2005 - Harness Tracks of America, Inc.

HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAExecutive NewsletterA daily fax and e-mail report on racing and gaming developments in North America and beyondStanley F. Bergstein, Editor January 24, 2005TURNING OFF THE FAUCET WOLF TURNS SNOW TO GOLDAfter 10 years of feverish expansion of gambling Racing was flattened over the weekend by thein Ontario, the province has decided enough is driving blizzard that covered the country fromenough. Economic Development Minister Joe the midwest to the east coast, but it was grist forCordiano has said there will be no new installationsof slots at tracks, no VLTs in bars and res-bulletins all day Saturday that it was in the 70sSteve Wolf’s mill in Florida. After sending outtaurants, no slot machines in bingo halls, and no and Pompano was racing, the innovative Wolfprovincial involvement in Internet gambling. filed this lead on the track’s Saturday night card:Present installations, however, will be upgraded, “Pompano Park was one of the few tracks inand Cordiano did not rule out that some sites North America that did not have to cancel racingSaturday due to snow. In fact, the closestcould get more slots. He said the new strategy isintended to preserve the economic viability of the thing to snow at the track came in the form ofgambling industry in Ontario, where 16 tracks the pure white gelding Forever Laag ($55.20,currently have slots and two more -- Picov Downs 12.00, 6.80) a 26-1 shot that swept four-wide inin Ajax and Quinte Exhibition and Raceway in the final turn and posted a 1:54.4 three and onequarterlength romp in the sixth race pace.”Belleville -- will be permitted to complete plansalready underway. “Our strategy,” Cordianosaid, “will not only keep the industry competitive,it will ensure social responsibility is frontand center in the way we manage Ontario’s gamingindustry.” Cordiano acted after a consultantreported that the gambling market in Ontario isnearing the saturation point, and that managementof current operations and not creation ofnew ones was the most prudent course. The studywas commissioned by the Ontario Lottery andGaming Corporation, which manages slots at alltracks in Ontario.BLOOMBERG NIXES SLOT IDEAThe governor of New York, George Pataki, wantscasinos all over the state, including five in New YorkCity, to help raise money for schools, but the mayorof New York does not like the idea. Mayor MichaelBloomberg says he has never been a great fan ofgambling and that “the big problem that I havewith it is that it is a very variable income source,when most of the city’s expenses are fixed and longterm.”Bloomberg has allies in Assembly SpeakerSheldon Silver, who also dislikes the idea,and City Council Speaker Gifford Miller,but the all-powerful Senate MajorityLeader Joe Bruno supports Pataki.GETTING RACY IN THE AIRThe giant Airbus A380 is still three years fromflying commercially, but it hasn’t slowed downpublicity-wise Richard Branson, part owner ofthe quaintly named Virgin Atlantic airline.Branson was in France preparing for lastTuesday’s roll-out of the first giant doubledecker,to seat 555, in Toulouse, and as usual he was inrare form with the press. He told reporters thatthe Virgin form of the huge plane would containa gym and casino offering blackjack and roulettein both economy and business class, and by theway it would have double beds as well. Neverone to miss an opportunity, Branson said, “Sinceyou have gaming and you have private doublebeds, maybe there are two ways of getting luckyon a Virgin plane.”APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE!Messages from all over the place congratulatingHTA on its naming Dean Hoffman, executive editorof Hoof Beats and the sport’s most prolificwriter, as winner of the 2005 Messenger Award.The response was the largest of its kind everreceived here on a Messenger recipient.