HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICA Executive Newsletter

HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICA
Executive Newsletter
A daily fax and e-mail report on racing and gaming developments in North America and beyond
Stanley F. Bergstein, Editor
January 21, 2008
JUST WHAT RACING NEEDS
The New York State Lottery, with the tacit support
of Gov. Eliot Spitzer and at the urging of several
Wall Street firms, is thinking of expanding
its outlets to coffee shops and malls in the state.
It would not be done, according to the Albany
Times Union, by the state but through privatization
of a large segment of the lottery. Spitzer will
unveil the plan tomorrow in his budget proposal,
having been inspired by the Wall Streeters who
are convinced the state should diversify the gambling
market by broadening the demographic of
lottery customers. Their rationale is triggered
in part by the thought that anyone who can afford
a $4 cup of coffee at Starbucks can afford
a lottery ticket, but obviously the sweep of the
proposal would take in a lot of others strolling
or shopping in malls. Patrick Maloney, the governor’s
first deputy, gave it a pleasant spin by
cloaking the proposal in the robe of education.
“We want to consider anything,” he said, “with
an eye toward creating more value for higher education
and consistent with the governor’s principles
- - support for K-12, continuing all existing
regulation and oversight, and no big increase in
gambling.”
V-75 POOL NOW AT 18 MILLION
Saturday’s V-75 bet in Stockholm, Sweden, did
not have a payout for seven consecutive winners,
or five either because the payoff did not reach the
government’s threshold, and the carryover jackpot
now is $18 million US for next Saturday’s
pool. Advance wagering for the V-75 starts on
Wednesdays and remains open until the close of
business on Fridays. The bet is available in the
US at the Meadowlands, Monmouth Park, and
Freehold Raceway in New Jersey, and at Delaware
Park in Delaware and Saratoga Gaming
and Raceway in Saratoga Springs, NY. It
is the most popular bet on horse racing in
the world in terms of pool size.
AROUND THE HTA CIRCUIT.....
ROCKINGHAM PARK has a great idea for
reaching the youth market. It is offering a
$15,000 grand prize in an inaugural New England
College World Series of Poker, open to all
students at least 18 who currently are enrolled in
an accredited college or university in a six-state
New England area. The tournament will begin
Wednesday, Feb. 7, with satellite games of $25,
$40 and $70 to be held through Saturday, Feb. 9,
and the top four finishers in the $70 category, the
top two in the $40 division and the top one in the
$25 bracket winning a seat in the final on Feb.
10. There also is a buy-in provision for the final
for $150 with 8,000 starting chips. First prize of
$15,000 is based on a minimum of 300 players.
Ten percent of the players, or the top 30 finishers,
will receive cash prizes. Players can pre-register
at the track’s poker room to avoid being shut
out. Poker at Rockingham, operated by Granite
State Poker, benefits a variety of local charities.
Want to bet they are oversubscribed?
THE DELAWARE COUNTY FAIR has commissioned
a new book, featuring personal and
favorite memories of the Little Brown Jug, to be
written by Jug publicist Tom White and his colleague
Jay Wolf. Publication is expected in the
summer of 2009.
THE CALIFORNIA HARNESS HORSEMEN’S
ASSOCIATION will induct driver Rick Kuebler
and major owner Lloyd Arnold into the California
Standardbred Hall of Fame at the association’s
meeting in late March. Horses I’m Damn
Good and Denali also will be inducted.
PRAIRIE MEADOWS will recognize 194 community
betterment projects on January 31, and
award $1.98 million in grants to foster programs
in education, human services, economic development
and the arts.