2005 - Harness Tracks of America, Inc.

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HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAExecutive NewsletterA daily fax and e-mail report on racing and gaming developments in North America and beyondStanley F. Bergstein, EditorDECISION TIME FOR RACINGThe North American horse racing industry nowfaces a monumental choice. The industry finallyhas faced the real challenge -- detecting what isbeing used on horses and developing tests forthem -- with a world class expert at its head. Dr.Don Catlin, founder and head of the UCLA OlympicAnalytical Laboratory, who will be a featuredspeaker at the HTA-TRA-USTA Racing Congressat Bellagio in Las Vegas in February, hasagreed to head a non-profit laboratory to be calledthe Equine Drug Research Institute. Secret negotiations-- getting to be a passion in the racingindustry -- have been underway at Keeneland inKentucky for two years, and surfaced Sunday withthe announcement that Dr. Catlin was on board.Catlin told the Jockey Club Round Table inSaratoga Springs yesterday, “The issues you faceare very similar or identical to the issues I’vefaced in sport. Your sport offers some uniqueopportunities.” With Catlin at the helm, theproject can be far and away the most significantin racing in years. Catlin, respected worldwide,has been involved in solving Olympic druggingproblems and was a key player in unraveling theBalco THG issue. Unlike the Racing and MedicationTesting Consortium, which has been concerningitself primarily with developing uniformrules, the Equine Drug Research Institute willfocus on developing tests for presently hard-todetectdrugs, and some yet to be identified. Untilthese tests are developed, racing’s frequent selfservingstatements that only a minute number ofpositives have been found in testing are meaningless,since if there are no tests for substancesbeing used in racing obviously there will be nopositives for them. The new project will be expensive-- a $3 million price tag was mentionedfor starters yesterday -- but this is one projectracing needs desperately to rally behindand fund. It is a potential turning pointfor the sport.August 22, 2005TO NY HARNESS: BEWAREAll the talk in Saratoga Springs yesterday wasthoroughbred -- the Jockey Club Round Table is,after all, sponsored by the Jockey Club -- but harnessracing interests in the state of New York hadbetter stay focused on what is being kicked around.NYRA is concerned about NYRA, and the Friendsof New York Racing, whether New Yorkers or not,are really at this point the Friends of New YorkThoroughbred Racing. There still are six harnessrace tracks operating in New York State, with ahuge agriculture breeding industry behind them,and one of them -- Yonkers Racway, has the bestlocation in all New York for VLTs, smack on theDeegan Expressway. It would be folly for theowners and operators of these tracks to letFriends (or Enemies) get too far down the roadwithout keeping them in the loop for their ambitiousplans. Tom LaMarra’s coverage of theFriends’ plans in bloodhorse.com say the group“proposes formation of an industry advocacygroup to represent all factions in the effort todevelop a new structure for the pari-mutuel industryin the Empire state.” It would be comfortingto know what “all factions” embraces.Hopefully it is just that, all-compassing.TO ALL RACING: BIG BEWARETo those who have put the World Trade Organizationchallenge to U.S. simulcasting on a backburner, better move it further front. The WTOhas announced an April, 2006, deadline for U.S.action, and a spokeswoman for the US Trade Representativewas quoted in Middle East Times assaying, “The United States has already announcedits intention to comply with WTO findings.In order to implement the findings all weneed to do is clarify one narrow issue concerningInternet gambling on horseracing.” It may be“one narrow issue” for US Trade Representatives,but it is one very wide one for Americanhorseracing.
HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAExecutive NewsletterA daily fax and e-mail report on racing and gaming developments in North America and beyondStanley F. Bergstein, EditorANOTHER SPLASH IN THE POOLEverybody in the water! Eric Spector is back seekingto buy Vernon Downs, which he ran briefly duringthe bankruptcy merry-go-round of the last year.Spector, now based in San Diego, has backing froma group called Plainfield Asset Management, andhe joins Jeff Gural and Shawn Scott in the chasefor the prize. Lawyers for Gural and Scott can fileobjections to Spector’s proposal by tomorrow ifthey wish.HERE COMES DE JUDGECircuit Judge Leroy Moe in Broward county,Florida, has not changed his mind. In June he ruledthat the wishes of voters in south Florida were beingignored by the legislature, which adjournedwithout providing for rules for slots at Browardcounty’s tracks. The Broward state attorney arguedagainst that, which triggered an automaticstay. Yesterday Moe reconfirmed his order, liftingthe stay and saying the will of the voters couldnot be disregarded. He ruled that the county’sthree tracks, including HTA member PompanoPark, could install slots before their legal appealsare finished or the state legislature drafts rules.Track executives, however, said they still preferredto work with state lawmakers and Browardcounty commissioners to draft regulatory guidelinesbefore installing the machines, and they expectgovernor Jeb Bush will convene a special sessionthis fall to have that done.KY HORSEMEN WANT TO FIGHTThe governor of Kentucky, Ed Fletcher, hassigned an emergency order putting Kentucky’snew drug rules into effect, but the KentuckyHBPA still is unwilling to go along. They stillwant to be able to use the former medicine cabinet,and they are threatening to go to court,arguing this time about whether medicationrules warrant emergency legislation.August 23, 2005Kentucky’s vets, who administer all of the stuffpreviously used, also reportedly are consideringlegal action. Kentucky horsemen are arguing thenew rules will create short fields and harm theirhorses by depriving them of needed medication.Amazing how horsemen everywhere but Kentuckyare getting along with versions of the new rules.NZ’S TOP TRAINER SUSPENDEDMark Purdon, the leading harness racingtrainer in New Zealand, has been suspendedfor four months and fined $15,000 by the JudicialControl Authority for his role in the “BlueMagic” scandal that has rocked the sport DownUnder. The case was bizarre in a number ofways. Purdon said his principal owner, the millionaireJohn Seaton, had introduced him toRobert Asquith, a manufacturer and supplierto horsemen of Blue Magic, or propanthelinebromide. Asquith told Purdon the substancewould not test positive, and Purdon bought 10vials for $1,500 and injected the pacer Lightand Sound six hours before a race on two occasions.The horse won his first race with thesubstance, but did not race as well on the secondadministration, finishing third. The pursehas been redistributed on both races. WhenPurdon decided his action was inappropriate afterthe Blue Magic scandal heated up, he telephonedthe general manager of Harness RacingNew Zealand and apologized. He also visitedhis local police and told them what he haddone. Both Asquith and Seaton, who HarnessRacing New Zealand said was involved in theuse of the illegal substance, were later founddead, Asquith a suicide. Seaton’s death alsowas reported to be a suicide, but no coroner’sreport has been issued, more than eight monthslater. Harness Racing New Zealand, which hadasked for a year’s suspension of Purdon, saidit would consider appealing the four monthpenalty as inadequate.
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2005 - Harness Tracks of America, Inc.

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