"It's not something as trivial as nasal strips; it's the sport’s lack of uniformity."

"I don’t know what is going on here, whether it is a personal vendetta, a power play, or an attempt to cover up governmental ineptitude by focusing all the blame on a single individual and a group of citizens who do not get paid for their service on the NYRA Board. What I am fairly certain of, however, is that it has little to do with what is in the best interests of horse racing in New York."

"As a horseplayer and as a columnist with license for commentary, It is absolutely appalling to see the treatment Mr. Hayward is getting from people who should know better, people who should know how much he has fought to improve the NYRA on many levels, how much improvement has occurred and how most policy decisions he has made -- that I am aware of -- have benefited NY racing, its participants on the track and in the grandstand."

“I don’t have any stock,” Alexander said by phone ... “It’s getting harder and harder to get clients. You feel like a mom and pop operation between Lowe’s and Home Depot.”

"The purses were also increased for the cheaper horses that fill in the everyday claiming races. As a result, horses running for a claiming price of $7,500 were running for a purse worth $30,000, which increased the number of starters and seemed like a home run for all involved. Instead, it turned out to be a nightmare for the NYRA when an astounding 18 horses suffered fatal breakdowns over the inner-dirt track during the winter meet. The majority of the breakdowns came in the cheaper claiming races, which tend to have the biggest field sizes and the horses with the most physical problems."

"One obvious conclusion is that horses in the cheaper claiming races are vulnerable. Of the 18 fatalities, 13 came in races where horses were running for a claiming price of $15,000 or less."

“The very simple answer is that the purse becomes more valuable than the horse,” Arthur said in early March. “It creates a negative incentive to look after the long-term welfare of the horse when the purse is so disproportionate to the value of the horse. That’s the thinking on it. The recommendation was basically to discourage incentives that would overpower the responsibility to look after the welfare of the horse.” See also: NYRA adjusts bottom-level purses: http://www.drf.com/news/aqueduct-nyra-adjust-bottom-claim-level-purses-following-breakdowns

"First, NYRA will begin enforcing a house rule that will allow P.J. Campo, the director of racing, Anthony Verderosa, the chief examining vet, the right to refuse entry of a horse with which 'they have any nature of concern.'" Also: http://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/stories/Feb172012.shtml

"Mr. Bemsel has not given up stooping. After a loop through the racino, he has enough cash to hit the betting window in the track and then scour the floor and trash for winning tickets. Slipping deftly through crowds of cheering and swearing horseplayers, he can read slips on the ground and tell immediately if they are winners. For face-down slips, he has developed a nimble, soccer-style flip move using both feet — so he barely has to stoop at all."

"When handicapping these races, you almost have to ignore the suspiciousness of the dropdown and just look at it in the above financial terms. A horse taking a big drop in claiming price is not necessarily a "fire sale" or is a horse that has physical ailments that the owner has decided can't be competitive at the present claiming level and needs to be dropped. My rule is to not read anything into the dropdown and just take it for what it is."

"The task force recommends that all New York racetracks and Resorts World Casino New York City at Aqueduct give one-half of 1% of VLT commissions to retirement efforts. Based on 2010 commissions and projections at the Aqueduct VLT casino, the percentage could produce more than $3.1 million a year, the task force report said. In addition, the group calls for all racetracks and horsemen in the state to contribute one-half of 1% of purses, which would generate another $1.1 million based on 2010 levels. Other sources would bring the total to more than $5 million a year." (Link with Retired Racehorse post on connecting with sport horse enthusiasts.)

"But until a final verdict is rendered on the appeal -- and that could be months from now -- it seems as if it will be business as usual this winter for Dutrow, which can be best described as making a mockery of the system. In a controversial career that has seen him survive more than 60 violations, he’s once again getting a laugh that may or not be his last by winning races at an astonishing rate while the game’s regulators try to banish him."

"Still, Dutrow soon could find it nearly impossible to get a job training horses anywhere but on a carousel. And if that's the case, if his appeal fails, well, racing won't miss him. Racing will be better off without him. And that's the reason for the conga line. Beyond that, however, I find reasons for alarm. Whether the recent ruling implies it or some observers simply infer it, there seems to be a popular assumption that Dutrow is, to borrow a limp old metaphor, just the tip of some sinister iceberg threatening to destroy the sport. Cheating is rampant, illicit drugs are everywhere, trust nobody -- or so goes the iceberg assumption."

"He has a lack of respect for some people," Anthony says. "Rick also had a lack of respect for authority."

"The bigger picture is what does this mean for the industry as a whole? In Kentucky and New York, you now have two racing jurisdictions that have done what used to be unthinkable, not only standing up to a high-profile trainer, but delivering the type of severe punishment that fits the crime. An important precedent has been set and others are sure to follow."

"The career of controversial trainer Rick Dutrow is in tatters after he was banned for ten years in New York, where his string is based, and fined $50,000 for persistent breaking of the rules."

“Let this be a lesson to other people in the business,” said board chairman John Sabini ... Dutrow “has repeatedly violated rules in jurisdictions across the country and a license is a privilege and not a right.”

"The pursuit of the ban has increasingly angered some horsemen, who contend the results of the Jockey Club study that were announced two years ago provided conclusive scientific support to allow furosemide on race day. Citing other studies that have said up to 80 percent of horses will show some evidence of bleeding in the lungs after strenuous exercise, the president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, Rick Violette, has begun characterizing the effort to ban furosemide as 'borderline animal cruelty,' a loaded term that has come to symbolize the hardening position of horsemen. Violette said New York horsemen were prepared to file a lawsuit that would prevent New York from enforcing a ban on furosemide, a suit that could tie up the effort for years."

"Hayward said he didn’t want to reveal details of NYRA’s bid, but he did say the association is committed to making capital improvements at Belmont, something that will be much easier for NYRA when the under-construction video lottery terminal casino at Aqueduct begins operating."

"If it was at Belmont, purses would have to be cut from $26 million to $15 million to break even."

"The way we campaign horses has changed. We don’t run as frequently as we used to. The ‘bounce factor’ is a real deal. If you ignore it you get your butt kicked. I actually think that’s been one of the biggest reasons in the downward spiral in starts per year for a horse. We simply give them more time between races. Every time we lead them over there these days we expect an ‘A’ effort. And then when they give you an ‘A’ effort they need more time to recover. It’s as simple as that. I mean, with a lot of trainers, if their horse is not 4-to-1 or less, they’re out. They don’t run."

"If I have top horses like Mo, Thirsty, and Overdriven running next year, I am going to have to rethink my decision to go over there. It's just not fair. They don't hold the Super Bowl at the same venue three out of five years. It's a joke. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the top East Coast trainers and owners didn't go out there next year. Actually, if NYRA decided to run some big races on the same weekend as the Breeders' Cup, I would encourage other horsmen to stay close to home." Also: "As an owner who regularly spends up to $4 million on horses per year, what am I supposed to do if one of these horses bleeds after his first start ... ?"

"Since NYRA keeps 10 percent of wagers considered to be made ontrack -- which includes phone, Internet, and Belmont -- the $52 million increase helped offset the $50.4 million decrease in handle that was associated with the closure of New York City OTB. NYRA only got 2.5 percent of a dollar wagered at OTB. Thus, NYRA realized approximately a $5.2 million revenue increase."

"What most everyone underestimated was the resilience of New York's horseplayers. They like the game and they like to wager. Take away OTB and most will find a way to get a bet down."

"Total pari-mutuel handle at New York Racing Association tracks was up 76% in the first month after the shutdown of New York City Off-Track Betting Corp., according to state officials. The increase amounts to about $11.6 million in added facility handle, according to the New York State Racing and Wagering Board."

"Forty-four months later, Lakeman is surviving. He has come to terms with his fate that he will never walk again. He has been clean and sober for nearly 17 months. And, with the help of a 3-year-old colt named Thisskysabeauty, the 36-year-old Lakeman is realizing his dream of becoming a trainer. Thisskysabeauty, a son of Sky Mesa, will debut in a six-furlong maiden race Saturday at Aqueduct. He will break from post 5, with leading jockey Ramon Dominguez aboard."

"Indeed, with success -- especially rapid, unforeseen success -- came accusations from fans and horsemen that Rodriguez was cheating. After he won 8 races from 11 starters at the Aqueduct spring meeting, officials from the New York State Racing and Wagering Board and NYRA began showing up at Rodriguez’s barn, a practice Rodriguez says still takes place. At the beginning, investigators would be camped outside Rodriguez’s barn monitoring and documenting the comings and goings of workers, veterinarians, and other visitors. In some instances, security would be assigned to sit outside the stalls of horses running on that day’s program. When Belmont was running, security would go in the vans that brought Rodriguez’s horses from Aqueduct."

"Overall, daily average total handle at NYRA in December was down 8.1 percent compared with 2009, though daily average attendance was up 39.4 percent, most of that coming following the Dec. 8 closure of OTB."

"Outside the shuttered parlor near Times Square, a man recognized a reporter from an earlier visit and asked if there had been any developments. Told that NYRA had taken over the television programming, he beamed. 'So NYRA is taking over OTB?' he asked excitedly. No, friend. Just the television part. He sank. 'This is a crazy situation,' he said."

"The possibility that residents of New York City will remain unable to place a legal wager at any storefront property has led to discussions about the potential of NYRA to open offtrack betting sites under a law passed in 1990. With the elimination of New York City OTB from the political scene, NYRA would appear to be in position to seek the licenses, according to officials."

"Greg Rayburn, the NYCOTB president, said Dec. 14 that half of the OTB’s ADW account holders have withdrawn their funds, taking its balance down from about $1.5 million a week ago to $700,000."

"The New York City system wagered $9.6 million on Turfway Park races in 2009, resulting in $169,000 in revenues that were split between Turfway and its horsemen through purses ..."

"Hayward said he sent a letter to the New York State Racing and Wagering Board proposing a 120-day pilot program, during which any regulated in-state advanced deposit wagering entity could video stream NYRA's races."

"But the complexities of the state’s racing money distribution formula presents some opportunities for NYRA. NYCOTB had been paying NYRA about 2.7% of its handle on bets made at parlors and over the internet and phone accounts. But NYRA gets to keep 10% of the handle on live bets, and the state considers live bets to also include wagers made through NYRA’s ADW operation. Also, if a NYCOTB ADW patron migrates to an out-of-state ADW, NYRA would get about 50% more per wager than it had gotten on bets on its races made through NYCOTB."

"Racing is more than about people sitting in betting parlors. It is about the sport -- making the tracks viable as racing entities -- not just places where VLTs are played. We need to focus on helping the breeders and horsemen since they are the infrastructure that develops a successful racing product. We then need to market racing in a manner which brings fans to the track and generates interest in the sport overall."

"As is often the case in New York, politics trumped logic."

"State officials say they do not have numbers yet on how many NYCOTB ADW customers have closed their accounts, but sources say the accounts have been sharply draining down 48 hours now since the OTB closed its doors. They say even if the NYCOTB were to come back to life, it would be difficult to get those bettors back."

"Asked if he expected some resistance to opening Belmont for simulcasting from Nassau OTB -- which has as a nearby branch in Franklin Square -- Hayward said, 'If NYRA were to reduce its race days and go out of business, the other regional OTBs would be right behind us; we're 40 percent of their business. They should be thrilled we're trying to stay in business.' A spokesperson for Nassau County OTB said it had 'not yet received any proposal from NYRA or any information about this plan. But when we do receive it, we do look forward to reviewing it with Charlie Hayward.'"

"There was a longer-than-usual line at NYRA Rewards Customer Service at Aqueduct on Wednesday -- when 61 new NYRA One accounts were opened -- as presumably New York City OTB customers came to the track to open NYRA One accounts. NYRA reported that 56 new NYRA One accounts had been opened from Friday through Monday."

"The 58-year-old Leonardo, who lives in Wanaque, N.J., has devised a plan that will allow him to continue searching for someone else’s lost treasure. He has increased his ticket-collecting staff to six, and has started dispatching them on a rotating basis to racetracks in New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia."

The board approves emergency measures following the closure of NYC OTB on December 8, 2010.

"The purpose of this hearing is to evaluate the economic impact of merging all of the regional OTB corporations into one single entity in order to cut duplicable administrative and operating expenses, maximize the benefit these entities were originally created to provide and to ensure that the quality of New York's racing product remains intact."

"Total all-sources handle from Wednesday was down 3.8% to $5,385,903 compared with an average of total all-sources handle from the November 24 and December 2 cards. All three of those cards featured nine races and were comparable in that December 2 was a Thursday card and November 24 was the most recent Wednesday card."

"There’s a consequence to what happened yesterday," board chairman John Sabini said. "We just put a gaping hole in the handle. The size of the hole we don’t know yet. But there will likely be less of a racing product. I think you’ll see fewer race dates and you may even see a track or two close."

"In an emergency meeting, the board approved streamlining the process for New York City OTB bettors to quickly sign up for Internet betting on state-regulated sites. The board also authorized several betting entities to start the process immediately, which would dramatically reduce delays for bettors to sign up."

"The failure of the NYC OTB bill in the State Senate was, in one sense, simply a numbers game. Specifically, the number of Democrats who were not present for the special session. By my count, compiled from various reports, there were five; including Senate President Malcolm Smith, who was tarnished in the AEG report; Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada, tarnished in several scandals, and Senator Kevin Parker, who was being tarnished with a misdemeanor assault criminal mischief conviction (related to an assault) in a Brooklyn courthouse. Man, what a crew."

"With money finally available to help improve their living conditions, the association is going to back off previous assurances? You must be kidding. Summer is the apex of the thoroughbred experience, when extraordinary wealth is on display in this city in a variety of activities. It will be an embarrassment to NYRA and to the community of riches if leaders look the other way."

"Clyde Rice measured his response before speaking it. He told her, 'That career would be a lot easier if you were one of my sons.' Having no more than one Breeders' Cup runner in 2010 validates just how much harder it can be for a woman."

"But it was the mighty Kelso who owned the Jockey Club Gold Cup, run at 2 miles in those days. He notched five in a row on his way to five straight Horse of the Year titles from 1960 to 1964. Those triumphs (by a collective 28 lengths) were the equivalent of five consecutive victories in the Breeders' Cup Classic, a feat that surely will never be matched."

"To have racing cease at what remains the most important racing circuit in North America seems unimaginable, but it's not. In New York, where the politicians are beyond contempt and the off-track betting system is a bad joke, it can happen."

"Speaking on condition of anonymity, highly placed industry sources are telling HRI there is no way Monmouth Park can reasonably expect to double its handle, something it would need to do to remain viable, given a purse structure that will distribute an average $1-million daily." As long as New Jersey is experimenting, why not court bettors as aggressively as connections? Slash takeout, offer free data, target whales.

"On a cool spring morning in May of 1836 Isaac Michael Dyckman possibly took leave from his family home in Inwood, on the Northern tip of Manhattan, mounted his steed, and rode the muddy trail to the Union Race Course in far off Long Island for what would prove to be one of the most celebrated horse races of the 19th Century ..."

New York state racing rules for reference