The New York Racing Association said Wednesday that in light of the coronavirus pandemic, it has prepared a plan to be reviewed by state officials to allow it to resume operations at Belmont Park and Saratoga without fans in attendance. NYRA said racing at those venues could be conducted in a similar fashion as to what took place over a three-day period in March at Aqueduct when fans were not permitted on-site. “NYRA is seeking to resume live racing at Belmont Park in the absence of fans and we have prepared operating plans that follow the same model for Saratoga,” said Pat McKenna, spokesman for NYRA. “These plans prioritize the health and safety of employees, horsemen, and the backstretch community and include a broad array of risk mitigation strategies developed according to the most updated heath guidance. By closing to the public, layering additional health and safety protocols to our ongoing practices, and reducing the number of employees on-property, NYRA is in a position to provide a small sense of normalcy for fans across the country who can watch on television and online.” The Saratoga meet is scheduled to run from July 16 through Sept. 7. NYRA was responding to comments made earlier Wednesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo who, when asked about the prospects of a race meet at Saratoga at his daily coronavirus briefing, said, “You can’t open an attraction that could bring people from across the state to that attraction and overwhelm the region.” Cuomo likened Saratoga to the State Fair, which this summer is scheduled for Syracuse from Aug. 21 through Sept. 7. “Today, I don’t think you can open those unless we do it statewide because there’s such a pent-up demand to do something,” Cuomo said. “You open Saratoga Racetrack I guarantee you have the highest attendance in the history of the Saratoga Racetrack. You will have people from the entire Northeast region driving to the Saratoga Racetrack just because they want to get out of the house.” On Sunday, when discussing a phased-in approach to re-opening the state’s economy, Cuomo said it is incumbent upon businesses to come up with plans to re-open in a new environment that would maintain social-distance practices and not include large gatherings. Cuomo said he or members of his staff have already begun discussions with business leaders. “How do you do six feet apart at the racetrack? How do you do six feet apart at the State Fair? How do you do six feet apart at the racetrack or the State Fair when you have double the attendance you ever had and people are all crammed in there?” Cuomo said Wednesday. “I think it would have to be a statewide opening, coordinate with Connecticut, coordinate with [New] Jersey, otherwise you will have a much, much more dense situation if you wind up being the only attraction in town and town is the tristate region.” On Sunday, when Cuomo was asked about the prospect of sports in New York returning this summer, he asked rhetorically, “What sports can you do without an audience? What sports can you make work economically where you don’t have to sell a seat in the stadium or in the arena?” NYRA believes horse racing is one of those sports. “Earlier this week, Governor Cuomo encouraged sports entities to consider how they could operate without fans in attendance that would be economically viable while providing much-needed entertainment,” McKenna said. “By closing to spectators and reducing employees and support staff to only those who are required under the rules of racing, the running of races would support the small businesses and hourly workers who form the backbone of the sport.” NYRA suspended racing operations at Aqueduct on March 19 after the first case of coronavirus was confirmed on the backstretch at Belmont Park, where 585 backstretch employees live and work. A total of 19 scheduled cards at Aqueduct were lost and at least the first 15 cards at Belmont Park scheduled from April 24 through May 17 won’t be run.