BigDaddy News

Horse Racing News

BH Interview: NYRA’s Offerman on Unique Season, Future

You can never tell who that quiet, unassuming intern might turn out to be.

In 2009, when Andrew Offerman worked as an intern for the New York Racing Association, little did anyone know that 15 years later he would be running its racing department. But that rise from intern to boss did indeed become reality last month when the 38-year-old Offerman was named NYRA’s senior vice president of racing operations, replacing Frank Gabriel.

The move came about a year and a half after Offerman joined NYRA by filling the newly created position of vice president and general manager of operations, and his new position makes him one of the sport’s most prominent executives.

“NYRA is responsible for the stewardship of historic races and treasured venues where champions have competed for generations,” Offerman said at the time of his appointment as the head of the racing department. “I am thrilled to be able to contribute to the future of this organization at an especially exciting time for NYRA.”

While Offerman had worked in New York during the early years of his career, his roots in racing are firmly entrenched in his native Minnesota. He was a seasonal worker there at Canterbury Park while attending Gustavus Adolphus College and, after receiving an M.S. degree from the University of Arizona Racetrack Industry Program, he joined the company on a full-time basis in 2010.

Sign up for

By 2017, he had risen to the position of the track’s top racing executive, and his innovative work there brought him acclaim as one of the leading young minds in the game and caught the eye of NYRA officials.

Now he is being tasked with guiding New York through a period when Belmont Park is expected to be closed until reconstruction is finished in autumn 2026. In an interview with BloodHorse senior correspondent Bob Ehalt, Offerman discussed his vision for the racing department.

BloodHorse: You’ve been with NYRA since 2022. How did that prepare you for taking over as the head of the racing department?

Andrew Offerman: I actually interned with NYRA in 2009, working in a bunch of different departments, including the racing office. So returning to NYRA in more of a frontside role helped me regain some familiarity with the organization and to understand what the current mission and vision was for the organization. It allowed me to work on enhancing some of the frontside operation and get to know some of the key players throughout the state and industry. It really gave me a chance to get my feet wet again in New York without the wide variety of pressures and day-to-day tasks that come with the job as director of racing.

BH: How big of a transition was it to come to NYRA after working at a smaller track like Canterbury?

AO: The benefit of working at a smaller track was that I really did everything at Canterbury from the ground up. So I felt like my base was very strong, and my previous experience at NYRA prepared me for what was to come on the New York circuit. There are obviously changes and things to adapt to both in your personal life living in New York and being around year-round racing. But I didn’t see the transition as that substantial because there were a lot of responsibilities and day-to-day things that I am used to dealing with. Maybe it’s on a different level, but I’ve dealt with it before.

BH: How would you rate the pressures here in New York when you are dealing with trainers such as Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown? How much of an adjustment is it to deal with people at that level of the sport?

AO: My background was in trying to build relationships with everyone in the industry. For example, my family was involved in the very first Minnesota-bred. So I have worked with every different size of participant in the industry, whether they are small or large, throughout my time at Canterbury, and I am trying to do the same thing here. I try to build relationships, whether the individual is a small participant or a large one in the industry. I listen to what they say and do the best that I can to address their questions or problems. But it’s really reaching out and building those relationships that is the important part of the job, regardless if the person is in control of one or two horses or 100 horses.

BH: What will horsemen and fans see in the leadership of the racing office?

AO: Hopefully, my efforts will be focused on reaching out and trying to build stronger relationships with all participants in the industry. That’s something that I made a priority throughout the office. I can’t say that it didn’t happen under past leadership because I wasn’t directly involved in it. But I really have made an effort to stress that communication is important. Considering all views is important in finding opportunities to work together to find solutions to problems for both large and small stables. That is important and something we want to prioritize going forward.

BH: What would be your job one in taking over the position?

AO: I think the first thing is to go out and make sure that I’ve made myself available to everyone in the industry and that they know that there’s an open door policy. They can come speak to me at all times. There are a lot of individuals you need to get to know. It’s a large industry that carries a large horse population year-round and has a significant influx of people in the summer. So the first objective is to make sure people know that I am available and willing to talk to them and consider their challenges. The next two priorities work hand-in-hand, and one of them is to create a strategic plan from the perspective of (NYRA chairman of the board of directors) Marc Holliday and (NYRA CEO and president) Dave O’Rourke on where the racing department needs to be in 2027. They have certainly given me a lot of leeway to look at that and see where to go in 2027, and I appreciate their support and the support of the board because they are very engaged in that process as well. The secondary part of that is how do we get there. There is obviously a time period between now and when we get into (the new Belmont Park in 2026-27) and get the opportunity to consolidate downstate racing, which is very important. I know it impacts day-to-day life of our participants here and we want to make sure that disruptions are minimized and they do as little harm to them as possible, knowing their businesses are going to be altered in some way, shape, or form just based on what’s available to them over the next few years as we spent a significant amount of time at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Canterbury Park Hall of Fame - Class of 2015 for Outstanding Contributor - Andrew Offerman (right) presents trophy to Dr. Richard Bowman
Photo: Courtesy of Bowman Second Chance Thoroughbred Adoption

Offerman (right) presents an award to Richard Bowman in 2015 at Canterbury Park

BH: Field size is always a challenge, especially at this time of year. What can NYRA do?

AO: Obviously with the current contraction of the foal crop, there are pressures surrounding the industry. I think there are a couple of things that can be looked at. For one, we’ve done a lot of different bonus or incentive programs, but I don’t think we necessarily consolidated them into a singular message that adds more benefits to a greater number of participants. Also, the purse parity program is really designed to increase the New York-bred population and hopefully it will also increase opportunities for New York-breds that will allow us to continue to field fuller fields throughout the more difficult times of the year.

BH: Will we see any changes to the condition book? Some parts of the world use a rating system. Could that work for NYRA?

AO: I think any option is on the table as we look out to the longer-term strategic plan of identifying ways to increase field size. By identifying ways to increase field size it delivers to our core product. Whether that’s ratings, whether that’s ways to look at the current claiming structure and modify it; I think any of those options are on the table, especially in the long-term planning process as we try to figure out how to improve field size.

BH: Talk about your level of excitement over having the Belmont Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.

AO: I’m a history fan at heart and I think it’s an exciting chapter in the history of the Belmont Stakes. It’s been tremendous to see the reception the local communities have provided. Saratoga provides a special venue and an extra level of excitement for the couple of years we are relocating the race. Certainly the number one thing I hear as I talk to people around the country is that there’s a unique excitement and an understanding they are participating in a historic, once-in-a-lifetime type event that draws a certain extra energy to it. I am excited about participating in the experience and fulfilling the objectives for the organization and the people involved in it.

BH: What will the new Belmont Park mean to horsemen and fans?

AO: Hopefully, it’s a generational opportunity to reimagine how racing functions downstate. My focus has been to ensure that the functionality of the facility fits everyday needs as well as the needs on major event days. I think the opportunity to show off that venue and rebuild interest around one venue provides a unique opportunity for stability and to create a landmark facility that people can be excited about and proud to call home and to base their businesses out of the facility for decades to come.

BH: Is bringing the Breeders’ Cup to New York, possibly as early as 2026, a goal?

AO: Absolutely. Returning the Breeders’ Cup to New York is the goal. It’s been a long time since the Breeders’ Cup was here (in 2005) and having the Breeders’ Cup here is something NYRA is very excited about. Getting Governor (Kathy) Hochul’s support in getting a new facility (at Belmont) was partially with the idea in mind that we could return to being a regular host site for the Breeders’ Cup. When you look at when the Breeders’ Cup was hosted in New York you can see how it has played into the history of a lot of our best races at Saratoga and the Belmont fall meet. The Breeders’ Cup has been a core part of delivering a lot of those moments, so bringing it back here is one of my top goals. It’s something we’re looking forward to bringing back to the fans and participants and the industry in New York.

BH: Will we see any differences in the turf program, given that there is just one downstate track while new Belmont is built?

AO: I think there will definitely be a reduction in its use, solely because you are going from what were four surfaces at Belmont and Aqueduct to just two at Aqueduct. We are going to do our best to limit the impact on the courses as much as we can. Obviously, a lot of that is dependent on the weather. We’re starting turf racing April 20, which is 10 or so days later than we started last year. Hopefully, the break of going to Saratoga for the Belmont Stakes will give us an opportunity to manage the turf over the course of the summer. But we will do our best with the weather that we face to make sure we maximize opportunities at Aqueduct, knowing there’s really no way to replace the fact that we are losing two turf courses. At some point in the year, there will be less turf races carded.

Twenty Six Black  (#3) - Maiden Win, Aqueduct, April 7, 2023<br>
First turf race of the season
Photo: Coglianese Photos

Turf racing at Aqueduct

BH: Some tracks are going to a six- or seven-day draw. What are your thoughts about that? Are you comfortable with NYRA’s 72-hour draw?

AO: I was a significant proponent of a seven-day draw in Minnesota and made that change very early in the process. I understand that in New York and other jurisdictions it hasn’t been as readily received, but I do think there is an opportunity to revisit the draw schedule here. Maybe seven days isn’t the answer and maybe 72 hours isn’t the answer. Some of the work that has to be done from a regulatory perspective may not make 72 hours the ideal draw time any longer. We’ll re-evaluate that in the coming weeks. I’m scheduled to discuss that with (the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association), so hopefully we’ll be able to make some updates that work for all parties in the next couple of months.

BH: People often mention stakes schedules run together with different tracks offering similar stakes. What can be done to spread around these stakes races to help horsemen and the fans?

AO: I think the industry has struggled with this topic as much as it has post times for a very long time. Honestly, communication is where it has to start and we have to try to find additional ways to work with tracks as opposed to working against them. So hopefully we will be able to open some dialogue relative to schedules and what might be the best for the circuit or region. I think the other aspect of that is trying to understand what really works and how things have changed with the way horses prep up to significant races and how our schedule fits that schedule. That’s what we need to focus on for that 2027 strategic plan: What does the modern condition book and stakes program require to prep horses and keep quality races on the circuit and maintain the quantity of them over the long term.

BH: In a similar vein, what can be done about the post times at different tracks running on top of each other, especially in the summer with more daylight?

AO: We produce a significant amount of television hours, so we work hard to make sure we work with partner venues to have post times that do not compete with each other. Obviously, you are going to have issues that delay things or weather issues, but there is additional work that can be done and we are happy to continue those discussions with other major circuits to lay out post times in an efficient manner. The unfortunate part is that sometimes the quantity of work that goes into setting the best outcome for everyone can be easily disrupted by a single event no one can easily adjust to in real time. But we will work hard to continue to build out that communication network so we can talk in real time and hopefully limit the number of instances that provide a detriment to the customer.

Leave feedback about this

  • Quality
  • Price
  • Service

PROS

+
Add Field

CONS

+
Add Field
Choose Image
Choose Video

Want To Earn From Skills ?

10%
Bonus On New ID

NO DOCUMENTATION,NO KYC REQUIRED