EDITORIAL: Guv should start over at Aqueduct

After picking a loser, real pros tear up the ticket and start handicapping horses in the next race. That's the only sure bet Gov. David A. Paterson can make after his bungled effort to select a racino operator for Aqueduct Racetrack.

The release of the bidding documents Tuesday only confirms the need for federal and state investigators to review how Aqueduct Entertainment Group was awarded the lucrative state contract. Too many questions about political favoritism, smelly side deals and a flawed process taint this selection.

The state can't wait for the AEG mess to get cleaned up. The reasons are complicated, but the solution is simple. The longer it takes to get the racino running, the more perilous the time for the state's racing industry. The New York Racing Association, which operates the state's three thoughbred tracks, says it needs the 7 percent cut it was promised from the racino revenue to stay alive. And New York City's Off-Track Betting operation is expected to be broke by March 31. Meanwhile, Paterson needs the $300-million upfront fee of the winning bidder to shore up his 2010 budget.

In this do-over, Paterson, right out of the gate, must address how any Aqueduct racino deal would impact Belmont Park, just a few miles away. Southampton's Shinnecock Nation is interested in establishing a full-scale casino in the region, and Belmont is one of the more likely locations.

Sticking with AEG is just too much of a gamble. hN