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, EditorNovember 18, 2005INTERNET BETS ON 60 MIN-UTES CBS turns its “60 Minutes” spotlight on Internetbetting this Sunday night at 7 p.m. eastern standardtime, and the coverage is not likely to bepretty. Lesley Stahl handles the segment, and youcan get an idea of what it will be like from a pretelecastblurb from CBS, saying, “LegalizingInternet gambling would bring billions in U.S. taxdollars, but critics say it cannot be regulated andcan corrupt youth....The federal government saysInternet gambling is 100% illegal, and people whowant to keep it that way believe that the sites --legal in more and more foreign countries -- cannever really be effectively regulated.” If you can’tcatch the show, you can view clips online atCBS.com.MORE NON-EXPERT ADVICEGov. George Pataki’s racing oversight panel inNew York is telling the financially embattled NewYork Racing Association how to dig itself out ofthe hole it is in. As might be expected, it does sowithout much racing expertise. ChairwomanCarole Stone’s solution includes raising the costof the product, deferring dues to the National ThoroughbredRacing Association for a year, and settlingpending lawsuits “in order to achieve a timelycash settlement.” While all of this is going on, thestate of New York has ordered NYRA not to try tosell 80 acres of valuable land or 19 pieces of equineartwork, claiming both are the property of the stateand not NYRA’s to sell.MEADOWLANDS REOPENSThe Big M, back in harness with its fall meeting,opens with eliminations tonight and tomorrow nightfor next week’s $4.3 million Breeders Crown championshipsfor 2- and 3-year-old trotters and pacers,colts and fillies. The races play a major rolein seasonal championships. The Meadowlandswill race from now through theend of the year.WHAT A SORRY MESS THIS ISChris McCarron wasn’t kidding when he told acongressional committee that hiring WayneGertmenian as president of the Jockeys’ Guild was“the worst mistake of my life.” Here’s where ithas wound up:After Gertmenian was fired Tuesday, his temporaryreplacement, Darrell Haire, and seven ridersincluding Laffit Pincay Jr., Alex Solis and KentDesormeaux, got a locksmith to let them in theGuild offices in Monrovia, California, to accessthe Guild’s books. While there, Gertmenian andthe Guild’s COO, Albert Fiss, showed up, and ascuffle broke out in which Gertmenian reportedlypushed Haire to the floor. Monrovia police werecalled, and Guild counsel Barry Broad settled thematter by phone.Yesterday the Guild reported that while the Guild’snew board was giving Gertmenian the boot Tuesday,he was writing and cashing checks totaling$217,000 to himself, his Matrix Capital Associates,and Fiss. The Guild on Nov. 8 had invoked controlson all checks over $200 unless approved bytreasurer Jeff Johnston, and attorney Broad says,“It is the view of the Guild that the funds werestolen and that a crime has occurred.” Monroviapolice are investigating.In Washington yesterday, the jockeys’ insurancemess surfaced, and U.S. Representative EdWhitfield raised the specter of federal legislationover racing, or at least that portion of it. “A lot ofinterest groups do not want their turf touched,”Whitfield told Associated Press, “but there arestrong arguments for some uniformity and for somefederal oversight and involvement.” Happily, Rep.Joe Barton, chairman of the full Energy and CommerceCommittee, said he thought voluntary actionwould be preferable to “last resort” legislation.