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, EditorTANNER TO RUN CHESTERMike Tanner, director of marketing at GulfstreamPark, where he has worked for 12 years, has beennamed by Harrah’s to run its harness racing operationat Chester Downs. Tanner served for eightyears as assistant director of communications atGulfstream under veteran publicist JoeTanenbaum. He also took over simulcasting operationsat the track four years ago, and servedone year as special assistant to track presidentScott Savin before replacing David Rovine as directorof marketing last year. Tanner, 39, says heloved his time at Gulfstream but called Chester“an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.” He is anative of southern New Jersey and said the newjob allows him “to go back home.” He will start atChester next month.BIDDING QUESTIONED IN PASlots are still a long way off in Pennsylvania, butthe process of getting them started already hascreated controversy. A Pittsburgh publication, theTribune-Review, reports that the first major gambling-relatedcontract, worth an estimated $6.3million a year to GTECH, which was awarded thecontract, was let by the state’s Department ofRevenue without normal procurement process, andthat Revenue refuses to identify nine other biddersor reveal how it selected GTECH. The paperquoted Barry Kauffman, executive director ofPennsylvania Common Cause, the public policynonprofit agency, as saying, “It’s clearly not anappropriate way to conduct the public’s business.The public can’t evaluate if the government is doinga good job in the selection process if it onlyknows the winner.”The story detailed GTECH’s negative publicity andproblems in recent years, saying the contract“could put a company embroiled in a federalbribery investigation in charge of thecomputer tracking activity at slots casinos.”September 20, 2005NO UNANIMITY IN SAN MATEOTwo hundred people turned out for a public hearingbefore the San Mateo, California, City Councilon the fate of Bay Meadows racetrack last night,but they left with as much indecisiveness as beforethe meeting started. Bay Meadows Landcompany, which owns the 71-year-old track and nowalso owns Hollywood Park, wants to tear BayMeadows down and replace it with 1,250 homes,1.25 million square feet of offices, 15 acres ofparkland and 150,000 square feet of stores andrestaurants on the track’s 83 acres. Supportersof the plan think it will help stop development ofSan Mateo’s hills and provide better access totransportation and Highway 101, which serves SanMateo. Opponents say the housing plan wouldcause congestion, gridlock and school overcrowding,and that if the track must go, the land shouldbe put to better use than housing. The San MateoChronicle’s SFGate.com reported this morningthat the proposal to tear down the track and buildthe homes “received about as much opposition asit did support.” If the City Council approves themove, a group called Save Bay Meadows says itwill launch a referendum drive, with 30 days togather the signatures needed to get a referendumon the ballot next fall.NY BOARD MULLS REBATESAlthough the court-appointed monitor of the NewYork Racing Association strongly recommendedrebates as an aide to racing, the New York Racingand Wagering Board has no immediate plans toapprove the idea, according to Daily RacingForm. Dan Toomey, a board spokesman, told theForm’s Matt Hegarty that “NYRA is only one ofthe many entities that the racing and wageringboard regulates,” and the board was still collectinginput on the programs from racing interests inthe state. With all the political and business considerationsinvolved in even the smallest decisionconcerning New York racing, don’t expectquick action on rebates.