John Bonacic, the chairman of the New York Senate’s racing and wagering committee, recently stated that a proposal that called for Thoroughbreds to be able to race during the evenings at Belmont Park has been dropped from budget negotiations.
According to an article by newsday.com, various racing organizations were against the proposal, which would have seen Belmont’s evening Thoroughbred racing conflict with live Standardbred offerings in the state.
“NYRA believes that night racing is an important component in recruiting and maintaining new generations of fans to secure the long-term future of horse racing in New York,” said Patrick McKenna, a spokesman for NYRA, which operates live racing at Belmont.
The report has also cited Bonacic as saying that it is possible that the measure could resurface in the legislative session that ends June 20.
(With files from newsday.com)