Wagering board names director.(Capital Region)

Byline: MICHAEL GORMLEY Associated Press

ALBANY - A state lawyer has been named executive director of New York's Racing and Wagering Board, which regulates horse racing and games of chance.

John G. Cansdale of Saratoga Springs replaces Ed Martin, a longtime Pataki administration hand who left the job earlier this month to become president and chief executive officer of the Association of Racing Commissioners International, a regulatory group based in Lexington, Ky.

Cansdale has been an assistant counsel to the state Department of Economic Development since 2003, where he was paid $87,125, according to state payroll records. He will be paid $120,000 …