2005 - Harness Tracks of America, Inc.

More documents

Recommendations

Info

HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAExecutive NewsletterA daily fax and e-mail report on racing and gaming developments in North America and beyondStanley F. Bergstein, Editor October 27, 2005FOUR NEW TRACKS IN HTAThe four harness tracks now owned and operatedby Great Canadian Gaming Corporation -- FraserDowns, Sandown Park, Georgian Downs andFlamboro Raceway -- are joining Harness Tracksof America, and will officially be welcomed at theHTA board meeting February 7 during the RacingCongress at Bellagio in Las Vegas. Chuck KeelingJr., whose family founded Fraser Downs andwho now is vice president of racing operations ofGreat Canadian Gaming, will serve as director onthe HTA board for the four GCGC tracks.WILMA CLOSES POMPANOBattered and lashed by the winds of Wilma, PompanoPark announced today that it is going to beclosed “indefinitely,” until the damage can be assessedand repairs get underway. General mangerDick Feinberg reported, “We are happy toreport that all of our horses survived the stormand are safely housed, and that all of our horsemenand women made it through okay.”GERTMENIAN ON THE GRIDDLEAfter a United States congressman said his subcommitteecould not verify the supposed credentialsof the Jockeys’ Guild president WayneGertmenian, the Guild has begun its own internalinvestigation to see if it can. Gertmeniansupposedly held high secret posts during theNixon and Ford administrations, but neither thepresent House subcommittee nor earlier effortshave been able to substantiate those claims.Daily Racing Form’s Matt Hegarty reportsthat the Guild’s nine-member executive committeeapproved the investigation Tuesdaynight after a telephone conference call, duringwhich New York rider John Velazquez urged thecommittee to fire Gertmenian. Seven ofthe nine members did not support thesuggestion.Velazquez declined comment on whether his reportedmotion was accurate, saying, “I can’t talkabout that right now. We are having meetings,and we want an investigation. We want somequestions answered.” Gertmenian has not beenhaving a good month. His veracity was challengedlast week by House member Joe Bartonof Texas, who called his conduct“an absolute disgrace”; Hall of Fame jockeyChris McCarron said getting Gertmenian hiredwas “my worst mistake”; and this weekGertmenian was called “a bully who finally methis match in the halls of Congress” by editor-inchiefRay Paulick in his column in Blood-Horse.Paulick wrote that Gertmenian “brought whathe thought would be hapless ‘yes’ men andwomen onto the board and into leadership positions,then manipulated the membership and itsfinances to do as he pleased.” Paulick also camedown hard on McCarron, writing that he was “asresponsible for the current mess as anyone. Hetraveled the country with Gertmenian in 2001,introducing him to jockeys from coast to coastas the future savior of the Guild.” Paulick saidMcCarron was “hoping the mess would go away,but it hasn’t,” adding that McCarron has theinfluence and stature to help right a wrong, and“It’s time he stood up and did just that.”EQUINE EQUITY ACT OF 2005The American Horse Council reports that RepresentativesRon Lewis, Hal Rogers, EdWhitfield and Geoff Davis, all Republicans ofKentucky, have introduced the Equine Equity Actin the House of Representatives. The bill, H.R.4151, has been referred to the House AgricultureCommittee and the Ways and Means Committee.The bill would end disparate tax treatmentof the horse industry versus other industries,by making horses eligible for capital gainstreatment after one year, depreciating racehorsesover three years, and providing federalemergency assistance for horses.
HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAExecutive NewsletterA daily fax and e-mail report on racing and gaming developments in North America and beyondStanley F. Bergstein, EditorHOUSE VOTES TO KILL CASINOSIt isn’t going to happen, but the Illinois Houseyesterday voted to close the state’s riverboat casinos,15 years after they opened. The speakerof the House, Michael Madigan, said the existingcasino system has produced huge amounts ofmoney for a few people, and needs to be overhauled,and House Democrats voted overwhelminglyto support abolition. The president of theSenate, Emil Jones, had a sharp reaction to theHouse action, making it clear the House proposalwas going nowhere in the Senate. “The Senateis a very responsible body,” he said. “It doesn’tdo irresponsible things. Riverboat gambling providesabout $780 million for schools every year.How is that revenue going to be replaced? I can’tsee a member voting to take money away fromtheir schoolchildren.” Madigan proposed startingover with new gambling legislation, saying,“I think we should go back to the drawing board.”The bill passed the House 67-42, with 7 membersvoting “present.” Its sponsor, Rep. John Bradley,said the casinos encourage addiction, lead tocrime and take money away from the people whocan least afford to lose it, and said, “Let’s takethis scourge out of our communities.” The governorof Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, called theHouse bill “intriguing,” but would not say whetherhe would sign it if it reached his desk. “I justthink if you’re going to do something like havingriverboats and licenses where you can make allkinds of money, that people have to get their fairshare.” The Republican House minority leader,Tom Cross, said he thought the move was designedto help downstate Democrats fend offRepublicans in next year’s elections. A suggestionto Rep. Bradley: After you get shot down bythe Senate, why not try to do away with the IllinoisLottery? If you’re concerned with addictionand taking money from people who canleast afford it, that would be a great placeto start.October 28, 2005GUILD LAWYER HAS ENOUGHA lobbyist and lawyer for the Jockeys’ Guild hasquit, saying he cannot continue to represent theGuild with the present management team in place.Daily Racing Form reports that Barry Broad resignedbecause of concerns raised in the Oct. 18hearing of the House Subcommittee on Oversightand Investigations, primarily about the Guild president,Wayne Gertmenian. He draws a yearly salaryof $165,000 and the Guild also pays his company,Matrix Capital Associates, $335,000 a year.Gertmenian is the owner and sole employee of thecompany, according to the Form.SPLIT DECISION FOR TRIBESIndian tribes on the east and west coast werenot only geographically miles apart yesterday,but also far apart on results of their negotiations.In Utica, NY, a federal judge ruled that Madisoncounty cannot seize Oneida Indian Nationproperty over unpaid taxes. In the state of Washington,Gov. Christine Gregoire rejected theSpokane Tribe’s proposed gaming compact.In the New York matter, U.S. District JudgeDavid Hurd said that although the Oneidas owedproperty taxes to Madison county, the county“must find an alternate method to satisfy theNation’s debt to the county,” because the Oneidasare a sovereign nation. The judge said therewas “a vast difference” between requiring propertyowned by a sovereign nation to be taxedand allowing property to be seized from that sovereignnation. Hurd said such seizure shouldrequire, at the very least, a specific act of Congress.FRANK WHITE DIESFrank White, former president and CEO of Mid-State Raceway and Vernon Downs, died lastweek in Community Memorial Hospital inHamilton, NY.
Page 1 and 2:
HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAExecutive
Page 3 and 4:
Page 5 and 6:
Page 7 and 8:
Page 10 and 11:
Page 12 and 13:
Page 14 and 15:
Page 16:
Page 19 and 20:
Page 21 and 22:
Page 23 and 24:
Page 25 and 26:
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34:
Page 35 and 36:
Page 37 and 38:
Page 39 and 40:
Page 41 and 42:
Page 43 and 44:
Page 45 and 46:
Page 47 and 48:
Page 49 and 50:
Page 51 and 52:
Page 53 and 54:
Page 55 and 56:
Page 57 and 58:
Page 59 and 60:
Page 61 and 62:
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Page 71 and 72:
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76:
Page 77 and 78:
Page 79 and 80:
Page 81 and 82:
Page 83 and 84:
Page 85 and 86:
Page 87 and 88:
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98:
Page 99 and 100:
Page 101:
Page 104 and 105:
Page 106 and 107:
Page 108 and 109:
Page 110 and 111:
Page 112 and 113:
Page 114 and 115:
Page 116 and 117:
Page 118 and 119:
Page 120 and 121:
HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICA‘FRIENDS
Page 122 and 123:
HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAINDIAN CLA
Page 124 and 125:
HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAStanley F.
Page 126 and 127:
Page 128 and 129:
Page 130 and 131:
Page 132 and 133:
HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICABALA SENTE
Page 134 and 135:
Page 136 and 137:
Page 138 and 139:
Page 140 and 141:
Page 142 and 143:
Page 144 and 145:
Page 146 and 147:
Page 148 and 149:
Page 150 and 151:
Page 152 and 153:
Page 154 and 155: HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAExecutive
show all

2005 - Harness Tracks of America, Inc.

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?