Daily News from New York, New York • 426

Sunday. January 19, 1986 15 tad! 1 By ROBERT GEARTV Daily News Stall Writer During the past harness racing meet at Roosevelt Raceway, management kept the second floor of the grandstand closed to patrons on weeknights. "I guess they're trying to keep costs down," says one racing fan. These are tough times for Roosevelt. Attendance and the betting handle declined last year, continuing a downward trend that began several years ago.

Attendance and handle was down 20 during the two-month meeting that just closed. If I Ml 11 "-v--1-" going through tough times, with attendance and handle declining. ROOSEVELT RACEWAY is remain open. "I think everyone wants to see it stay a track," says one official. Attendance declines "They want to keep it a track, but they're bucking a tough thing," says another, George Trias, the chairman of the town's Industrial Development Agency.

What Roosevelt is trying to buck is a phenomena that besets race tracks around the country: the spiraling decline in attendance. Most point to the fact that the decline has coincided with an increase in the number of other activities that compete for the same gambling dollar. In New York, tracks have been especially hard-hit by the introducion of legalized numbers, gambling in Atlantic City, the Meadowlands Race Track in New Jersey and off-track betting parlors on Long Island, in New York City and elsewhere. Handle drops Making matters worse is the newest rage sweeping the county, videocassette recorders. The new appliance now gives people an added incentive to stay home.

In 1983, according to Roosevelt Raceway spokesman Barry Lefkowitz, the track's attendance for 157 nights of racing was 1.2 mil lion. They bet more than $210 million. Last year, attendance dropped under 1 million to 968,000 during 174 nights of racing. The handle also dropped to $186 million. Hopkins says that the track is trying to juggle efforts aimed at attracting more people to come to the track and getting more people who don't come to the track to bet off-track.

Tax-break incentive To get more people to bet off-track, the track is exploring the possibility of increasing the number of OTB shops that simulcast Roosevelt's races. The State Legislature gave harness track owners a tax break to give them an incentive to increase the number of simulcasting operations. "We're trying to get them on-track, but you can't overlook the other possibilities," Hopkins says. To increase attendance at the track, Barry Goldstein, Roosevelt's chairman of the board, notes that the track has built a new outdoor dining facility and changed a grandstand cafeteria to a delicatessan. Several problems But horsemen, led by Faraldo, complain that not enough is being done to attract bettors to come to the "That's a pretty big whack," says raceway president William Hopkins.

in the red The track projects that race track operations last year were in the red to the tune of $1.7 million. Adding to the bad news was a strike by parimutuel clerks that shut the track for the last week of the meeting. The labor dispute clouds the opening of the next Roosevelt meeting on March 24. (Racing has switched to Yonkers in the interim.) Presiding over these problems is a new set of owners, including Hopkins, who took over 18 months ago when the track was purchased from Gulf Western Corp. They have not escaped criticism from disgruntled horsemen, who say that they are not doing enough to turn the track around.

Track may close "They are not doing well at all," says Joseph Faraldo, the president of the Standardised Owners Association in Westbury. With things the way they are, much speculation has developed about whether the new owners will close the track. "I don't feel that management is committed to long-term racing," Faraldo says. Hopkins bristles at speculation that the track might close or be sold. "If we're going to sell, why would I worry about the labor situation and why would I race up to Albany every week if I'm not going to keep it as a race track," he says.

Bonds arranged Speculation that Roosevelt might shut down first arose when Gulf Western was seeking to get out of the racing business in 1984. Hopkins and the others who purchased the track vowed at the time they bought it that they would keep it open. The purchasers made that promise to Hempstead Town officials, who then arranged low-interest, tax-exempt financing, so-called industrial development bonds, to help finance the sale. Town officials say that as long as the bonds are outstandingthey are not due until 2009 the track has to DCNNIS CARUSO OMLV NEWS Association, says that years1 ago horsemen got depressed when racing switched from Roosevelt to Yonkers. Now, he says, it is the opposite.

Kadish made an offer to purchase Roosevelt, but lost out when Hopkins and the others made a better offer. Kadish says he has since pulled out most of his horses from New York. The new owners purchased the track for $51.5 million. They were aided in the purchase by Hempstead, which issued $56.5 million in industrial development bonds. One of the intentions of the bonds is to help preserve jobs, according to officials.

But William Boich. president of the Mutuel Ticket Agents Union Local 23293. says the clerks workforce had been cut by 247c durin? the past two years, from 231 to 214. Roosevelt employs a total of about 1,000 employes during each meet. Town officials say they cannot stop a private business from trimming the workforce if they feel it is necessary.

They said the intent of the bonds is to retain as many jobs as possible and to keep the track open. "The future doesn't look too bright at Roosevelt Raceway," Faraldo says. Hopkins says that Roosevelt's future as a race track is conditioned on a number of things. One is to keeping expenses in line. The other is to pursue such options as simulcasting to attract off-track customers.

Last week, Yonkers and Roosevelt signed an agreement to televise their races to Las Vegas betting parlors. "We have to continue to explore more areas like that." he says. At least one person Is optimistic about Roosevelt's future. That is Assemblyman Ivan Lafayette (D-Jackson Heights), chairman of lower chamber's Standing Committee on Racing and Wagering. He said that tax breaks on handles and simulcasting that were enacted last July by the State Legislature should enable Roosevelt to turn a profit "If not then there is something wrong," he says.

track. He ticks off the problems. He says the barn area has been allowed to deteriorate. He notes that racing was cancelled one night last November after drivers complained about the condition of the racing surface. He points to this as evidence that track maintenance has declined.

He says he doesn't see any effort to attract customers through promotions. "All this reflects on the overall quality of the racing product that is presented." Faraldo says. Hopkins and Goldstein say that they have put money into the track and have plans on the drawing board to put more money into the ovaL Disagree on conditions They disagree with the contention that the barn area has deteriorated. "I don't know what they want to see, fur-lined stables?" Hopkins asks. As for the racing surface, they say that money has been spent to keep it in good condition.

The problem last November when a rut developed in the back stretch, prompting drivers to vote to cancel the program after the sixth race, was not "for lack of spending money," Hopkins says. But Faraldo says allowing that to happen was "intolerable." Roosevelt held one promotion during the meet, but an expected large turnout failed to materialize when the weather did not cooperate. Big Yonkers effort Faraldo says that Yonkers seems to be making a bigger effort in recent years than Roosevelt to improve the race track and to attract customers. Yonkers has undertaken an ambitious program to improve its dilapidated grandstand and clubhouse. Faraldo says this demonstrates a desire by Yonkers management to stay in the horse racing business.

Faraldo says he doesn't see that same committment at Roosevelt Qiher horsemen agree. Lawrence Kadish, a director at Standardbred Owners wwqMiMiiwi.nim..ju -U'Bfmiu j.iwwMt.i.jui,ij. vrv 3- RACEWAY president William Hopkins (I.) and board chairman Barry Goldstein are trying to bring fans back to track..