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 December 20, 2002
JANE HOLMES TO WOODBINE
Standardbred Canada reports that one of horse
racing’s brightest stars, Jane Holmes, is leaving
her post as executive director of the Ontario
Horse Racing Industry Association to succeed
retiring David Gorman as a vice president of
Woodbine Entertainment Group. Ms. Holmes,
in her seven years at OHRIA, unified the Canadian
horse racing industry into a group that
speaks to government with one voice for both
harness and thoroughbred racing. She received
HTA’s Messenger Award, the association’s highest
honor, last year for that accomplishment. No
word on a successor has been announced, and
Woodbine has not yet made a formal announcement
of Ms. Holmes’ hiring, but OHRIA will
have difficulty finding a person with the talents
and political negotiating skills that Ms. Holmes
demonstrated in uniting racing breeds in
Ontario.
A BUSY STADIUM AT BIG M
With New Jersey cutting off its $5 million 2002
subsidy and governor James E. McGreevey mandating
that the Meadowlands sports complex
must be self-sufficient operationally, sports authority
chief executive George Zoffinger is turning
to Giants Stadium to carry the load. The stadium,
which hosted 47 events this year for a $16.3
million profit, will host at least 56 next year, and
Zoffinger hopes and expects they will bring in
$21.1 million. On the calendar are at least four
and perhaps as many as seven international soccer
events, including an appearance of top flight
Manchester United, and hopefully multiple performances
by Jersey’s Boss, Bruce Springsteen,
and Jon Bon Jovi. Monmouth Park which suffered
deep declines last year, may be hard pressed
to support a turnaround, but handle at the
Meadowlands maintained an even keel
and the start of the upcoming long season
is doing the same.
NO XMAS FOR BOB BRENNAN
Robert Brennan’s nemesis, federal judge Richard
Owen, is not imbued with the holiday spirit
as far as Brennan is concerned. At the end of a
hearing in which Brennan claimed remorse,
Owen said, “I hear the words, Mr. Brennan, but
I really don’t see any remorse.” Having said that,
Owen indicated he is inclined to add another
three years in prison to Brennan’s sentence in
February, as punishment for Brennan having
used frozen funds to pay his lawyer. Brennan
had hoped to get off with a sentence of 8 to 14
months, to be served concurrently with his
present term, but Owen said Brennan’s actions
amounted to theft. Citing what he called “today’s
questionable corporate executive climate,” Owen
said he wanted to make sure there was no impression
that such conduct was tolerated or could
go unpunished. Brennan, who said he had written
the judge expressing remorse “from the heart
while sitting in my prison cell,” called his treatment
“a violation of constitutional principles.”
His lawyer said he was impoverished and in ill
health. Brennan, who for the first time talked of
enrolling in a federal alcohol and drug abuse program,
will be 65 or 66 by the time he leaves prison
if Owen does not relent, which seems unlikely.
RENDELL: NO RIVERBOATS
Pennsylvania’s governor-elect, Ed Rendell, who
had talked about riverboats while mayor of Philadelphia,
had good news for racing yesterday. He
reaffirmed his support for slots at tracks, but said
he has no plans for riverboat gambling.
ADD A RACING SECRETARY
The Newsletter mentioned an experienced mutuel
manager, two announcers and a publicist available
earlier this week. Add a racing secretary with
long harness racing experience to the list
of available talent. Information available
from HTA.