Breeders’ Cup Forum: David O’Rourke, President And CEO Of New York Racing Association
Six years into his tenure as head of NYRA, O’Rourke discusses a variety of topics, including the new Belmont Park, and he fires back at a recent opinion piece in the New York Times

When David O’Rourke was named interim CEO of the New York Racing Association in February 2019 following Chris Kay’s sudden resignation, there were calls from some industry stakeholders for NYRA’s board of directors to look for a permanent CEO with a horseman’s background.

O’Rourke, who joined NYRA as director of financial planning in 2008 and was named chief revenue officer and senior VP five years later, did not fit that bill, coming from the strategic thinking world of finance and markets.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher told Bloodhorse at the time of O’Rourke’s appointment as interim CEO that “it’s a multi-faceted business” encompassing customer service, government and politics – and not just horse racing. “I’m not sure the president has to be someone who necessarily has to know how to write a condition book,” Pletcher said. “You have people to do that for you.”

Within two months, NYRA’s board of directors lifted the “interim” tag from O’Rourke’s title snd he is now president and CEO of the association.

O’Rourke has built a reputation for doing exactly what Pletcher suggested – hiring good people and letting them do their jobs. He holds a belief in his management team and key employees that has built loyalty around him.

It’s been a consequential six years for O’Rourke as CEO. Most notable is the complete rebuilding of Belmont Park and its racing surfaces, which will now include a Tapeta synthetic track for winter racing – something that is expected to increase field size and improve business. The new surfaces are designed to further improve the safety record of NYRA tracks, which had a catastrophic injury rate of 0.66 per thousand starts in 2024, below the record-low national average of 0.90 per thousand announced recently by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.

The Belmont Park grandstand will be the first 21st Century non-casino racetrack that is right-sized for all-season, everyday use but flexible enough to host big crowds at major events like the Belmont Stakes and Breeders’ Cup. When Belmont reopens, all downstate operations will move there, with the state having the opportunity to benefit substantially from development of the Aqueduct racetrack property.

Also, NYRA seamlessly moved the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival to Saratoga last year during the Belmont rebuild and will do so again this year, with an additional Fourth of July Racing Festival to whet the appetite of upstate racing fans for the traditional summer season.

O’Rourke was interviewed by Paulick Report publisher Ray Paulick.

Rebuilding of the new Belmont Park is scheduled to be completed sometime in the fall of 2026. What’s your confidence level right now on the timeline being met?

O’Rourke: We are on-schedule to open the facility in September 2026. Our partners in this endeavor (AECOM Tishman, Populous among others) bring a wealth of experience in construction/design and understand the challenges inherent to a project of this size and scope. It’s helpful to remember that the redevelopment of Belmont Park got underway back in 2022 with the installation of the first tunnel to provide access to the infield. Once we secured New York State authorization and the requisite funding, we were ready to hit the ground running.

The new grandstand will feature modern accommodations, including suites and high-end dining, that major sports stadiums offer, and I assume those will be popular with trainers, owners and high rollers during live racing. What will the everyday horseplayer like about the new Belmont Park, both during the winter and warm weather months?

Flexibility is a key word here when you consider the year-round requirements of the new Belmont Park. The reduced size of the grandstand itself will translate to a venue that will feel dynamic and exciting whether it’s a Friday in October or Belmont Stakes Day in June. We think about how a seasoned horseplayer will interact and use the facility just as much as we consider the experience of a trainer, an owner or someone visiting the track for the first time.

Do you believe the new Belmont Park will be able to help stimulate an increase in on-track business?

Absolutely. On the one hand, the building itself will reflect the evolution of a sport that once required bettors to be physically present in order to wager. That’s why the footprint of the building is reduced from 1.2 million square feet to roughly 300,000 square feet. Not only does the smaller footprint allow us to provide a more intimate and welcoming environment than the old Belmont, but it also opens up an enormous amount of green space for fans and the community.

A big part of what makes Saratoga so special is the backyard, and we are taking those lessons and applying them downstate. Can we flip a switch and expect 20,000 people on a weekday in the fall or winter? Of course not and that should not be the expectation. But we are designing something that will be a landmark and a global capital of Thoroughbred racing. We are confident that as horseplayers and sports fans begin to interact with the new Belmont Park, they will not only come back in significant numbers but also bring their friends, families and colleagues to share the experience.

Will the facility be used for non-racing events, and is there any synergy anticipated with the UBS Arena?

This property will be able to accommodate a wide range of events, and there are some really exciting opportunities to utilize the venue in ways that previously would have been impossible. It is certainly a focus of ours, and we will have much more on that topic as we move forward. NYRA has had a strong relationship with our neighbors at UBS Arena for many years. We’ve worked with them and the Islanders to activate the backyard during our construction, where there are now hockey rinks and pre-game activities for Islanders fans.

NYRA has completely redone four racing surfaces with an eye toward improving safety of the horses. What are the highlights of what’s been done with the main track and turf course renovations? Was any consideration given to reducing the mile and a half size of the main dirt oval?

This is likely the most significant and comprehensive racetrack construction project in the history of the sport. In addition to the new grandstand, we are building four new surfaces from the ground up with every modern technical advantage possible. Our goal is to build the finest racing infrastructure the sport has ever seen. So, that means a new main track along with two new turf courses and the all-weather Tapeta. New York is fortunate to have Glen Kozak, who is as skilled and experienced as anyone in the field. I’d probably need another 10,000 words to do justice to this aspect of the project, but it really is a focal point and we’re looking forward to the end result.

Sure we had lengthy discussions about the distance of the main track. In the end, we decided the mile and a half was the right choice based on the property and in the interest of the Belmont Stakes. Obviously, the Belmont distance is unique in the sport, but the 1 1/2-mile main track provides all the options we would ever need in terms of the overall program.

How much pushback have you received from horse people and horseplayers about winter racing being exclusively run on the synthetic Tapeta track and what has been your response to any criticism?

We announced our intention to conduct winter racing (on Tapeta) in July 2024, which provides the racing community with nearly three years to plan for this change. And it’s a big change for trainers, breeders and owners. Prior to that announcement, we spent many months discussing the issue at length, and soliciting feedback from all our stakeholders here in New York. We respect their opinions on the matter, but it’s our responsibility to make decisions that put the sport in the strongest position to succeed.

With that in mind, the move to an all-weather surface was and is the correct choice. The safety benefits of the Tapeta are undeniable and supported by more than a decade of statistical analysis. In our case, the benefits extend well beyond the winter racing program. Utilizing the all-weather surface exclusively in the winter will allow NYRA to install the optimal dirt surface for use during the spring, summer and fall. That is one with a limestone base topped with a clay pad, which is the composition of both dirt surfaces at Saratoga. The Saratoga dirt tracks are now the safest, most consistent and most forgiving surfaces on the NYRA circuit. At the Oklahoma Training Track, there has not been a catastrophic injury during training since 2022. On the main, we had zero catastrophic injuries during racing in 2024. So, the tapeta is superior to dirt during the winter and allows us to install the best dirt surface available on the main track. We are confident this change will prove beneficial and generate an improvement in field size with turf horses in the mid-Atlantic and synthetic horses based at Woodbine looking for new options.

Can NYRA sustain year-round racing in the face of already short fields and a shrinking foal crop?

There are structural issues that will continue to negatively impact winter racing if nothing is done. The quality of the product is not where it needs to be, and we want to fix that. And we do believe that an emphasis on supporting the New York-bred program while moving to the synthetic surface at the new Belmont will increase field size and improve the product. Winter racing is an important part of New York, and we are focused on taking the steps necessary to improve it.

The first Belmont Stakes Racing Festival was extremely popular. What did you learn from it and what will be different in 2025, in addition to the one extra day of racing?

The anticipation was through the roof, and the event matched the hype. But we are continuously evaluating every aspect of the operation to ensure the best possible experience for every fan at every price point. The family at a picnic table in the backyard is as important to us as the corporate event in the 1863 Club. So, we have updated certain elements within the venue so that fans aren’t waiting in lines when they should be watching racing or spending time with friends. It was a successful event, and we look forward to getting back up there in June.

NYRA’s agreement with FOX Sports extends through 2030. What are the benefits of that relationship? Is it worth the investment?

FOX Sports recognizes the scale and reach of the sport, and their investments in horse racing reflect that viewpoint. The relationship began in 2016 and has grown exponentially since then. It benefits not only NYRA, but the entire sport since we are providing high quality live coverage of tracks nationwide. Television coverage is a strategic imperative obviously, but the quality and consistency of the coverage is equally important. We saw that with Saratoga Live in the early days of our partnership, where viewers responded so positively to the daily cadence and rhythm of the shows. That success resulted in America’s Day at the Races throughout the year on FOX Sports, which provides a similar level of consistency and quality.

From there, FOX invested in the Belmont Stakes with a long-term media rights deal. It’s a marquis property and FOX views it as such, which is an endorsement in the quality of the event and the value of the audience. Thanks to FOX Sports’ commitment to racing, we are on television more than ever before. And because of shows like FOX Saratoga Saturday, we are on broadcast platforms reaching potential viewers on a regular basis presenting the sport’s best. Tony Allevato has done a terrific job with NYRA’s television portfolio, and we continue to look for ways to innovate and reach new audiences.

Computer-assisted wagering is a major issue with horseplayers. In 2021, NYRA required CAW players to bet at three minutes to post in the win pool and does not permit them in several multi-race bets – which is more than most tracks have done. Are you considering any other CAW restrictions?

NYRA has always looked for ways to prioritize our loyal, retail customers. That’s why you have heard me discuss our ongoing efforts to provide more advanced handicapping tools that are accessible for the everyday player. We’re working hard on that and will have more to say in the coming months.

The current franchise agreement with the state of New York, which includes a revenue stream from the Aqueduct casino, expires in 2033. When does your attention turn to franchise renewal talks?

NYRA is a steward of these important state assets, and we run the business with that clearly in mind. We will soon deliver a new Belmont Park that will transform downstate racing and set the standard for any facility of its kind in the country. NYRA’s unwavering commitment to the backstretch community has resulted in a dramatic improvement in the overall residential housing at both Belmont and Saratoga. NYRA has invested in the future of Saratoga Race Course in a wide variety of ways that improve the facility while honoring its history. We have developed an organizational culture of safety that has resulted in a decline in catastrophic injuries, and the safest year statistically since the beginning of the Jockey Club Equine Injury Database in 2009. NYRA’s financial condition is strong, and we have developed new revenue streams that contribute to the overall health of the sport here in New York. So, a new Belmont Park is on the horizon while the popularity of Saratoga is at an all-time high. Horse racing is in a really good place here in New York, and we are focused on delivering results now and in the future.

The New York Times recently published a lengthy opinion piece that was highly critical of horse racing nationally and, specifically, in New York. What was your take on the article?

New York, as well as states around the country, invest in horse racing because it creates jobs and drives economic growth. We are fortunate that elected officials across New York appreciate the economic importance and cultural significance of the sport and have taken actions that reflect that position. Look no further than the ongoing transformation of Belmont Park, which has been made possible through a $455 million loan from New York State to be paid back in full by NYRA. Right now, it is one of the largest construction projects in the region employing hundreds of New Yorkers using goods and services provided by dozens of businesses. When completed, New York State will have a valuable new asset that will drive tourism dollars to the state for decades to come. Belmont Park belongs to New York State, and it is only logical that the state would support its redevelopment.

From the perspective of the state or taxpayer, it’s also very important to note that the consolidation of downstate racing operations to Belmont Park, which is required upon completion of the redevelopment, will unlock 110 acres of valuable land at Aqueduct for New York State to pursue any number of development opportunities. Owned by New York State and leased by NYRA, the land has been valued in excess of $1 billion.

This is a success story and a great example of how a partnership with state government should work.

In general, the story mischaracterizes or ignores the progress made in reducing equine injuries and improving the quality of life for the backstretch community. While there is always more work to be done on both fronts, 2024 was the safest year at NYRA since the launch of the Jockey Club Equine Injury Database in 2009. Over the last decade, NYRA has spent more than $100 million to modernize living and working conditions at Belmont and Saratoga. These improvements include new housing construction, renovations of existing cottages, dorms and barns as well as a variety of upgrades to training facilities.

Beyond those important issues, the story denigrates the popularity of the sport and insults the millions of fans who attend the races and the millions more who watch and wager from home. That was particularly surprising since the author spent an entire weekend at Saratoga Race Course among tens of thousands of enthusiastic fans. Many if not all these facts proved inconvenient to the author’s preferred narrative so they were ignored or dismissed.