Issue link: http://nytbreeders.epubxp.com/i/817947
6 New York Breeder | nytbreeders.org | May 2017 New York Thoroughbred Breeders embarked on the budget process with, arguably, the most ambitious and challenging agenda ever. Issues material to the in - terests of the equine sector included restoration of the New York Racing Association to private control after fve years of operating under the aegis of the state; provisions for the racing calendar; a proposed ex - pansion of powers of the Franchise Oversight Board over NYRA fnances; and a new model for fnancing equine drug testing. Offsetting the challenges of making sure that deci - sion-makers took breeders' interests into account in their negotiations, NYTB adopted a new MO for the budget process this year: Get a seat at the table early and make sure to stay in constant touch with the leg - islature and governor's offce throughout the process. The results exceeded expectations. The most hotly debated racing and gaming issue of the budget was the composition of the new NYRA board. The outcome included a big win for the horse - men and breeders and was as good as could be ex- pected regarding the distribution of private and state appointees. The new 17-member NYRA board will comprise • eight members appointed by the executive com - mittee of the current NYRA reorganization board • six state appointees (two each by the governor, senate majority leader, and assembly speaker) • the NYRA CEO (ex offcio) • one NYTB appointee to represent the breeders • one New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Associ - ation appointee to represent the horsemen. Except for the CEO, who has no term limit, board members will serve three-year terms, but can serve no longer than nine years. The big-ticket item for us is that all board mem - bers will have equal voting rights, which restores the voting privileges breeders and horsemen enjoyed before the governor's appointment of the NYRA reorganization board. By contrast with the complexities of NYRA gover - nance, a deceptively simple-sounding budget provi- sion has even greater ramifcations for our program's future. It is now codifed in statute that winter race dates at NYRA may not be reduced below 95 days without written permission from NYTB and NYTHA, in addition to approval by the gaming commission. With veto power over any radical changes to win - ter racing, breeders and horsemen now have the power to preserve one of the most important engines driving the success of the program overall. This leg - islative achievement is monumental. Other victories for the equine sector include scal - ing back some of the more draconian aspects of the governor's proposal to expand FOB powers over NYRA fnances, including the power to impound racing support payments unilaterally in the event of two consecutive years of "material losses." Also, the state opted not to eliminate a requirement that equine drug testing be conducted by approved New York State college. Moreover, the fnal budget spelled out how costs for drug testing—now to be covered by stakeholders—will be distributed, annual race - track assessments, and per-start fees for owners and trainers. With the budget in the books, one outstanding legislative issue will occupy the lion's share of our attention for the remainder of the session: reversing the unintended negative consequences of Genting's operation of Nassau County OTB's video lottery ter - minals at Aqueduct. Several elected offcials agree with our contention that the situation needs to be rectifed as soon as possible, and we have been in - formed Genting does have applications with the state to install new machines to replace the ones taken out of circulation for racing and breeding revenue. Finally, as you know, the once-imperiled Fin - ger Lakes meet is now underway with the help of a two-year agreement (with the option for a third year) to supplement the horseman's purse account with monies from the state's Thoroughbred Breed - ing and Development Fund, Delaware North, and del Lago. NYTB continues to collaborate with all inter - ested parties on a plan to make Finger Lakes racing sustainable in the long term, and I will keep you in - formed as our work develops. JEFFREY A. CANNIZZO Executive Director Done Deal(s) in Albany THIS YEAR'S NEW YORK STATE BUDGET ran a week past the April 1 deadline, but for breeders, horsemen, and anyone else with a stake in the state's breeding and racing programs, it was well worth the wait.