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, EditorCAL BOARD TAKES OVER TESTSMilkshakes in California may cost a bit more startingnext Wednesday, when the California HorseRacing Board takes over high bicarbonate leveltesting. Licensees with high bicarbonate readingsnow can face fines and suspensions, and pursemoney earned in such instances would automaticallybe forfeited. The board will test all horsesat Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields and willtest standardbreds at Cal Expo on a random basis.Thoroughbred samples will be collected prerace,standardbred samples post race, and trainerswill have the option of having a duplicatesample collected at the same time the primary iscollected, but tested at a different laboratory thanthe Kenneth Maddy lab at the University of California-Davis,which the CHRB uses. A duplicatesample will cost trainers $165, and must be paid inadvance. If Maddy tests show high levels of carbondioxide, and are not contradicted by duplicatetests done elsewhere, a complaint will be filedagainst the trainer and other licensees implicatedby the evidence. During processing of the case,horses from the trainer’s barn will have to raceout of a track detention facility. Either stewardsor an administrative law judge will hear the case,and potential sanctions include disqualification,fine, or suspension.RAIN, RAIN GO AWAYNew Jersey is underwater, or parts of it, and theMeadowlands has not been spared. Unrelentingrain has forced cancellation of Wednesday’s andThursday’s night thoroughbred cards at the track,and tonight’s racing program has been cancelledas well. The Meadowlands has not raced a completecard since Oct. 7.DON’T FORGET GROOMSDirectors and action officers: Please askyour program directors to use the Caretakerof the Year solicitation ads we haveprovided.October 14, 2005UNHAPPINESS IN IOWAThe Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission hasstepped into the dispute between harness horsemenin the state and HTA member Prairie MeadowsRacetrack and Casino. The track and horsemenhave not been able to agree on a contract,and the commission has refused to renew casinoand racing licenses for 2006 until they do. Thecommission ordered representatives of both sidesto sit down again at the bargaining table, and resolvethe issue, and said they would consider licensesnext month if the issue is settled. Prairiehas settled with thoroughbred and quarter horseinterests, proposing purses totaling $14.3 millionfor thoroughbreds and $2.3 million for quarterhorses, but the Iowa Harness Horsemen’s Assn.is asking for $2.5 million and 17 days of racingnext year. Commission chairwoman DianeHamilton has said of the impasse, “Our interest isto encourage the working together of the threehorse breeds.” Track president and general managerand HTA director Robert Farinella says PrairieMeadows has negotiated in good faith with theharness group and is trying to offer a fair and competitivepurse structure for all three breeds. Thetrack has proposed 45 days of thoroughbred racingfor next year, 45 days of mixed thoroughbredand quarter horse racing, and a 12-day harnessmeeting Sept. 24 thru Oct. 14. The horsemen’sassociation president, Royal Roland, says its goal“is to get some additional funding to sustain theincreased growth and investment in Iowa’s agriculturaleconomy.”BERMAN OUT AT MONTICELLORobert Berman, who built Empire Resorts, theowner of Monticello Raceway, and stepped downas CEO a few months ago, now is leaving the companyaltogether. Although his 49-year-old brotherdied recently, news releases implied Berman’scontroversial and sometimes confrontationalstances also played a role.