Cuomo Honors Marylou Whitney During Saratoga Visit

On a day devoted to honoring the legacy of the late Marylou Whitney, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo made his first visit to Saratoga Race Course Aug. 3, announcing the construction of a permanent hospitality facility for backstretch workers.

The building will be located on the Oklahoma training facility grounds. Currently, a tent houses a variety of activities for backstretch workers, a program Whitney and her husband, John Hendrickson, instituted 12 years ago.

In 2012, Cuomo authorized the state to oversee operations of the New York Racing Association and reorganized its board of directors, appointing seven of the 16 board members. NYRA returned to private control in 2017.

Since being elected governor in 2011, Cuomo has attended the races only once, to present the trophy at the 2014 Belmont Stakes (G1), won by Tonalist .

He was scheduled to attend the Belmont Stakes again in 2015 when American Pharoah  successfully completed his Triple Crown bid, but he canceled when two prisoners escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York.

Standing in a suite in the newly constructed 1863 Club with the backdrop of the race course behind him, Cuomo proclaimed Aug. 3, 2019, as Marylou Whitney Day. He effusively praised NYRA, an organization of which he has often been critical, saying it is at the "forefront" of safety and integrity in Thoroughbred racing and that NYRA is the most successful racing organization in the country.

But the primary purpose of his visit was to honor Whitney, who was friendly with Cuomo's mother, Matilda. She was married to the late Mario Cuomo, who served as governor of New York from 1983-1994. The elder Cuomo died in 2015.

"Everything Marylou touched, she made better," said the governor. "She was extra devoted to the seasonal backstretch workers, the backbone of Saratoga Race Course."

Whitney and Hendrickson didn't only financially support the backstretch programs, which included meals, movies, and language instruction, but they also frequently attended them. Whitney was known to call the occasional bingo game for the grooms and hotwalkers who attended the events.

"We will honor Marylou's legacy by building a permanent Marylou Whitney Pavilion on the Oklahoma backstretch to serve backstretch workers," said Cuomo.

"Marylou's commitment to the backstretch community, alongside her husband, John, was unmatched," NYRA CEO and president Dave O'Rourke said. "Her decades of consistent support improved the lives of the men and women who sustain racing not only here in Saratoga but around New York state. The Marylou Whitney Pavilion is a fitting tribute to the life and legacy of someone who meant so much to the fabric of Saratoga Race Course. Thanks to Governor Cuomo, the Backstretch Appreciation Program will now have a permanent home."

The Marylou Whitney Pavilion is expected to be completed by July 2020.

Hendrickson was in attendance, as were Whitney's daughter and son-in-law and two granddaughters. Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner and state Sen. Daphne Jordan, both of whom represent Saratoga Springs, were also present.

"The story of horse racing and Marylou Whitney could not be more intertwined," said Cuomo. "Her heart and spirit and personality and mystique and beauty and charisma represent the best of New York's horse racing industry."

The press conference was hosted by NYRA board chair Michael Del Giudice, who was appointed by Cuomo.

"Your presence here today is a great testament to who you are," said Hendrickson to the governor. "Thank you for honoring my wife and doing something for the backstretch workers who were so important to Marylou."

"Marylou was all about elevating people, and I believe that she elevated everyone who was ever around her," Hendrickson continued. "And with what you've just done, you've elevated the backstretch workers."

Cuomo remained briefly after the press conference to watch the first race from Whitney's box with Del Giudice and Hendrickson.