Bruno: The end is near; Hayward: Maybe

A showdown would have been better. A showdown would have made public Sen. Joe Bruno’s nonsensical, irrational stance on franchise issue. Drop the gloves. Lock the gates at Aqueduct. It appears, though, that the politicians have rallied in the eleventh hour and deal is at hand, though it will not be final until the legislature convenes in January.

The New York Racing Association will likely sidestep what promised to be high drama when it accepted a three-week extension of the franchise to allow the nonsense in Albany more time to reach the conclusion that has been elusive in the face of Bruno’s obstructionist and intransigent position on matters that are essentially inconsequential to anyone else.

Bruno has apparently backed off on his position that NYRA’s simulcast signal be awarded to a third party and the term of the franchise, while it may fall short of 30 years, will approach that period of time as well as his demand that the NYRA board step down en masse. The senator also indicated that an operator for the VLT facility at Aqueduct has been chosen but declined to be more specific.

The Republican senate majority leader, appearing via telephone on the Capital OTB program Down the Stretch on Saturday, said a final agreement could be announced as early as Monday and that only “a couple of details” remain unsettled and took the opportunity to blame the delay on Gov. Eliot Spitzer and a good deal of the blame for the long delay in the opening of a video lottery terminal facility at Aqueduct on assembly speaker Sheldon Silver.

“Digging in and drawing lines in the sand is not very productive,” Bruno said.

Duh?

“I wish I could share the view that we’re that close,” NYRA president Charles Hayward said on the same program after a meeting with the State Racing and Wagering Board. At that point, he said, there was no certainty that racing would continue at Aqueduct beyond Monday but a cessation is unlikely with board members, NYRA attorneys and the state oversight committee working to settle legal details. “But I just don’t share the view of the Senator,” Hayward said. “I hope he’s right.”

The three-week extension was preferable to NYRA than the original 90-day proposal, which would carry the season into the spring. But if Jan. 23 dawns without a final agreement in place, Hayward said, there will likely be a cessation of racing.


Long overdue

The only question left after the revocation of jockey Patrick Valenzuela’s provisional license: What took so long? Valenzuela’s substance abuse problems have been a matter of record for almost 20 years but not until his recent arrest on DUI charges, the latest of many arrests, have California authorities taken decisive action. Valenzuela, extreme talent wasted, is apparently beyond the salivation of his once boundlessly promising career.

The Aqueduct draught continues

Sunday is the fifth day of racing since Christmas and NYRA has yet to present a bettable race let alone an interesting card.

Though he comes up short of being a solid play, Indian Hawke, who steps up in company in the Alex M. Robb Handicap for New York-breds on Sunday, presents a live, main-speed possibility at a potentially playable price, which would be 3-1 or more -- not unreasonable since Who What Win and Naughty New Yorker are the likely betting favorites.