With this year’s meet at the Saratoga Race Course underway, In Focus brings you to this premiere thoroughbred destination for a conversation about its significance beyond the sport of racing. The New York Racing Association operates the state’s three thoroughbred tracks, and CEO and President David O’Rourke sat down with JoDee Kenney to talk about what sets Saratoga apart from Belmont and Aqueduct. O’Rourke said fans are in for some new experiences this season thanks to several renovations, including the removal of the trackside Exchange that now joins the Grandstand and Clubhouse, and installation of the Finish Line Bar. NYRA is always careful in making changes to this historic venue, that O’Rourke said hosts “the best racing in the country.” As for the economic impact, he said the Saratoga Race Course contributes 60% of the more than $600 million tourism economy each year. O’Rourke talked about record-setting attendance numbers last season signaling the return of racing in Saratoga, after the pandemic all but sidelined the 2020 season. He also talked about the future of thoroughbred racing in New York, with planned construction and expansion of greenspace at Belmont Park on Long Island, as NYRA closes Aqueduct to consolidate Downstate racing. O’Rourke said he couldn’t think of a better place to host the Belmont Stakes during that construction, which begins in 2025.

You can watch the full interview with NYRA CEO and President David O’Rourke in the video player abovr or on the Spectrum News App. And be sure to tune in for a look inside the biggest issues impacting upstate New York, on In Focus with JoDee Kenney — every Sunday on Spectrum News 1.