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, EditorJUDGE SAYS NO TO KY HBPAA state circuit court judge in Kentucky has refusedto enjoin the state from implementing and enforcingits new medication rules, as requested by theKentucky HBPA. Judge Roger Crittenden saidthe new rules, which ban horses from receivingmost therapeutic drugs on race day, would notcause irreparable harm to horsemen in Kentucky.A few horsemen based at Churchill Downs declinedto enter Wednesday’s opening night program atTurfway Park, but the track filled its 10-race cardand has a full field in its feature. The threat of aboycott would have cast a pall over Turfway’s introductionof its new Polytrack surface, the first tobe tested under actual race conditions in the UnitedStates.ANOTHER SAYS NO TO NIAGARAIn Niagara Falls, New York, a state Supreme Courtjudge dismissed a suit filed by Niagara county,seeking 75% of the local share of Niagara Falls’Seneca Niagara Casino revenue. The judge ruledthat the $11.2 million cut for the locality hasn’t beenallocated as yet by the New York legislature, andcalled the county’s suit premature.MORE DARK CLOUDS FOR NYRAThoroughbred racing at Saratoga still is the bestand most successful handlewise in the nation, butthe New York Racing Association, which runs it,continues to catch flak regardless of its successes.Although this year’s meeting was down in handleby 5.47% from last year, and attendance was down3.17%, the meeting still averaged almost $15 milliona day. But it no sooner closed than a statecontroller’s draft report surfaced that it had failedto pay the state $40.4 million in franchise fees between2000 and 2003, a figure NYRA says is nottrue. NYRA also caught fire for spending some$17,000 for a press party the day before theTravers. A NYRA spokesman argues, withsome logic, that it makes money for thetrack in coverage.September 6, 2005IN BRITAIN, $4.4 BILLION DROPGibraltar-based PartyGaming Plc, the online pokeroperator that shook Britain with its most explosivestock offering ever in June, has fallen as muchas 37% below its initial offering price, accordingto Bloomberg.com. The report said the stock dropwiped out some $4.4 billion in U.S. dollars. Onefund manager in London for Barclay’s Private Clients,which manages $45 billion, said, “There weresome clear dangers in relation to the valuation ofthis company and our concerns have been realized.”Another analyst, at Seymour Pierce in London,said, “The market has misinterpreted what’sactually happened in the same way that it misinterpretedthat poker was going to the moon ad infinituminitially.” Whatever, it’s a big hit.THE RIGHT AIMS AT ROMNEYSpeaking of big gambles, Mitt Romney, governorof Massachusetts and a presidentialhopeful for 2008, has drawn the ire ofmidwestern and other conservatives with talkof slots in the Bay State. Right wing mobilizerStacey Cargill, who organized thousands ofvoters last year to soundly defeat a slots proposalin Iowa, now says she will seek to jointhe Iowa Christian Coalition and Iowa FamilyPolicy Center against Romney’s hopes in Iowacaucuses. Cargill was quoted in the BostonGlobe’s Boston.com as saying, “If Mitt Romneyis going to engage in incorporating casinoslots as a form of economic development forthe state of Massachusetts, we will spread theword and ask the state of Iowa to vote for anothercandidate in the caucuses. It’s that bigan issue.” Although Romney said two yearsago he would support slots if they were auctionedoff to the highest bidders and the licenseshad limited terms, the matter neverreached his desk, and a Romney spokeswomannow says, “Expanded gaming is notsomething Gov. Romney has proposed oris even considering.”
HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAExecutive NewsletterA daily fax and e-mail report on racing and gaming developments in North America and beyondStanley F. Bergstein, EditorCLARIFICATION ON N.O. RELIEFIn the welter of confusion, from the very top down,over the New Orleans disaster, a number of trackshave inquired about HTA’s participation in theNTRA Racing to the Rescue Fund.It is a two-part program. Tax deductible contributionscan be made immediately via mail to NTRACharities, Inc. - Racing to the Rescue Fund, c/oBessemer Trust Company N.A., attention RobertElliott, 630 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10111.Wire-transferred funds can be sent to BessemerTrust Company N.A., Federal Reserve SymbolABA#0260-0875-6, user name Bessemer TrustNYC-for account NTRA Charities Inc. -Racing tothe Rescue Fund. 100% of all contributions willbe passed through to existing charities establishedto aid in recovery efforts.The second part of the program, in which HTA hasoffered to solicit its tracks for participation, is aRacing to the Rescue Day scheduled for Oct. 8 forvictims of Hurricane Katrina. Tracks can participatein this in whatever fashion they consider appropriateor desire to do. Many HTA tracks alreadyhave implemented relief programs of theirown. All are encouraged to contribute, and to encouragedrivers, trainers, breeders and owners tocontribute a part of their purse winnings on Racingto the Rescue Day Oct. 8. There is nothingobligatory about the program, but a concerted nationalracing effort appears an appropriate industryresponse to the tragedy. If you schedule specialevents for fundraising on Oct. 8, the proceedscan be forwarded as above to the NTRA Charities- Racing to the Rescue Fund, which is a specialdivision of the NTRA’s nonprofit 501 (c) (3) subsidiaryNTRA Charities. Bessemer Trust hasagreed to establish and administer the fund at nocost, and all contributions are tax deductible.If you have further questions, contactHTA.September 7, 2005MAGNA PULLS BACK IN MDThe governor of Maryland, who has been frustratedfor more than two years in his efforts tobring slots to Maryland’s tracks, announced todaythat Magna Entertainment was cutting its racingdays in the state by almost one half. Gov.Robert L. Ehrlich said, “Magna is pulling backfrom Maryland. They are letting legislators andthe general public know it today. They are goingfrom 200 racing days down to 112. We have 20,000jobs at risk.” The governor made clear, in his announcementduring participation on a Baltimoreradio show, that the Magna decision did not meanthat the Preakness was gone, nor that horse racingwas gone, from a state where it once was anational power. “I’ve been told they don’t want toleave,” Ehrlich said. “I’ve been told they mostlikely will be here next year. I have no guaranteethey will be here in two years, three years.” Thegovernor said Magna does not want to leave Maryland,but the company is losing money just aboutevery day of the year except for Preakness day.There was no early comment from House SpeakerMichael E. Busch, who has almost single handedlykilled slots legislation for tracks in Maryland inthe last two sessions of the legislature.O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEMThe mayor of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, formerhome of Bethlehem Steel, has problems similarto the governor of Maryland. Bethlehemmayor John Callahan supports the idea of convertingthe huge deserted Bethlehem Steelworks into a $300 million entertainment complex,with a casino, as an economic boon thecity. Now a bitter gambling opponent has useda city council meeting to launch a write-in campaignagainst the mayor, saying he was “emphaticallyand categorically opposed to gambling.”The gambling foe, Karl Fluck, says hewill challenge Callahan, who has no Republicanopponent this fall.
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2005 - Harness Tracks of America, Inc.

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