Good morning and good riddance to the CEO of NYRA Chris
Kay. In addition to being a 1st class jerk he was apparently using NYRA
employees to work off the clock at his home in Saratoga Springs. This is completely
illegal, according to NYRA’s rules.
However this incident alone couldn’t be the only one that forced him to
accept a firing or forced resignation. This
way he can collect his ‘golden parachute’ which is probably substantial.
Although he made some positive changes at the Saratoga
Racecourse, he most certainly did not have that affect on his subordinates.
According to those who worked there he demanded that his employees smile and
say hello to everyone (treat them as you would a house guest) but would refuse
to say hello to any NYRA employee himself. This never wins respect with anyone.
While mentioning some positives he did at the track he
created an amusement park atmosphere forgetting that people come to the track
to bet and it is not an ideal environment for tots to crawl around in the dirt
or inside the building. He spent tens of
millions of dollars ‘improving’ this environment for 6 weeks of racing while
the track sits idle for 46 weeks a year.
This he did while destroying the historic atmosphere the track had for
over 150 years which is one reason people came from all over the world to enjoy
and soak up the beauty of the course itself.
Good riddance. What NYRA needs is actual leadership and
someone with integrity and most of all someone who knows horse racing.
