Horsemen Ponder Top Issues for NYRA's Head of Racing

Back in March, New York Racing Association senior vice president of racing operations Martin Panza talked about "a decade of development and modernization of the Belmont site."

Signs of that are becoming more evident on a daily basis at Belmont Park. 

The UBS Arena, in a spot behind the grandstand that was once a parking lot, is nearly complete and will open its doors as the home of the NHL's New York Islanders Nov. 20.

A tiered parking garage in the racetrack's south lot has sprung up faster than Jack's fabled beanstalk.

Mountains of dirt reflect the work on the new train station for the complex and a tunnel to the infield.

In the coming months, NYRA itself is expected to finally announce its plans for remodeling Belmont Park, which could ultimately lead to conducting winter racing there and shutting Aqueduct Racetrack. 

Sports betting is on the horizon in New York State and NYRA may partner with Monmouth Park on fixed-odds wagering.

NYRA's television shows with FOX Sports have proven to be incredibly successful, spurring record wagering totals, and surely the relationship between the two will continue to grow and develop in the future.

Yet as all this happens in the days ahead, Panza will not be a part of it. He announced during the Saratoga Race Course meet that he will be stepping down at the end of the current Belmont Park meet, which finishes Oct. 31, ending a tenure that began in 2014.

NYRA has yet to name a successor and has not released the names of any candidates. Numerous sources have said Erich Zimny, the vice president of racing operations at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, was a leading candidate, but it is believed he is no longer interested in the position.

Yet whomever NYRA hires, that person will be joining the organization at a crucial junction in its history and will have to contend with redevelopment while overseeing the day-to-day operation of the sport's premier year-round circuit.

On the racing side, that person is certain to hear a wealth of opinions about his priorities, though a sampling of owners and trainers indicate that stability and keeping NYRA on its current course should be a priority.

"I'm a Martin fan. He elevated our racing programs to a place we had never been before. I'm sorry to see him go and hope the next person wants to sustain what's been happening under Martin. There's a lot going on and Martin had some good ideas. I hope they keep that model," Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said. "There might be disturbing times when they get started with all the remodeling. We may have to use Aqueduct more and maybe Saratoga more, but it's also pretty exciting stuff. The place is going to be pretty darn nice when they are done."

Seven-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer and fellow Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher said, "A lot of factors go into the job. It's a tall order and some big shoes to fill, so you want someone coming in with good, positive energy who will try to improve the NYRA product. Martin emphasized the condition book, which I liked. If you target a race you know the racing office will do everything it can to make sure that race goes. The numbers have never been better at NYRA and Martin has been a big part of that."

Michael Dubb, one of the circuit's leading owners and a member of the NYRA board of directors, said the challenges facing NYRA will not change with the hiring of the new director of racing, putting a premium on making the right selection.

"Martin was a visionary and brought a level of expertise to NYRA that we hadn't seen in many years with his big race days and the Turf Triple Crown. He was always looking to elevate the level of racing at NYRA. He's leaving it in a better place than when he came. I'd like to see them continue what Martin has done and attract as many new trainers to come to NYRA as possible. We need creative ways to grow our handle and grow racing and that would have been a challenge whether or not Martin left. That's what is in front of us," Dubb said. "The new director of racing will be charged with overseeing racing during the opening of the arena and the hundreds of thousands of visitors it brings to the complex. People could go out early for an event there and want to get here early and take in a few races. That's the type of synergy the new director of racing will be tasked with."

Dubb also believes how NYRA will adapt to the impending start of sports betting in New York will play a vital role in its future growth.

"We are in the infancy of our relationship with sports betting. That's the future. As time goes by, people will probably try to claw back VLT (video lottery terminal) money from racing but at the same time they will be promoting sports betting, so we as an industry have to figure out how to capitalize on this," Dubb said. "It's a do-or-die situation for racing."

Terry Finley, president and CEO of West Point Thoroughbreds, is also a fan of Panza's body of work and believes his replacement has to avoid trying to be everything to everybody.

"I think it will be an exciting time with a lot of good things happening and I hope the person continues the good work Martin started. He did a great job. Right now, Kentucky has increased its purses and they are gunning for New York," Finley said. "But a key thing is that the new person shouldn't try to please everyone. It's impossible to do."

The task before the next director of racing features dealing with a range of horsemen that vary from some of the top stables in the sport to some trainers with a handful of horses, and that person will no doubt be asked to make some potentially radical changes.

Trainer Leah Gyarmati, a member of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association board of directors, said she would like to see NYRA limit the number of stalls it allocates to a single trainer, especially at Saratoga Race Course where some trainers keep more than 100 horses before and after the meet.

"Stall allocation has spiraled out of control in terms of the size of some stables. It's not about being jealous or sour grapes. I don't want a big stable. I'm happy with a medium or small stable. But when you allow some trainers to get hundreds and hundreds of horses, it doesn't just put other trainers out of business, it ruins the game. The racing office should want limits because you have one trainer with six or seven horses in one category who are ready to go and they run either out of town or wait for the next race," said Gyarmati, who has a stable of 15 horses. "I don't want to play the blame game because it's a difficult job. Everyone has different opinions and priorities, but the last two directors of racing had strong opinions on this but couldn't get it done."

Gyarmati would also like to see NYRA put more of an emphasis on winter racing.

"Winter racing is very important and there's good racing and good money here and we need to promote it more," said Gyarmati, who won the Oct. 2 Miss Grillo Stakes (G2T) with Sail By . "There have been some attempts to promote it, I know NYTHA has, but it's not always welcomed. When we get to Saratoga there's not a big effort to keep people here for the rest of the year."

Gyarmati added she has been pleased with the level of communication with management since Dave O'Rourke first stepped in as president and CEO in 2019 and hopes that continues during such an important era of change.

"It's not an easy time for NYRA. Whomever comes in as the director of racing will be up against it. There are so many important issues," she said. "But I've sat on several boards with Dave. He really cares and is very involved with the backstretch. He's made a tremendous effort to include the backstretch in conversations and I really appreciate that. I know we can't get everything we want, but I like that he's extending his hand to us and working with us. He's brought the job of NYRA president back to what it once was with other people."