As part of the first annual Fall Harvest Festival, where thousands of fortunate patrons were exposed to many of thetop quality agricultural products New York has to offer, the Raceway - in conjunction with the Standardbred Owners Association of New York - conducted two exhibition harness races exclusively for New York State legislators.

Wheeling around the Yonkers oval in two seat jog carts, each of the nine participating legislators was paired with a veteran harness driver for coaching purposes only. The harness lines were in the hands of the officeholders themselves, each one of which exhibited the same tenacity, drive and care that helps them resolve critical problems facing New Yorkers in their respective positions in Albany.

Win or lose, each participant was outwardly thrilled with the chance to participate in a storied sport and industry that their Video Lottery Terminal legislation has restored to prominence in New York State. New York State's horse racing industry -

Gary Pretlow (D-Mount Vernon) - was the winner of the first-ever Legislative Challenge Race Nine New York State legislators - participated in the inaugural Legislative Challenge Races

and its associated industries such as agriculture -- generate billions of dollars in economic activity and is directly responsible for more than 40,000 jobs across the state.

First race winner Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (D - Mount Vernon) who serves as Chairman of the Assembly's Racing and Wagering Committee, gave a post-race interview worthy of a professional horseman: "It was a great ride! We held back for 3/4s of the race, made the move in the lane and just pulled away!"

Second race winner Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D - Hillcrest), chair of the Assembly's Workplace Safety Subcommittee, was a quite gracious and humble victor: "All I can say is that it's good to drive with a Hall of Famer! (referring to his coach, harness racing Hall of Famer Catello "Cat" Manzi)"

Assemblyman Mike Spano (D - Yonkers): Chair of the Assembly's Commission on Toxic Substances and Hazardous Wastes, stated, "This was a true adrenaline rush! It's great to have lots of fun, and even greater to be able to compete like this in my home district."

Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr.(D - Bronx) was possibly the most enthusiastic of all: "This was fantastic! New York racing and agriculture are multi-billion dollar industries that employ tens of thousands of people and must be supported. I will support it as a senate leader, and personally, I just love the competition and can't wait to do this again next year."

While some legislators were disheartened by their finish positions, none were disappointed with their opportunity to participate. Assemblyman Tim Gordon (D - Slingerlands) who chairs the Commission on State-Local Relations, stated after his race; "I had visions of hitting the finish line first, but all I saw was the rest of the field before me when I crossed the finish line. My horse just ran out of gas in the lane. Still in all, it was a great experience." Assemblyman Nelson Castro (D - Bronx),a trailblazer in having been the first Dominican American elected to public office in The Bronx, offered the comments of a true competitor; "I should of had this. I trained for this.This guy (Lancman) came out of nowhere and took me by surprise; but second place in this is O.K."

Assemblyman Michael Benedetto (D- Bronx), a veteran New York City educator, stated that the race afforded him "(an)exhilarating ride" and was glad to have the opportunity to experience it. Assemblyman Michael Cusick (D - Richmond) Subcommittee Chair overseeing our state's important Tuition Assistance Program, was thankful to have been paired with Yonkers' driving phenom Jordan Stratton; "This was really great, and I owe it all to my expert assistant!"Assemblyman Michael Den Dekker (D - Jackson Heights), an accomplished actor and important public information officer in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, was quite impressed with the experience as well: "I thought this was fantastic. It was a once in a lifetime experience to feel the power of a racehorse."

Veteran sportsman and Empire City at Yonkers Raceway Owner Timothy J. Rooney , aptly summed up this very special evening:" I honestly think that they (the legislators) drove as well as our regular drivers; and we have some really good drivers! It's amazing how fast these gentlemen went with so little preparation. The legislators were tremendous, and the entire night has been just a spectacular showcase of New York products."

Chris WITTSTRUCK, an attorney and Standardbred owner, is the founder and coordinator of the Racehorse Ownership Institute at Hofstra University, New York and a charter member of the Albany Law School Racing and Gaming Law