Down to the wire: New York racing is strapped for cash, might have to shut races after Belmont

New York horse racing threatened by money woes

NEW YORK — The New York Racing Association says it is running out of money and may have to shut down thoroughbred races after the Belmont Stakes in less than three weeks.

NYRA president Charlie Hayward says the state must give financial help or Belmont Park won’t be able to run a full meet. He did not give a timetable for a possible closing. His comments appeared in several New York newspapers Monday.

The final leg of the Triple Crown is June 5. Belmont runs through July 18 before racing shifts to Saratoga in upstate New York on July 23.

NYRA is a nonprofit corporation that was awarded the right to run thoroughbred racing at Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga through 2033.