N.Y. Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law § 304

§ 304. Right to hold harness race meetings and races. Any corporation\nformed under the provisions of sections two hundred twenty-two through\nseven hundred five of this chapter, and any corporation or association\nwhich shall have conducted harness horse race meetings during two years\nprior to March thirty-first, nineteen hundred forty, and any town or\ncounty fair association or other fair association shall have the power\nand the right to hold one or more harness horse race meetings in each\nyear and to hold, maintain and conduct harness races at such meetings.\nAt such harness race meetings the corporation or association, or the\nowners of horses engaged in such races, or others who are not\nparticipants in the race, may contribute purses, prizes, premiums or\nstakes to be contested for, but no person or persons other than the\nowner or owners of a horse or horses contesting in a race shall have any\npecuniary interest in a purse, prize, premium or stake contested for in\nsuch race, or be entitled to or receive any portion thereof after such\nrace is finished, and the whole of such purse, prize, premium or stake\nshall be allotted in accordance with the terms and conditions of such\nrace. Such meeting shall not be held except during the period extending\nfrom the first day of January to the thirty-first day of December\ninclusive in each year. In counties having a population of two hundred\nfifty thousand or less, the state racing and wagering board may,\nhowever, permit the holding of one or more harness horse race meetings\nand the conduct of harness races at such meetings on a day or days not\nduring such period if the board is satisfied that a special occasion\nmakes the holding of such meetings and the conduct of such races on such\nday or days proper or necessary; but in no event shall such meetings or\nraces be held or conducted on the twenty-fifth day of December. Such\npower and right, however, shall not include the right to conduct\npari-mutuel betting at such harness horse race meetings except pursuant\nto license granted by the state racing and wagering board pursuant to\nsections two hundred twenty-two through seven hundred five of this\nchapter.\n