Since retirement I would often take a casual trip to Belmont on the bus to BS with old friends, bartenders, and the old NYRA Wackenhut cops (no Pinkertons for many years now). I could guzzle some beer, not worry about driving, and see some good racing up close while catching some sun but these days the product is simply not there and a lot of old fart rairats such as myself vote with our feet and stay away. I like the action and the bantering and the lying about past scores with the people I run into but staying home with the PC, the live feed on cable, HRTV & TVG on satellite, and the cheap lunch & beers are so much more convenient.

Not one race today (Friday) goes beyond a piddling turn and a half on the grass and nothing on the dirt goes beyond one turn. I want to see NW3X runners going 13 furlongs on the grass and hard-knocking claimers with a field of 12 going 12 furlongs like the old days on a weekday.

I know - those days are gone, I'm living in the past and I'm pissing in the wind. But I'm gone along with my bankroll from there too.

I was on the backstretch last week at about 3:00..Racing was being conducted a stones throw away and you would not have known it..People seem to be going through the motions the backdrop is ominous and the outlook bleak. Maybe Monmouth is a better model..Maybe just weekends of 15 race cards and the occasional Holiday is where we are at. I HATE CAMPO and his ridiculous race making decisions but it seems to go unnoticed by all. A great idea would be to have a THINKTANK of fans to state the obvious which apparently no one feels or sees. At least than we could get Pole in the fight and he could get us some good ole fashion 2 turn races. As of now I guess the prep road to the Belmont is 6f on the grass if your lucky..5.5 if you are not.

I also find it disingenuous that Andy and Eric are urging folks to open a NYRA account on the live feed just hours after NYRA announced a shutdown and sent out 1,400 layoff notices.

In this current atmosphere I'm not sure what will happen concerning NYRA. According to the Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, an employer of more than 100 is required to give 60 days notice.

Most likely racing will continue but as I just mentioned I will not be surprised if racing comes to a halt.

New York State and NYRA don't have 60 bucks between them, forget about 60 days unless a judge gives them to you.

LOL!!! That was funny and not too far from the truth.