The customary annual motif of optimism was in evidence yesterday at the Jockey Club’s round table conference on matters pertaining to racing in Saratoga Springs

, complete with happy spins despite acknowledged dark clouds overhead.

Steven Dunker, chairman of the New York Racing Association for the last seven years, said he was never more optimistic than he is right now, undoubtedly seeing sugar plums as construction nears on the Aqueduct racino project, which started two years before Dunker took office.

Nick Eaves of the Woodbine Entertainment Group cited a need to explore all opportunities, and indicated WEG’s project with giant Cordish corporation of Baltimore on an ambitious outdoor retail mall and entertainment complex to be called Woodbine Live! on its spacious grounds would be breaking ground shortly.

Jim Gagliano, COO of the Jockey Club, turned a diminishing thoroughbred foal report into good news, saying, “We may have less foals and less racing, but we expect to have better horses and better racing.” That commentary summarized the hopes and aspirations of all racing for a silver lining to the present dark clouds.

Dennis Robinson, speaking for the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park, did not dwell on the savage Hanson report threatening racing, but called the Monmouth shortened-season, higher purses experiment proof that innovative change can have positive results.

(Harness Tracks of America)