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, EditorA REPRIEVE FOR MASS. TRACKSThe Massachusetts House and Senate agreedyesterday to extend the state’s current simulcastingbill for another 90 days, averting ashutdown of the state’s four tracks. The billwas sent to Gov. Mitt Romney for signature,and could be signed before the end of the week.State Rep. Vincent Pedone, the Democrat whoplayed a key role in pushing the extension, said,“The foremost thought in people’s minds washow do we keep people at the racetracks workinguntil we come to some sort of an agreementon simulcasting legislation.” House speakerSalvatore DiMasi, a Boston Democrat, said thesimulcasting issue must be resolved before theissue of slots for Massachusetts tracks can bedebated in the House. The Senate already hasapproved a slots bill.NO REPRIEVE AT BAY MEADOWSAcross the country, backers of old Bay Meadowsin San Mateo, California, lost their fight tosave the racing landmark when the San MateoCounty Elections Office ruled that there weretoo few signatures on a referendum petition, thuspaving the way for the track’s destruction andredevelopment. The Bay Meadows Land Company,which owns the track, said it was “relieved”by the result of the county’s verificationprocess. The results would seem to end fiveyears of meetings and debates over the futureof the track, but diehards still were talking aboutlegal challenges.THERE GOES THE ‘HOOD’Lasix, the root of much evil in racing in America,has been illegal in Australia. Until now. SouthAustralia has voted to break the country’s drugfreepolicy by legalizing it. The SydneyHerald Sun said the move “is sure tospark a massive backlash from otherAustralian racing officials.December 29, 2005BANAMINE BAGS 3 BIG NAMESThree top harness racing trainers -- Bob McIntosh,Erv Miller and Casie Coleman -- have hadtheir horses disqualified and have been fined $250each for banamine positives during the recent RedMile Grand Circuit meeting in Lexington, KY. Dr.Richard Mather, who administered the Banamine,has been fined $1,500. Presiding judge MarcGuilfoyle said a lengthy investigation showed thepresence of the prohibited drug was “not the resultof malicious intent.”NO RERUN OF MAPLE LEAFOwner Joseph Chnapko’s appeal to the OntarioRacing Commission to have the $918,500 MapleLeaf Trot raced over again has been denied.Chnapko’s horse, HTA’s older trotting horse ofthe year, Hellava Hush, was one of three whosedrivers pulled up their horses after the starterhad first flashed recall lights and then turnedthem off, creating confusion at the start of therich race. The commission ruled that it was adriver’s decision to pull up, noting that sevenother drivers did not do so, and said, “There isno guarantee that the running of a horse race,from any...perspective, will be free of or unfetteredby human error.....Even with appeals andreplays, human error on the part of officials cannotbe eradicated as a factor sometimes affectingthe outcome of such contests.”SHE KNOWS MORE THAN WEGov. George Pataki still wants Bernadette Castroto be chairwoman of the New York Racing and WageringBoard, and apparently has told her to sit tightand she’ll get the job. Ms. Castro was quoted inocala.com as saying, “My role is to see that racingand wagering in New York is the most honest in thecountry, that any wager is an honest wager.” Patakisays he wants her because “she’s a tremendouspublic servant who would have that open mindas she looks to the future of racing.”
HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAExecutive NewsletterA daily fax and e-mail report on racing and gaming developments in North America and beyondStanley F. Bergstein, EditorANOTHER CHICAGO CLOSUREDeja-vu all over again in Chicago. Illinois harnesshorsemen have declined offers from theJohnstons, owners of Balmoral Park in Creteand Maywood Park in Maywood, and thosetracks will go dark after the current horsemen’scontract expires tomorrow night. Balmoral andMaywood will not race Sunday or Tuesday. Nofuture negotiations have been scheduled, and thehorsemen’s president, Martin J. Engel, wasquoted as saying, “The industry has been hurtingfor a long period of time. The horsemenare hanging on by a thread. They’d rather notrace at all. It’s also a matter of principal.” Wefind principal is not legal tender at the groceriesand gas stations and department stores wepatronize, but that’s Mr. Engel’s call, and thatof his members. The last horsemen’s strike inChicago, in 2003, lasted two and one-halfmonths. It’s almost impossible to recoup losseslike that, regardless of settlements.The same nothing-is-better-than-something sentimentis being expressed at Western Fair inOntario and at Vernon Downs. The Western Fairsituation is likely to be resolved with reasonablenegotiation, but the Vernon situation isturning ridiculous. The horsemen’s demands forgetting blood from a stone yesterday delayedthe bankruptcy proceedings again, this time untilJanuary 6, as judge Stephen Gerling did notrule on either the horsemen’s motion for $9 millionin damages or the winner of the contentiousbattle for the track and its racino. The courtheard yesterday from Thomas Winn, chairmanand CEO of Nevada Gold, who said his companyis seeking $80 million in financing to help bringVernon out of bankruptcy. “There is no shortageof capital out there looking for a home,”Winn told Gerling. “We just need to convincethem that this is a good home.”Vernon horsemen are not making his jobeasy.December 30, 2005THE BAILOUT AND HOBLOCKIt depends on who you talk to in New York as towhere the bailout of NYRA stands. Senate majorityleader Joe Bruno says it is a done deal.NYRA senior VP Bill Nader says “the dialogueis continuing” between NYRA and thegovernor’s office and Bruno’s office, but said“We don’t have a final deal yet. We’re cautiouslyoptimistic that a deal will get done. We’renot there yet.” Reports indicate that NYRA willreceive a $1 million down payment on a piece ofunspecified property at Aqueduct, which couldrun as high as $5 million. There also would be a$5 million loan from the Empire State DevelopmentFund, contingent on NYRA assuring thestate it would race at Aqueduct, Belmont andSaratoga without interruption next year. Another$24 million would be voted by the legislature.Apparently the state would like to dole out themoney as needed, while NYRA would like it in alump sum.Regardless of how the financing takes place, formerRacing and Wagering Board chairman MikeHoblock has been treated roughly by Albany in thispoorly handled mess, caught between Pataki’s andBruno’s wishes for a new board member. For MikeHoblock to be blamed for NYRA’s problems is unfairto a good man. Hoblock has run the Racingand Wagering Board honorably and diligently duringhis years at the helm, and he says the peopletrying to get him out have been giving the governorincorrect information. He calls the situation “themost confusing, disappointing experience I’ve hadin my 35-plus years in public service,” and he sayshe won’t quit.DESPITE ALL THIS.....the sun is shining brightly in Tucson, and from allof us at HTA to all of you, wherever you may be,Happy New Year. We will see you next week,and next year.
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2005 - Harness Tracks of America, Inc.

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