§ 248. Racing season; allotment of dates for racing. In the assignment
of dates by the commission to corporations for conducting running races
or steeplechases no conflict shall be deemed to exist by reason of
duplication of dates as between race meetings in the first zone and race
meetings in the second zone, nor as between race meetings within a zone
if the race courses at which such meetings are held are at least
thirty-five miles apart in the first zone and at least seventy-five
miles apart in the second zone, except that a minimum of thirty-six days
of racing shall be assigned exclusively to the second zone unless the
governor determines that a sufficient emergency exists for reducing such
number of days of racing, in which event the commission is then
authorized to assign a lesser number of days of racing to the second
zone. The commission may separately apportion to the several
corporations licensed or franchised to conduct running races or
steeplechases as many of the racing days for the season, not to exceed
the maximum number of racing days permitted by law.