Mangano: Don’t Cancel the Belmont Stakes
Reacting to a recent threat by the New York Racing Association (NYRA) to cancel the 142nd Belmont Stakes, Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano today asked Governor David A. Paterson to intervene and ensure that the historic race goes on, as planned, in June.
“The loss of the Stakes would be dramatic and would depress already shrunken sales tax revenues, lead to further loss of jobs and would hurt significantly the hotel and restaurant businesses in our County,” said Mangano. “Cancelling this event is unthinkable.”
“The positive economic impact of the Belmont Stakes and the troubled state of our economy highlight the need to run the Belmont Stakes this year and every year going forward,” Mangano said.
If NYRA persists with its decision, Mangano said he is prepared to seek legislative and judicial action and to immediately begin talks with private operators to run the Stakes.
The plea to the Governor follows a remark by the CEO of NYRA to cancel the 142nd running of the Belmont Stakes scheduled for June 5, 2010.
