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
ANOTHER BIG ART AUCTION
HTA’s silver anniversary art auction, held yesterday
in the Tattersalls Sales Arena in Lexington,
KY, was another resounding success. One hundred
thirty-six works of equine art were sold for
$135,675, an average of $997.61, and a remarkable
oil painting by HTA’s premier artist, Zenon
Aniszewski of Poland, topped the sale at $10,000.
The very large painting, titled The Sleigh, showed
four charging horses pulling a sleigh through the
snow, and it went to D. Post of Holland, after spirited
bidding. Aniszewski’s striking race action
watercolors continued to dominate the HTA auction,
with seven of them all bringing more than
$1,000, and a striking large oil, called “The Bend,”
bringing $4,000. The painting voted best of show
(Aniszewski’s “The Sleigh” was a late arrival and
not eligible for judging) was “A New Morning, A
Fresh Start,” an oil of a stable area scene painted
by Alyson Champ of Montreal. It received a $500
prize and was sold for $900. In the sculpture category,
a large bronze of a trotter titled “Daddy’s
Best,” done by Catherine Wagner of Michigan, won
the $500 first prize, but by far the most popular
sculptures with the large crowd were three remarkable
woodcarvings of horses and drivers by John
Kittelson of Wyoming. One called “Gray Trotter”
brought $7,500, another titled “Bay Trotter” was
sold for $5,000, and a third, “Sagebrush Sawbone,”
a doctor on his rounds in his one horse shay pulled
by a handsome chestnut trotter, went for $4,500.
All net proceeds go to the HTA Scholarship Fund,
but as usual HTA track participation was virtually
non-existent. Joe Costa of The Red Mile purchased
two handsome paintings, Red Mile racing
secretary Connie Hochstetler bought two, including
the prize winning bronze, and general counsel
Paul Estok of HTA bought three. Chris
McErlean of the Meadowlands was underbidder
on a number of Aniszewskis,
and the Big M donated a handsome
Hambletonian poster signed by all living win-
September 30, 2002
ning drivers of the race. That item sold for $600.
Owner Jim Barry of Denver added 11 pieces to
his collection, and breeder Joe Thompson of
Winbak Farm bought eight. A full list of buyers
and prices will appear on the HTA Web site.
NO WAR DECLARATION YET
Italy had not declared war on Canada at last report,
but the possibility arose Saturday after Italy’s
athletic hero, the all-conquering trotter Varenne,
was defeated in the C$500,000 Trot Mondial at
Hippodrome de Montreal. The super trotter was
overhauled by Fan Idole of France after being pressured
heavily by Fool’s Goal of the United States,
and to add insult to injury Varenne was disqualified
from second and placed tenth and last for trotting
inside of the pylons in the mile and threeeighths
race. After winning all four legs of the European
Grand Circuit, Varenne stood to earn a $1
million bonus if he had won the Trot Mondial. The
race was the final start of his brilliant career, in
which he won more than $5 million.
THE ENEMY IN CLEAR SIGHT
Michigan racing is girding for an all-out effort to
get slots at the state’s seven tracks, but Detroit’s
three casino powerhouses are mustering all their
clout to prevent that from happening. They are
crying that racing can spend money in the legislature
in Lansing and they can’t, and are worried
that 8,400 slots and table games would ruin their
business. At least one legislator finds the casino
objections objectionable. Rep. Judith Scranton,
who is leaving the legislature, said, “The horse
people have been around generations. These casinos
have been here three years.” She said the
casinos knew they faced prohibitions on campaign
contributions when they were making plans to move
to Detroit. “They want to whine now?” she asked.
Magna Entertainment, fighting back against
the casinos, has hired a two-term House
Republican leader to lead the track battle.