Considering the typical attendance level at Aqu and Bel these days, I don't think any expansion of the facilities will be required as part of any move toward slots. I've been at Belmont a few times in the last 2 weeks. It's starting to remind me of the Aqu inner track meet on an extremely cold day. They could set aside 2 floors for anything they want and still couldn't fill up the remaining space with horseracing fans. Live racing is almost dead except when there's a marquee race. However, it's hard to get those when everyone retires early.

Just imagine what a Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex, Ghostzapper race would draw and handle - especially if you threw in St Liam, RIM, and RHT.

What they probably should do is admit now that there are much better economic uses for all this valuable racetrack property around the country.

They should probably sell AQU to a real estate developer.

Sell a huge chunk of Belmont to a real estate developer and use all the proceeds to upgrade Belmont into a state of the art 9F track with 1 turf course and room for casinos, simulcasting, etc.... and expand Saratoga for the same.

They should "can" winter racing once and for all.

Much if not most of the betting will move online over time. We will need way fewer tracks in that environment.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/2005 12:56PM by classhandicapper.