By Howard Owens.
Submitted photo
Batavia Downs is betting on experience and an increased commitment to racing as it promotes longtime employee Nicolle Fortes to director of live racing and moves forward with track improvements.
“Nicolle Fortes, who has been with the Corporation for 31 years and is currently director of intertrack wagering, has been selected for the position of director of live racing,” said Byron Brown, president and CEO of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp.
Fortes, a Batavia resident, replaces Don Hoover, who retired.
The Western OTB board approved Fortes’ promotion to grade seven pay level, which keeps her $102,000 annual salary consistent with the prior director's salary, who was part-time. Fortes will be on the job 12 months a year.
There is a long-term trend, even at the national level, in live-race attendance and wagering, Brown said. He hopes Fortes can invigorate the experience at Batavia Downs.
“As you know, racing, harness racing, and thoroughbred racing have been down nationally, and we want to place more focus on it strategically, to bring more people into enjoying racing,” Brown said.
Brown acknowledged that maintaining a racing operation is required for the casino’s license, even as the industry faces a decline in popularity.
“We are required to have our casino operation. We’re required to continue our racing operation, which is one of the priorities of New York State -- to support the racing industry. So we are leaning into that. We’re going to provide more focus and resources to that element of our business, and we are hopeful that we will see increased patronage, more customers coming in and enjoying racing,” Brown said.
Brown described Fortes as “a very hard worker, very knowledgeable about racing, someone who is well respected by her colleagues in the corporation and very well respected by our customers, and we are pleased to offer her this promotion.”
The board also authorized hiring Gary Wolf, a consultant with more than 30 years of experience, to oversee racetrack maintenance and training, and awarded Keeler Construction a $44,396 contract to resurface the track.
“Having optimal track conditions is important to the horsemen, to the drivers, and certainly to the safety of the horses,” Brown said.
The Western New York Harness Horsemen’s Association will pay half Wolf's salary.
Brown said the changes are part of a broader strategy to boost interest in harness racing at Batavia Downs.
Track resurfacing and consultant services are scheduled to begin before the new season and the Night of Champions event.
Brown was presented with a commemorative football at the close of OTB's Thursday meeting for being “our guy here at the one yard line that put us over” in securing a 5 percent tax reduction in the new state budget, a key legislative win for Batavia Downs. Brown joked that getting the ball over the goal line didn't involve a "tush push."
Photo by Howard Owens.
