Interim tag gone
Chief revenue officer, interim began with association in 2008
David O’rourke, who has been with NYRA since 2008, is now the racing organization’s president and CEO.
For 61 days, David O’rourke was the interim president and CEO of the New York Racing Association.
Tuesday, on the 62nd day of that tour, the interim tag was gone. NYRA announced that the 45-year-old O’rourke was the unanimous choice of the organization’s Board of Directors to be the permanent president and CEO.
He replaces Chris Kay, whose 51/2- year run ended on Jan. 23 when he resigned the position amid allegations that he had used NYRA employees to do work on his home in Saratoga Springs.
O’rourke has been with NYRA since 2008 and was most recently the chief revenue officer and senior vice president.
“I love this,” veteran horse trainer Gary Contessa said about O’rourke’s hiring. “He is a good guy, a young guy and he has a young vision instead of an old vision. I don’t know him that well, but I plan on getting to know him a whole lot better. A big thumbs up.”
Speaking from New York early Tuesday afternoon, O’rourke said he has no plans of increasing the days of the race meet at Saratoga Race Course, something that is seemingly discussed every year. The current meet is 40 days.
“I have never had a conversation about that,” O’rourke said. “I think 40 is kind of a magic number.”
However, the 156th season of racing at Saratoga will be much different than years past. The
40-day meet will be run over 53 days and the six-day race week will now be five. The meet is starting on Thursday, July 11 and will run until Labor Day, Sept. 2.
The meet is starting a week earlier than normal because of a proposed redevelopment at Belmont Park on Long Island, which is also run by NYRA. The new $1 billion home of the National Hockey League’s New York Islanders has also been proposed to be built on NYRA’S property. Ground breaking for that project could begin this summer.
“I’m excited to see how the (Saratoga meet) plays out,” O’rourke said.
He said no decision will be made on future Saratoga meets until after this summer’s season is over.
“We will get as much information as we can,” O’rourke said. “We will get feedback from inside and outside the gates.”
Last summer, Saratoga had a paid attendance of 1,124,146 (an average of 28,103 per day) and a total all-sources handle of
$659,083,459 despite 50 races being taken off the grass because of inclement weather. That number was nearly as many races as were taken off the grass from the two prior summer meets.
O’rourke said he has heard concerns of people who say the start is too early. The dark days at this year’s meet will be Tuesday and Wednesday.
“We’ve all been up there,” he said. “August is kind of a magic month, but we still do quite well in July.”
O’rourke said that NYRA still holds high regards for the fan experience at the Spa. Last year was the implementation of The Stretch, a private hospitality area located in the grandstand at the top of the stretch. And this year, NYRA will present the 1863 Club, a three-story climate controlled facility, which will replace the At The Rail Pavilion.
NYRA discontinued the annual Open House, which used to occur on the Sunday before the meet began. Kay stopped that in 2015. O’rourke said there are no plans to have it this summer.