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
August 16, 2002
Stanley F. Bergstein, Editor
THE CASINO BOYS AT WORK
Just a few weeks after the Illinois state legislature
increased taxes on casinos to help the state’s
budget shortfall, power brokers for major casinos
have met privately with Gov. George Ryan, urging
him to rescind the increase. The Chicago Tribune
reported on the casino interests’ internal
confidential memo, dated July 26, which contains
a 15-point plan “to prod lawmakers to roll back
the tax increase by next summer and remove a
limit on the number of slot machines and table
games that casinos can operate.” The meeting
with the governor, according to a spokeswoman
for Argosy Gaming, which operates casinos in Joliet
and Alton in Illinois, was between Ryan and Argosy
chairman William Cellini, whom the Tribune
identified as “a Republican powerbroker.” A
spokesman for the governor said Ryan is willing
“to take a look” at a rollback, contingent on opening
the state’s 10th and final casino, a replacement
for the ill-fated Rosemont Emerald operation now
doomed by action of the Illinois Gaming Board.
Once the Tribune’s Douglas Holt broke the story,
casino interests claimed there was nothing secretive
or nefarious about the internal memo. Jan
Jones, a former Las Vegas mayor who is senior
vice president for government relations and communications
for Harrah’s, said, “We believe the
tax is a punitive tax. It’s not good for business,
not good for the industry and it’s not good for Illinois.”
The memo, besides indicating that the current
governor’s support was key to their effort,
also urged support for Democratic gubernatorial
candidate Rod Blagojevich, who is expected to win
over Republican Jim Ryan in November. Democrats
also are expected to take control of the Senate,
and retain their majority in the House, in the
coming election. A spokesman for Blagojevich,
however, said he does not support the casinos’
agenda and would not support or promote
a casino tax rollback.
TRIPLE CROWN TROT WINNER?
There has not been a winner of trotting’s Triple
Crown since 1972, when Super Bowl turned the
trick for Stanley Dancer, but the owners of the
winner of this year’s Hambletonian, Chip Chip
Hooray, hope to end the 30-year drought. They
are sending their small but fast colt to Yonkers
Raceway for Saturday night’s $56,000 eliminations
for the $338,000 Yonkers Trot, second leg of the
Crown, which will be raced a week from Saturday
night. If Eric Ledford can guide the Chuck
Sylvester-trained 3-year-old to victory, only the
Kentucky Futurity, to be raced at the Red Mile in
Lexington Saturday, September 28, will stand in
his way to a Triple Crown sweep.
Another trotting sweep seems more assured.
Varenne, now 13 for 13 for the year, starts next in
the Coupe de Monde at Vincennes in Paris a week
from tomorrow, the fourth leg of the European
World Cup Series. A victory there would send him
to Montreal for the final start of his career in the
$500,000 Trot Mondial at Hippodrome de Montreal
Saturday, September 28, the same day as the Kentucky
Futurity for 3-year-olds in Lexington. There
has been some talk of a world record attempt by
Varenne at a mile at Lexington, but nothing more
than talk at the moment. He missed a chance at
that record by skipping the Breeders Crown at the
Meadowlands to pursue the $1 million bonus in
the World Cup, and in his absence the Swedish
star Victory Tilly set a new world mark of 1:50.4.
Money outranks time these days in harness racing,
as it should, and Varenne has been a collection
machine in asserting his world domination.
MAINE CHANGES STRATEGY
Harness racing interests in Maine have abandoned
efforts for track slots by referendum, and instead
will seek to obtain them through
legislative action.