Horse Racing News by David Grening

The New York Racing Association is looking into a breakdown in communication that led to an injured jockey being left unattended to in the paddock for several minutes and nearly prompted the cancellation of the final 3 races on Saturday at Aqueduct.

In the wake of the shutdown of NYC OTB Corp last week, state Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow said he believes a consolidation of the state's remaining five regional OTB companies is something that is feasible and necessary to preserve NY racing industry.

There was something seen Saturday at Aqueduct that is rarely seen this time of year.

Saturday, in his 10th attempt in stakes company, More Than a Reason graduated from hard-knocker to graded stakes winner, outfinishing Stormy's Majesty to take the Grade 3, $100,000 Queens County by a head before a decent-sized crowd of 5,444 at Aqueduct.

The New York Racing Association is working on a number of initiatives it hopes can make up for an estimated $33 million shortfall in revenue for the company and purses caused by the shutdown this week of New York City Off-Track Betting Corp.

Stormy's Majesty apparently had other ideas, and on Saturday he will face five rivals in the Grade 3, $100,000 Queens County Stakes over Aqueduct's inner track.

New York City Off-Track Betting Corp. planned to shut its doors permanently Tuesday night, laying off more than 800 employees, creating a vacuum of wagering opportunities for the racing industry, and putting the state another $600 million in debt.

A bill has been introduced in the state Senate that differs from the one passed in the Assembly last week in that it extends all provisions given to bankrupt NYCOTB to the state's other regional OTB networks.

Overcoming a four-wide trip under Terry Thompson, No Such Word joined the leaders at the three-eighths pole, then ran away from Awesome Maria in the final three-sixteenths of a mile to win the $250,000 Gazelle Stakes by 2 1/2 lengths.

Five minutes before the horses loaded into the starting gate for Saturday's Grade 2 Remsen Stakes, trainer Bill Mott, standing in the Aqueduct paddock, took a deep breath and shrugged his shoulders.