Enough!
Yesterday’s gate mishap/bad break that resulted in the stewards declaring Phantom Income a non-starter in the Adirondack Stakes rankled deeply, especially since it was yet another in a string of gate incident near-disasters that have marred Spa racing this summer, and reactions have been strong in its wake. On Left at the Gate, one reader asks of the gate crew:
Are they bonded? Do they undergo background checks? Are they prohibited from wagering? Do they carry cell phones when on the job? Are they drug and alchohol tested? Are records kept of which starter is in the gate with which horse? Are they disciplined when they screw up?
Lowell Sun turf writer Paul Daley vents on the Derby List:
Though the money bet on her was refunded, it begs the question of what NYRA is doing about this egregious problem. From a money standpoint, NYRA has refunded substantial sums during the first half of the meet on declared non-starters. It could and should have been much more, as a few other races were allowed to stand as is, involving longshots rather than favorites. Is there a double standard here? Also, in at least two of the affected races, loose horses impeded several others in the field, which should have led the stewards to declare the races “no contest” … I have been an advocate of NYRA retaining the franchise to run New York racing. But, if heads don’t roll on these gate incidents, then I say sayonara to NYRA.
Commenting on the Crist Blog, Phantom Income co-owner William Lawrence is no less frustrated:
With such good fortune I hesitate to complain but NYRA has to get this right! Has any one apologized? No. Just another bad deal for the owners and the bettors as well as costing NYRA more money from more refunds … I drove home yesterday feeling like Tim Donaghy reffed the Adirondack.
No statement from NYRA regarding the Adirondack. But after Phone Home was declared a non-starter on August 6, NYRA’s manager of racing operations, Bruce Johnstone, told the Daily Racing Form that the crew lacked experience:
“We had a lot of people retire,” Johnstone said. “We have a handful of older guys and a lot of younger men. Any gate crew is slow to mature. The learning curve could be five to seven years when they’re doing it repeatedly and you don’t have to think about it.”
I doubt players or owners are interested in waiting five years for the gate crew to get its act together. NYRA must address the problems now, and do so in a way that inspires trust and assures integrity, not allusions to an unfolding sports betting scandal.
