. It was an all-out sprint to a hulk of splintered wood, the choice of which (horseplayers being superstitious sorts) might determine the fate of their betting fortunes in the afternoon."
"City officials say that local businesses have seen double-digit increases in sales during the fist two weeks of racing at Saratoga Race Course, a year after city businesses saw their summer sales drop 30 to 40 percent last year when the track was closed to spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic."
"A coalition comprised of small businesses, unions, non-profits, and trade organizations today announced the launch of We Are NY Horse Racing, a coalition designed to educate New Yorkers regarding the importance of the sport of horse racing to the New York economy."
