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 March 1, 2005ONE MISTAKE TOO MANY PUBLIC SPEAKS, IS HEARDIt didn’t take long for the national warrant for This corner has been arguing, for years, thatRichard Chansky’s arrest to produce results. He tracks’ best defense against shrinking news coverageis public anger and response. The view haswas found and arrested by Union county sheriffsand local police at his father’s home in Jackson, been vindicated in Cleveland, where dozens of e-Delaware, an address he had put on a license mails and phone calls from irate Northfield Parkapplication some years ago. His accomplice in patrons at the cutting of entries and reduction ofthe drug cases in New Jersey four years ago, results in the Cleveland Plain Dealer have broughtKevin Goodell, is still at large.a return of entries, and a reconsideration of howto present results in a mutually satisfactory format.GEORGE MILLER DIES AT 89George Miller, who replaced the great Roy Shudtas track announcer at Saratoga Raceway in 1958and called races there until his retirement in 1981,has died in Springfield, MO, at the age of 89.Miller also called at Vernon Downs from 1955until taking the Saratoga job, and during thattenure got to call Adios Harry’s 1:55 worldrecord, which led to Vernon being named theMiracle Mile.DR. SPEARS GETS TRIBUTEDr. Paul Spears, the breeder of the Triple Crownof Trotting winner Windsong’s Legacy, has receiveda half-page feature in Mercersburg, themagazine of his prep school alma materMercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania. Dr.Spears later attended Brown University and thenthe University of Pennsylvania, where he receivedhis degree in gastroenterology, which he practiceduntil retiring to breed harness horses severalyears ago. When asked if he had a mid-lifecrisis in giving up a lucrative medical career forhorse breeding, Dr. Spears said, with a chuckle,that he did not consider it such. “To me,” hesaid, “a mid-life crisis is running off to Vermontwith a 20-year-old girl to sell costume jewelry atcraft fairs. This is not anything resembling thatkind of personal fiasco.” Dr. Spears, the sonof Hanover Shoe Farms’ Paul Spears andhis wife, started his career in the sportmowing lawns at Hanover when he was 12.ON THE SLOTS FRONTIn New Jersey, Gov. Richard J. Codey faces fierceopposition today, as expected, from Atlantic Citycasinos and their legislative supporters after proposingVLTs for the Meadowlands. The statetreasurer, John McCormac, told The Press ofAtlantic City, “I want to stress we’re in continuednegotiations with the industry. We believewe can have a plan that is attractive to them interms of revenue.”In Florida, Gov. Jeb Bush said he will make televisedappeals to voters of Dade and Miami countiesto reject slot machines at tracks in those counties.If the referendums pass, as expected, he sayshe will work with the legislature to spell out thenumber of machines allowed in each venue, thetax rate, and other regulations. It is not goodnews for Florida’s tracks.In Maryland, more Busch, but with a C. Slotsfor Rosecroft seem in their death throes. At leastthat is the reading of key Democrats in the Senate,who realize the unlikeness of their bill survivinga House conference, and now are suggesting“coming back in 2007 after the election andstarting this effort all over again.” That was theplan suggested by Sen. Ulysses Currier, the powerfulDemocratic chairman of the Senate Budgetand Taxation Committee, fromRosecroft’s Prince George’s district.