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, Editor February 28, 2005‘UNCERTAIN’ OPTIMISTIC VIEWYesterday’s Baltimore Sun ran a headline readingPROVINCIAL CUP DATE MOVEDWindsor Raceway has announced its 40th Pro-“Slots’ future still uncertain.” vincial Cup, the track’s showpiece pacing fea-Bloodhorse.com ran one reading, “DespiteProgress, Uncertainty Still Exists Over MarylandSlots.” Both are optimistic views. Although theHouse finally passed a slots bill last Friday, 71-66 -- the very bare minimum votes needed to passthe measure -- it is so far from what the Senateproposed, and so antithetical to governor RobertEhrlich’s views, that it seems more than anuncertainty that reconciliation will be possible.ture, has been rescheduled from its May 29 dateto an unannounced date in the fall. Track presidentJohn Millson, discussing the move, said, “Ittakes time for an operation the size of Windsorto return to normal after a disruption of operationssuch as we experienced in January. We wantto make sure that we are back to full steam andcelebrate the 40th anniversary milestone with allthe glamour and success that it deserves.”Racing attorney Alan Foreman, a keen observerof the Maryland and national scene, was on targetas usual when he said, “Any number of issuescould mean its downfall. There’s no wayfor anybody to feel one way or the other rightnow. There’s a long way to go yet.” The longestway to go still is Michael Busch, who says he willnot tolerate a single change to the House bill,which would mean Busch-induced doom onceThe postponement was met with displeasure byCanada’s most successful trainer, Bob McIntosh,who has patrons in his stable who want to builda new track in Windsor. McIntosh complainedthat he had nominated seven 3-year-old pacersto the race for $500 each and had another paymentdue March 15 without knowing when theevent was going to be raced.again. If the House were to prevail with its 9,500slots in four locations, only one racetrack -- Laurel-- would be eligible, with 30% going to theoperator and 3% to a fund for the first five yearsto be divided by all tracks in the state for capitalimprovements. Under the Senate bill, therewould be 15,500 slots with Laurel, Pimlico,Rosecroft and a still unbuilt Rickman familytrack in western Maryland sharing them.NORTHVILLE BACK TOMORROWHTA member Northville Downs, closed for threeweeks by an outbreak of equine herpes, is scheduledto reopen tomorrow with the lifting of thequarantine on ship-ins. New procedures will bein effect for horsemen, who will hear them firsthandat a meeting scheduled for tomorrow bythe office of the racing commissioner. A veterinarianwill be on hand to answer questionson the procedures and the disease,which has threatned other midwest tracks.SLOTS FINALISTS NAMED IN PAThere were 10 in the race when it started, butlast week the Pennsylvania Revenue Department,which is deciding who will provide the state’s61,000 slot machines, sent 8 home and narrowedthe race to 2. The survivors are, not surprisingly,Scientific Games Corporation, the favorite off 27years of partial operation of the Pennsylvanialottery system, and international giant GTECHcorporation.STILL TOUGH HURDLES IN FLEven if voters in Miami and Dade counties approveslots at tracks a week from tomorrow, substantialhurdles lie ahead. The legislature thenwould have to pass a law, which would cover taxrates, numbers of machines, and operating hours.The tracks are hoping for unrestricted hoursand a tax rate of somewhere around 31 or32%.