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, EditorUH-OH, HERE WE GO AGAINRacing’s resolve to solve its medication problems--and the problems affecting that resolve--surfaced again yesterday, with the LouisvilleCourier-Journal pinpointing the issue with itsheadline, “Racing authority may scale backpenalties in medication policy.” It was referringto the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority,which has begun backsliding from its former determinedstance to end permissiveness in medicationin Kentucky. The paper reported that,“The racing authority will take public commenton the rules through Monday and then is expectedto file an amended regulation with theLegislative Research Commission. From there,it goes before two legislative committees beforebecoming permanent.” The modifications representa victory for Kentucky’s hardboot thoroughbredhorsemen, who have vehemently foughtchanges in tougher raceday medication rulessince they first were announced. Jim Gallagher,the Authority’s executive director, said the proposedpenalties will reflect the guidelines for commonanti-inflammatory drugs established by theRacing Medication and Testing Consortium, butKentucky thoroughbred horsemen have notagreed with the raceday provisions of those guidelines,and still object to them.“A STACK OF AMENDMENTS”It appears there will be changes in Pennsylvania,too, but on slots instead of medication. Statesenators plan to vote tomorrow on “a stack ofamendments” but one omission from the stackhas raised the ire of Pennsylvania’s governor, EdRendell. The issue of multiple slot machine distributors,which offers the opportunity for politicalpatronage payoffs, is red hot, with no resolutionin sight. Rendell has grown impatientwith the delay it is causing in getting slotsup and running, and says he is ready tolegislate the issue.October 25, 2005WHO WILL BELL THE CAT?The Breeders’ Cup, worried about possible furtherdeclines in betting this coming Saturday,is calling for criteria in barring secondary parimutueloperators (SPMOs) from its pools.Ken Kirchner, senior vice president of productdevelopment for the NTRA, was quotedon Blood-Horse.com as saying, “We agreewholeheartedly with the need for full disclosureas far as ownership of SPMOs and informationregarding their players, and we wanttote security at the highest level possible. Ourcomplaint has been we’re not seeing a writtenpolicy from the New York State Racing andWagering Board on what criteria was used fordisallowing these sites.” New York has a banon SPMOs, which reportedly produced some$7 million in handle on last year’s Breeders’Cup.DAMAGE AT POMPANO PARKPompano Park, which defied Hurricane Wilma onSaturday night by presenting its half-million dollarFlorida Sire Stakes Super Night card, paid thepenalty for fooling Mother Nature when it wasblasted as Wilma raced across Florida Monday.Although direct communication apparently hasbeen cut off, phone calls indicate roof damage atthe track, and Jane Murray, executive director ofthe Florida SBOA, told The Horseman’sharnessracing.com that “we have suffered majordamage on the backstretch.” No injuries to peopleor horses have been reported at press time.YOU HAVE IT WRONG, JOHNSenator John McCain of Arizona, speaking to ninemain tribes in Oregon at Portland State University,said the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988“must be revisited, and we will.” McCain saidgambling had a long history of corruption. Readingthe DeLay-Abramoff-Libby reports, wethought he was referring to Washington.
HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAExecutive NewsletterA daily fax and e-mail report on racing and gaming developments in North America and beyondStanley F. Bergstein, EditorA MICHIGAN TOWN SAYS NODorian Lange is a Michigan entrepreneur and promoterwith a dynamic personality and persistence.Neither was enough, however, to convince thetrustees of Michigan’s Windsor Township, nearLansing, to let him build a horse park -- with racingand simulcasting and a hotel -- on 200 acres inthe township. Lange has been talking for severalyears now of developing the project, and showedup at the Racing Symposium in Tucson to discussit. Yesterday the township trustees took only 30minutes to shoot down Lange’s proposal, sayingthey had enough information after months of controversyto resolve the matter quickly. Lange sayshe is not discouraged by the vote. He acknowledgedthat it will make it difficult for him to have aracing component, but says he still can have a rodeoand other viable options to continue to pushthe project through. Lange says despite the rejection,the door is not fully closed on the idea.“It’s a great project,” he says. “We have been atit for a number of years, and we will stay thecourse.” Just not a race course.SLOTS IN MAINE BEGIN NOV. 4Two years and $50 million or so after voters approvedslot machines at harness tracks in Maine,Penn National Gaming will open its HollywoodSlots in Bangor, Maine. The operation will notbe at the harness track in the center of town. Itwill be a 475-slot operation in a former restaurant,with Hollywood glitz, a temporary home untilPenn National’s permanent racino, with 1,500slots, gets going in two to three years after renovationof Bangor Raceway. The racino may notbe at the track even then. The law specifies ithas to be within 2,000 feet of the track, so itcould be as much as almost half a mile away.The president of the Maine HarnessHorsemen’s Assn. asks, “How can youcall it a racino? You can’t even see ahorse.”October 26, 2005LIGHTING UP DOVER DOWNSWhen Dover Downs opens its 37th season ofharness racing next Monday night, it will be abrighter place by far. Dover has replaced itslighting system, installed for its opening in 1969,with 26 new lighting towers around the racingproperty. The installation triggered rumors thatDover was planning night auto racing on its“Monster Mile,” as NASCAR fans know it, butDenis McGlynn, CEO and president of DoverMotorsports, quickly ended that speculation.“There is no truth to the rumor that lights willbe added in 2006 at Dover International Speedway.”SIS PLAYS ROLE IN CUPAgents from Standardbred Investigative Serviceswill join their counterparts from the ThoroughbredRacing Protective Bureau this week in securityoperations on the backstretch of Belmont Park,scene of Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup. The coordinatedteam effort is part of the “BET” task forceassigned to major racing classics to assist and enhancestable area security. BET was in operationat both the Hambletonian and Little Brown Jug,and at the request of the Racing Medication andTesting Consortium BET investigators are developinga “best practices” manual on track security.The Consortium will make the manual availableto participating tracks and state racing commissionsto assist in development of more effectiveand cost efficient track security, and to help providemore uniform security practices from state tostate and track to track. For the first time in 21years of Breeders’ Cup racing, all horses in alleight races will race out of six-hour retention barns.THINGS STILL GRIM IN FLORIDAAn e-mail from Steve Wolf, marketing director atPompano Park: “Wolf family ok. Cell nogood. House damaged, track worse. Will callwhen able.”
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2005 - Harness Tracks of America, Inc.

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