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
CASE OF THE MISSING CASE
With a whip tossed in anger as the only tangible
clue, the hugely talented but hard-to-handle
Peck’s Bad Boy of harness racing is missing in
action. Or out of action. Either way, Walter Case
disappeared from Northfield Park after the final
race a week ago and hasn’t surfaced since.
He threw his whip into the infield at Northfield
after finishing third with something called
Hershel Kiss the night before Thanksgiving and
sped off into the night, unseen and unheard since.
Bob Roberts, writing in the Cleveland Plain
Dealer, says Case was placed under suspension
at the conclusion of that racing card by the Ohio
Racing Commission for failing to pay $5,175 in
fines, most of them for his familiar habit of taking
a foot out of the stirrups and booting his
mount. Roberts quoted Northfield presiding
judge Larry Willis as saying Case has been fined
more than $50,000 over the last two years, either
unable to break the kicking habit or defiant
enough to continue despite the fines. In either
case, Willis told Case he could no longer drive at
Northfield until the outstanding fines were paid,
and that was the end of the trail. Barred earlier
this year from the Delaware County Fair, home
of the Little Brown Jug, after he failed to show
up for scheduled drives, Case, 41, is running out
of venues for his exceptional driving talents. This
year, until his Thanksgiving eve disappearance,
he had driven in 2,302 races this year, had won
679 of them, and had finished first, second or
third 1,347 times, in the mutuel money 59% of
the time. Lifetime, he has won 10,788 races, and
was HTA’s Driver of the Year three times, in
1991, 1992 and 1998. Case drove for last year’s
leading race-winning trainer, Bob Belcher, also
no stranger to controversy, but the two had a falling
out and Belcher said, “It wouldn’t break
my heart if he doesn’t come back.” He
added that “without a doubt, he’s the best
driver I’ve ever seen.”
December 4, 2002
NO TRACK SLOTS IN ILLINOIS
Illinois joined Ohio as a loser in the quest for
slots at tracks yesterday, when a bid for them
was quickly dismissed in the state legislature in
Springfield. Jim O’Donnell of the Chicago Sun-
Times reported today that no written bill ever
was circulated for consideration, and no legislator
stepped forward to sponsor the legislation.
Balmoral Park’s John Johnston took a philosophical
view, telling O’Donnell, “I think a very
quick consensus arose that the issue could be best
addressed when the new governor and the new
state legislature are in place next year,” and
added, “I guess that’s all part of good government.”
STUNTMAN SUES ON PICK SIX
There’s no humor to it, but it is ironic that the
class action suit filed against Autotote in Los
Angeles Superior Court today is on behalf of a
Hollywood stuntman. Jimmy ‘The Hat’ Allard,
48, reportedly is a shareholder in 78 consolation
tickets on the Breeders’ Cup Pick Six, having had
five of the six winners in the Arlington exotic.
Allard is part of a group that bets California Pick
Six pools daily, and he claims he has invested
more than $20 million in the pool in the last 16
years and has cashed more than 200 Pick Six
winners, including three worth more than $1
million each. If, as expected, there should be a
distribution of the $3 million plus pool, Allard
could see each of the tickets he shares grow in
value from roughly $4,600 to some $39,000. Joseph
Lisoni, Allard’s lawyer, is accusing Autotote
of negligence. Autotote had not seen the suit, and
had no immediate comment. Allard told Bill
Christine of the Los Angeles Times that, as an
extra and stuntman, he has appeared in some
appropriately named shows, including Love Boat,
Happy Days and Fantasy Island on television
and Airplane and The Blues Brothers
in the movies.