January - Harness Tracks of America, Inc.

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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 January 23, 2008 CRUNCH TIME IN NEW JERSEY Jon Corzine, the governor of New Jersey, and the state’s legislators, now have a clear choice. They can sacrifice the state’s premier position in world harness racing at the altar of the Atlantic City casinos, or they can fulfill commitments and promises and produce some action in the place of rhetoric. Dennis Robinson, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority’s chief executive officer, announced a draconian purse cut as of the end of the month if the state does not either replace the expired subsidy of Atlantic City casinos or provide slots for New Jersey tracks. Robinson said the NJSEA has been subsidizing purses at the Meadowlands, but cannot continue. “Right now,” he told the Newark Star- Ledger’s New Jersey.com, “we’re paying higher purses than we’re earning. It’s as simple as that. I think we would lose our position as the number one harness track in North America, so it’s a serious issue.” There is no question that Robinson is right if the proposed 45% purse cut takes place. Nightly purses would drop from $220,000 a program to $90,000, and the Meadowlands would fall from its 30-year position of preeminence among harness tracks. The New Jersey Standardbred Owners and Breeders Association president, Tom Luchento, said, “We are still hoping that the governor will fulfill the promise he made in October to provide a supplement for the racing industry. We are at a crossroads for the future of racing and breeding in this state. We need the legislature and the Governor to step up and finalize this agreement.” Freehold Raceway, not waiting for the governor or legislators, released a reduced purse structure that severely cuts prize money at the daytime HTA member. The lowest class, $4,000 claimers, would race for $2,000, the highest class for $9,100. That class raced for $14,000 last Saturday. ONTARIO MOVES FORWARD While New Jersey’s crisis deepened, the Ontario Racing Commission voted to move forward with the provincial Horse Improvement Program, an ambitious proposal put forth by the Industry Advisory Group. The ORC acted after a Monday meeting of industry associations advised John Blakney, the commission’s executive director, that it could not reach agreement on any change in the wagering levy and slots revenue contribution to fund the proposal. The commission board then revisited the issue and voted to move forward this year, using existing Horse Improvement Program funding. A Breeders Reward Program will be part of the improvement package. The commission asked a review panel headed by law professor and former commission chairman Stanley Sadinsky to identify how sustainable funding might be attained. The ORC is Ontario’s designated hitter on implementing the program. SPITZER: SLOTS AT BELMONT Facing a $4.4 billion budget gap, the governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer, yesterday outlined a budget replete with cuts and a controversial proposal to put slots at Belmont Park. The plan includes a one-time $250 million payment to the state from whichever company is awarded the contract to operate the video slots. Spitzer no sooner announced the plan than House Speaker Sheldon Silver cast doubt on its fate. Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno supported Spitzer saying, “I hope he gets the speaker there.” In a related development, the non-profit Racing Association Oversight Board now operating the New York Racing Association while the legislature fiddles, voted to sharply curb the powers of the new chairman of the New York Racing and Wagering Board, Steven Newman, a Spitzer appointee. A government source said the purpose was “to shut Newman down.”
HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICA RACING WHAT’S RACING That seems to be the attitude of Jon Corzine, the governor of New Jersey, and his legislature. While putting the stature of America’s number one harness track, the Meadowlands, at risk, and failing so far to do anything to solve the plight of the state’s tracks, the legislature now is toying with the idea of trying an end run around federal restraints on sports betting. An Assembly committee is scheduled to consider legislation today to ask voters to allow casinos to offer professional sports betting, according to philly.com. The legislators are concerned about keeping the casinos competitive with neighboring states (read Pennsylvania) but have not given much thought to keeping racing competitive. Although the state capital is in Trenton, New Jersey seems to be run from Atlantic City, where the 11 casino bosses get pretty much whatever they want. After bills to allow sports betting passed the Senate in 1992 and 1993 but went nowhere from there, the issue became largely moot when the federal government banned sports betting except for four grandfathered states. New Jersey is not one of them. Delaware, Montana, Nevada and Oregon are those grandfathered. Now assembly budget chairman Lou Greenwald and Senate wagering committee chairman Jim Whelan want to circumvent federal law. Senate president and former governor Richard J. Codey, who knows and values the state’s racing, has a different view. “I think Appalachian State would have to beat the Giants before the federal government would allow New Jersey to change the law to permit sports betting in casinos,” Codey said. Happily, there is one voice of reason left in Trenton. In another New Jersey development of interest, an appellate court has ruled that the New Jersey Racing Commission violated the Open Public Meetings Act last year when it distributed monies from the Casino Simulcasting Fund without providing its reasoning. Executive Newsletter A daily fax and e-mail report on racing and gaming developments in North America and beyond Stanley F. Bergstein, Editor January 24, 2008 The commission was ordered to meet again to reconsider the matter. FREE SPEECH AND BRITCHES Another racing commission has been challenged, this time in Kentucky. Jockey Jeremy Rose has filed a suit there contending the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority’s ban on advertising on jockeys’ riding pants is a violation of his free speech rights under the Constitution. A U. S. district court judge ruled almost four years ago against an earlier version of the ban, which was altered and implemented by the Authority. HEALTH V. WEALTH IN INDIANA A measure that would have banned smoking in racetracks, bars, bowling alleys, and all other public and work places died in committee yesterday in Indiana. The executive director of the Licensed Beverage Association hailed the vote, saying, “Tobacco is still a legal product.” The administrator of a county health department called the ban’s defeat “unfortunate.” SLOTS BATTLE HEATING UP Slots proposals in Miami-Dade county in Florida, and in the state of Massachusetts, are nearing critical boiling points. The Florida vote comes next Tuesday, Jan. 29, and opponents have dragged out the old war-cry of “the crack cocaine of gambling,” which now has been used for opposition to everything from trifectas to tiddleywinks. One possible blow to approval came this week when the Miami Herald threw its editorial voice against slots in a strong appeal to readers to vote no on the issue. In Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick included $124 million in his budget allocations despite the fact that there is still substantial opposition to his three-casino idea in the state legislature. That vote will not come until early summer.
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January - Harness Tracks of America, Inc.

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