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NYRA’s chief faces some important decisions

Christopher Kay took over as president and CEO of the troubled New York Racing Association on July 1, after holding executive positions with major nonprofit entities and for-profit companies in sports and entertainment. The attorney was COO of The Trust for Public Land, COO of Toys R Us, and managing director of international business development for Universal Parks & Resorts, before taking the reins of NYRA. The NYRA board cited Kay’s wide range of experience as the reason he was selected to lead the association through some tough decisions. Among his tasks will be to decide whether to keep all three of NYRA’s tracks, Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga, open for year-round racing and to come up with a plan for the tracks to operate profitably. NYRA, which is now being run by the state, must come up with a plan to privatize the tracks by 2015. Kay spoke with SportsBusiness Journal’s Liz Mullen.

Christopher Kay, whose previous stops include Toys R Us, is bringing an outside perspective to the racing business.
Photo by: NYRA IMAGES
What have you learned from working at Universal Studios and Toys R Us that you can apply to racing?

KAY: First of all, Universal is the best at creating an enhanced guest experience. From the moment you walk into a Universal theme park to the moment you leave, there are people there who are friendly, smiling, trying to help you, your friends and your family to have a great day. One of the first things we did, at Saratoga this year, is to do the same thing. So if you came to Saratoga this summer, you would have been encountered, from the moment you parked your car, throughout your entire day, with people who were outward, friendly, helpful and tried to ensure you had a great time, so you and your family would come back again.

What are some of the things you have done so far to enhance the fan experience at NYRA?

KAY: One of the things we instituted, shortly after we arrived at Saratoga, is everyone now wears a name tag. There are a couple of reasons I did this. Number one, I wanted our guests to interact with our employees. When you see a name tag that says “Chris” on it, and you need help, you are more inclined to ask for help or engage in a conversation. “Chris, can you give me directions?” And, if you know my name, I am going to be more accountable for giving you that great experience.

What have you discovered about horse racing that has surprised you?

KAY: One of the things that I learned that kind of surprised me is something I learned from a television executive, that a substantial number of people will watch the Triple Crown races and they will watch the Breeders’ Cup, but in between, they don’t watch that much racing. It’s like 31 million people forget about racing between the Belmont [Stakes] and the Breeders’ Cup. I was surprised by that and I view that as an incredible opportunity.

What is the timetable for the future of NYRA going forward?

KAY: The state Legislature passed a bill in which the state of New York is going to be taking a broad supervisory role, with respect to NYRA. And the statute says it is the intention of the state for NYRA to become a purely private entity again. And the date is Oct. 17, 2015. The statute also says that roughly 180 days before that October date … the New York Racing Association should submit its reprivatization plan to the government.
What will happen to Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course?
KAY: The question of the three racetracks would be part and parcel of our business plan.

How will you make the decisions on the future?

KAY: What we are going to do is utilize a number of people on our management team and some outside consultants to analyze a number of business, real estate and financial issues. We will then work with the long-range planning committee of our board of directors. And then we will, working with other stakeholders, develop a plan. That plan will then be submitted to the New York Racing Association board of directors, and then we will submit it to the state.

The NYRA must decide the future of its three tracks — Belmont Park (above), Saratoga and Aqueduct — as part of its plans.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
Do you know what the decision will be on whether to close Aqueduct and whether to have year-round racing?

KAY: I can tell you the factors that are going to go into it. You have two tracks that are eight miles apart. You have one track that was built in the ’50s and one track that was built in the ’60s. If you look around at the rest of the sports entertainment venues in the country, you will find most of them are less than 10 years old. The Mets’ Citi Field, the Barclays Center. I can go on and on. What are the amenities in those stadiums? What are the amenities people would expect at a horse track? What are the things people would expect to see in the future to provide to our guests so the visits will be sustainable for decades to come? These are all questions that need to be asked.

You have other questions. For example, if you are not going to have two facilities, but you only have one, how do you have winter racing? What needs to be done to provide for the fans who like to wager during the winter months? There are a myriad of opportunities or possibilities that can be analyzed or will be analyzed and then we will come up with our recommendations. It would be premature for me to say to you today, as much as I would love to, “I have this great idea.”

What is your goal?

KAY: My goal is to come up with a plan that provides for a great racing venue in New York for our fans and for hopefully new fans and new generations of fans that can be utilized for many months of the year.

On a different topic, how important is it to you and New Yorkers to have a Breeders’ Cup come back to New York? Or, do you think it should stay in California as a permanent site?

KAY: I have only been on the job since July 1 and I have had the opportunity to meet with the Breeders’ Cup on one occasion and have been devoting most of my time to this plan, which, as you said, has a lot of decisions within it. That is truly where I have spent most of my time and effort and thought. I would only say it is my understanding that, by virtue of how the races are held in Paris and the U.K. in early and mid-October, that our ability to have this event typically falls on the first weekend in November. The first weekend in November is also the New York Marathon. So, there are some very significant and real logistical issues associated with having the Breeders’ Cup that weekend.

Do you want it back or would it be too difficult? Wouldn’t you have to build lights for night racing? Also, haven’t some expressed concerns about lights and weather, especially that the Breeders’ Cup Classic is now being broadcast at night in prime time?

KAY: I am not going to tell you we want it or we don’t want it, because I don’t think in those terms in this point in my time as CEO. It’s a question of can we do it or can we not do it. I do think … we do need to have lights. That is an issue we would have to look at. How much do they cost and the whole financial issue associated with it. So I think frankly one year out of three or four they could do it in late October, but the Breeders’ Cup is saying we are having this event at the Arc de Triomphe in early October and the U.K. races in mid-October, so when you take those two things and say those are fixed and you look at the calendar, the question really is “How could we do it?” I will look at that. Not today. I have a few other things on my plate. But I will look at that to see if it’s possible in future years.

The other issue some have raised is the weather in New York in late October. Are weather and the lighting issues for holding the Breeders’ Cup in New York?

KAY: Yes. Look, they are issues. I know what the weather is like in late October here. Sometimes it’s gorgeous. Sometimes it’s not. So, it’s an issue. On the other hand, we are going to have a Super Bowl in this area in February.

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