Each year close to a million people visit the Saratoga Race Course to enjoy top level thoroughbred racing. During the season, close to 3,000 horses compete in these exciting races providing entertainment to trackside fans and those watching on television.

All of this is possible because of the approximately 2,000 backstretch workers who feed and care for the horses. Most of these workers are immigrants who work extremely long hours in hazardous conditions for low wages performing work others are unwilling to perform.  

An onsite medical clinic is one of the few benefits enjoyed by the backstretch workers. The clinic traditionally relies on funding from the New York Racing Association (NYRA), which has been reducing its annual contribution to the point where, this year, it looked like the clinic would not be able to operate for the full period that workers are in residence.  Only a last-minute increase from NYRA and a one-time charitable donation made it possible to restore the clinic to full operation.

Please sign this petition to urge NYRA to make a commitment in its annual budget to adequate, continued funding for the backstretch clinic.  Only such a commitment will ensure that basic medical care is available for the people who care for the horses, the people who make racing in Saratoga possible.

References:

https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Backstretch-workers-going-without-healthcare-12881918.php

https://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Editorial-Saratoga-s-ungilded-age-12886010.php

https://www.timesunion.com/7dayarchive/article/Track-healthcare-rollback-rescinded-12907752.php

https://m.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Editorial-Secrecy-is-back-at-NYRA-12920905.php