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 April 25, 2002
CHICAGO TRACKS MUST WAIT BIG M REVISES FALL DATES
Chicago’s horseracing -- harness and thoroughbred
-- is champing at the bit for huge dollar inpute
in New Jersey, the Meadowlands has made
With the settlement of the thoroughbred dates discreases
from their share of the proposed Emerald slight revisions in its fall harness racing schedule.
Casino in Rosemont, but it appears as if they’ll The runners now will race from Labor Day, Sept.
have to cool out and wait a little longer. The Illinois
Gaming Board has again rejected a buyout harness will resume on Nov. 29 and race 17 pro-
2 until Nov. 23. Following a Thanksgiving break,
offer for the proposed Emerald Casino in the Chicago
suburb of Rosemont. Earlier this year MGM The Fall Final Four, season-ending championship
grams through Dec. 28, with Christmas Day dark.
Mirage offered to pay $615 million for the license, races for 2-year-olds of both gaits inherited from
but the board said no dice. More recently, the Garden State Park, will be raced Dec. 7, with elimination
races for trotting colts and fillies on Nov.
owners of Emerald said they would pay $350 million
to the state if they could sell the license, and 29 and for pacing colts and fillies on Nov. 30. The
the board now has vetoed that idea. All of this has races last year carried purses ranging from
infuriated Donald Stephens, the mayor of $340,000 to $500,000.
Rosemont, who told the Chicago Tribune, “This
is getting to the point of asininity.” Stephens wants HEAVY HITTERS (IN MAINE?)
to debate the board, but it is not in the mood for
Or somewhere. The vagaries and potential impact
of transcontinental (or international) simul-
debates. It seemingly does not want the casino in
Rosemont, and although it has not said why, the
casting were felt yesterday from Maine to California,
when last minute bets totaling $118,000
Tribune noted that last year, when it denied Emerald
its license, critics argued Rosemont should
from a United Tote hub in Lewiston, Maine,
be rejected as a location “because of business relationships
Stephens has had with alleged associ-
streamed into Hollywood Park at post time and
drove down a maiden filly’s price from 9-2 on the
ates of organized crime.” The paper said he is a
post time flash to 2-5 at the finish of the race. Instead
of the $11 that winning bettors on
former business partner of Nick S. Boscarino, who
was indicted in January in a scam involving
Hollywood’s opening day expected to get on the
Rosemont village insurance, and said Stephens
filly with the appropriate name of Global Finance,
also wrote to a federal judge pleading for a lenient
they wound up receiving $2.80. It turns out that
sentence for his longtime friend Anthony Daddino,
23 bets of $5,000 and one of $3,000 were bet from
convicted in a mob shakedown scheme. When
Lewiston just before post on the filly, who had run
Daddino was released, Stephens gave him a job in
only once before, finishing seventh in a 10-horse
Rosemont as a building inspector, according to the
field at Santa Anita March 27. There was only
Tribune. Board members have denied that
$11,461 bet on her to win at Hollywood. The
Rosemont was the reason for the license denial,
Lewiston bets produced a profit of $47,200 for
and chairman Gregory Jones said “Geographically,
it’s a terrific location for our casino, given
someone, somewhere.
its accessibility to O’Hare airport.” Another board
A similar case last winter at Gulfstream created
member, Joseph Lamendella, who cast the
wide consternation, and Hollywood carries a note
board’s only vote in favor of the casino,
in its program explaining out-of-state last
said “It’s not a bastion of organized
minute betting flashes.
crime....it’s a model of municipal magnificence.”