And Then There Were Four

It looks like only four bids were made for New York's racing franchise (down from the 16 entities who identified themselves as potential bidders just last month). Interested bidders now include current franchise holder NYRA; Empire Racing; Excelsior Racing; and Capital Play Limited of Australia, according to the Ad Hoc Committee on the Future of Racing.  The only real news today is that none of the regional OTBs submitted a bid for the franchise.

All details will be withheld from the public until the Ad Hoc Committee on the Future of Racing makes recommendations to the governor and legislature next month.

The committee has said that it will release its recommendations to the governor and legislature - both of which must approve a winning bid - by Sept. 29. Under the committee's rules, bidders are prohibited from discussing their responses until the committee releases its recommendations, at which time the bids will become public, Williams said. (Daily Racing Form: registration required).

Albany has apparently looked toward the post-Soviet 'privatization' of Russian oil, gas and other natural resource assets as the model for the state's sale of the New York racing franchise. It's disturbing that that even the value that each bidder places on the franchise won't be released. A few oligarchs and their hired lobbyists will dote on the board members over the next month, and then we'll magically have a 'solution' presented out of Albany for what ails New York racing. And public property, a true gem, passes into private hands for a pittance

Then again, it could all be a charade with the process restarting again once New York's likely new governor Eliot Spitzer takes office in January. According to DRF's Matt Hegarty, officials in Spitzer's office indicated that the "current process would not identify the ultimate winner of the franchise."

Officials in Spitzer's office said privately last week that he intended to take an active role in the process next year if he were elected governor. The officials said they believed the current process would not identify the ultimate winner of the franchise.

Here's the bidder line up:

NYRA is the current franchise holder.

Empire Racing includes a group of New York 'horsemen' as well as Churchill Downs, Magna, Woodbine and others.
Excelsior is led by Steinbrenner son-in-law Steve Swindal.
Capital Play is an Australian bookmaker.