2002 - Harness Tracks of America, Inc.

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
SUPERSTARS ARE NEWS
That is not a startling revelation, as Tiger Woods
and Michael Jordan and the Williams Sisters have
reaffirmed so conclusively, but it was there for all
in harness racing to see in this morning’s New York
Times. Herve Filion, one of the true superstars of
the sport, returned to action at Harrington Raceway,
and the Times played it big, with a four-column
headline and strong story by Bill Finley and a
three-column picture. Finley alluded to “numerous
fixing scandals,” which is news here, but his
story still was remarkable coverage for America’s
foremost newspaper, which ignores the sport on a
daily basis (not a line, for example, on Canada’s
richest horse race, the $1.5 million North America
Cup, won by 3-year-old pacer Red River Hanover
Saturday night). But Filion returning is a remarkable
story, in view of how the law and the New
York Racing and Wagering Board have handled
him over the last six plus years. Although cynics
doubt his reflexes and skills, he smiled them off
and quickly won three races, boosting his lifetime
total to 14,786. He has only 214 to go to reach his
goal of 15,000, and there is little doubt he will do
it, jogging. There also is little doubt that he will
keep on going from there. Perhaps the highest
tribute paid Herve on his return, along with the
Times feature, was a generous story on Blood-
Horse Interactive, the Internet service of thoroughbred
racing’s weekly Blood-Horse magazine.
Herve Filion is back racing, contending that he did
nothing wrong and would not hurt the sport that
has been his life and livelihood. A crowd that
Harrington general manager Jim Boese called “the
biggest in the years I’ve been here” surged forward
to acclaim Filion, and some 50 people
crowded the winner’s circle to congratulate him after
his first victory. Harrington’s $544,764 handle
was the biggest Sunday in the track’s history,
up $150,000 over last year without
much help from simulcasting.
June 24, 2002
NO JOY BACK HOME IN INDIANA
If there was celebrating in Delaware, there was
none in Indiana, where -- after a first vote in the
House failed to pass a compromise budget bill without
pull-tabs for tracks -- 9 legislators changed
their votes, 12 Republicans joined 39 Democrats,
and the required 51 votes were reached to send
the bill to governor Frank O’Bannon, who said he
would sign it immediately. So Hoosier Park and
Indianapolis Downs were deprived of the slot-like
machines, as Senator Larry Borst had promised
they would be. Even worse, the legislators did pass
permission for Indiana’s riverboats to remain open
while docked, allowing customers to come and go
as they wish without having to board for cruising.
Increased taxes on the riverboat casinos, and on
sales, cigarettes and gasoline, are expected to fill
$600 million of Indiana’s budget deficit, but that
still leaves a $400 million gap. Gov. O’Bannon
called the bill, which passed 51-45 on the next to
last day of his special session, “monumental.” It
remains to be seen just how monumental it turns
out to be.
ROSEMONT BATTLES ON
The Battle of Rosemont rages on. The northwest
Chicago suburb announced over the weekend that
it will sue to stop a proposal that the Illinois Gaming
Board says it has worked out with the Emerald
Casino and will unveil this Wednesday. The Chicago
Sun-Times says the proposal calls for
Emerald’s license to be auctioned off through a
board-controlled process that could shift the casino
out of Rosemont. The village’s mayor, Donald
Stevens, has vowed that won’t happen, and it appears
the village and other creditors will pull out
all stops to see that it doesn’t. Rosemont’s attorney
says he will subpoena all documents related
to the proposed settlement. The gaming board’s
administrator says despite that all signals are
go.