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SARATOGA SPRINGS — While the pandemic keeps harness racing fans guessing about the prospects for the sport, grooms and trainers at the Saratoga Casino Hotel’s harness track must still care for the nearly 400 horses in the barns there — with workers’ pay being cut or the future of their jobs in question.
“They are going on and continuing to jog and train the horses,” said Tom McTygue, president of the Saratoga Harness Horseperson’s Association. “They are keeping the horses conditioned and continuing just as if they were racing. But the owners aren’t making any money. If we don’t get racing pretty soon, I don’t know.”
The Saratoga Casino Hotel where the harness track is situated suspended racing after March 21 indefinitely, when the season normally runs from March 1 to mid-December. The week before the suspension, the horses ran with no fans in the stands. The track did, however, take bets off-track. Director of Racing John Matarazzo said they raced like that so the horse owners could earn some income to pay drivers, trainers and grooms — the people who care for the horses by walking, saddling, brushing and feeding them.
“It went OK,” Matarazzo said. “It’s not the ideal circumstance without fans. We had some business, not a lot. We did it to get the horsemen some purse money. If (the horses) run, the horsemen get some money in their pockets.”
The Horseperson’s Association, which is meeting more often than normal during the pandemic to discuss ways to help, has started their efforts with the grooms. They have been giving the 50 or so people who go to work every day — which includes 30 people who live in a dorm on the backstretch — a $50 coupon per week for food from the track kitchen. And this week, the owners got some relief from Chatham Agway, which will donate feed for a week to all the horses that live in the barns.
“I partnered with the feed suppliers,” said Paul O’Neil, general manager of Chatham Agway. “Everyone has been very generous. We wanted to make a gesture because they lost every avenue to make money and still have to feed they animals. They are really up against it.”
McTygue said his association will also consider on a weekly basis how to help the 50 or so trainers at the track, as well as drivers veterinarians, farriers (hoof specialists) and farmers who supply the hay—all of whom continue to work but might not get paid if the races continue to be shutdown. The group will meet this Saturday to further discuss these matters, including the cost of feed.
“The horses are being fed this week,” McTygue said. “We will see what we have to do for next week.”
Meanwhile, the backstretch and paddock are on lock down. Only those who work on the backstretch are allowed to be there. And it’s not just people. Owners are not allowed to bring any horse up from the Yonkers Raceway or any track south of Albany. The horseperson’s association also purchased a used trailer to house any groom who gets infected with the virus, so that they have a place to convalesce and be quarantined.
The shutdown on the harness backstretch is the same as at New York Racing Association’s Belmont Park, where 585 workers — many of who come to the Saratoga Race Course — live. NYRA’s spokesman said that the track “is restricted to only employees and workers who are essential to the ongoing training operation. The property can now only be accessed at one specific gate where personnel are subjected to standard health assessment performed by EMTs that includes a temperature check.” Horses outside of the area are also restricted to those with “extenuating circumstances subject to the approval of Martin Panza, NYRA’s senior vice president of racing operations.”
Everyone there also must adhere to social distancing protocols and clean and sanitize heavily trafficked and touched common areas.
Belmont Park’s racing season was originally scheduled to begin April 24 and conclude July 12, but has now been delayed. Brad Maione, the spokesman for the state Gaming Commission, said that any commission decision on reopening tracks statewide will be “consistent with executive direction.” In other words, it is up to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Back at the harness track, management is putting together a proposal for the state Gaming Commission to consider how the track can reopen. In addition to racing without bettors in the stands, the harness track management is considering stagger races so that fewer people and horses are waiting in the paddock area.
“It’s not a fix-all, but at least it would keep people separated,” said Wayne Kellogg, owner of Kellogg Racing Stables in Hudson Falls. “If you are in the paddock and can’t keep six feet, you can be required to wear a mask. It can be enforced in the paddock.”
Kellogg said he’s lucky that he saves much of his purse money and has enough to care for his eight horses and pay his staff through the first half of the summer. But by August, he doesn’t know how he will make ends meet. Still he feels lucky compared to other owners who don’t have the cash on hand to pay grooms and trainers.
McTygue said though its hard now, it could get worse if someone gets sick in the dorms.
“If that happens, I’m afraid we are in trouble,” McTygue said.
