from the SOA of New York
Yonkers, NY — Horses which race at New York tracks will have a higher starting fee attached to their entry for drug testing beginning in May.
Currently, a $10 starting fee is in place, but that will be increased by the State of New York to $18.80 as a result of an analysis based on last year’s starters. The extra money will make up for the $1.7 million deficit in funding for drug testing.
Originally, the tracks paid for all drug testing, then the State until after video gaming was authorized at the State’s racetracks. Joe Faraldo, president of the Standardbred Owners Association of New York explained how this came about.
“At first the current legislation was to have all drug testing costs ($4 to $6 million) in all likelihood come out of the horsemen’s pocket, but the argument was made by representative horsemen’s groups that since the horsemen only share 25 cents of every dollar wagered on video gaming machines and the tracks get 75 cents, the tracks should have to pay — and pay more in proportion to their revenue. The end result was legislation that spared the industry the extra burden that would have come from complete drug testing funding to solely be for the State’s $1.7 million shortfall, and so the further assessment to horsemen beyond what we already have in place will go from $10 a dance to $18.80. The tracks will now also contribute to the shortfall which they had not been obligated to do before.”