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, EditorHUGE NUMBERS AT DERBYWhatever other troubles horse racing may have,the Kentucky Derby is not one of them. Its numbersSaturday were staggering: 156,435 people,a $102.60 winner, and the biggest handle ever inNorth America for a single racing program. Thattotal came in at $155,133,631, and was up almost9% from the previous record set just last year. Ofthat total, $133,016,465, or 85.7%, was bet offtrack,not too far off the national average.Churchill bet $22,117,166 on the 12 race card, upalmost 15% from last year. Betting on the Derbyitself from all sources was $103,325,510. Here isa breakdown of the numbers.Attendance this year, 156,435, last year 140,054,up 11.7%.On-track betting on the Derby, $10,055,508, lastyear $9,488,539, up 6%.On-track betting on the entire card, $22,117,166,last year $19,246,210, up 14.9%.Off-track betting on the Derby, $93,270, 002, lastyear $89,875,549 this year, up 3.8%.Off-track betting on the entire card, $133,016,465,last year $123,602,079, up 7.6%.Total all-source betting on the Derby,$103,325,510, last year $99,364,088, up 4%.Total all-source betting in the entire card,$155,133,631, last year $142,848,289, up 8.6%.In addition to those numbers, 111,243 showed uplast Friday for the Kentucky Oaks, breaking theold record of 106,156 set in 2000. On- track bettingrose 9.4%, but all-source betting declinedslightly, down 1.3% from all -sourcebetting on the Oaks card last year.May 9, 2005“AN INSULT TO THE VOTERS”That was how Dan Atkins of Hollywood GreyhoundTrack characterized the Floridalegislature’s shilly-shallying on promulgatingrules for slots at Broward county’s four tracks.Voters in Broward twice expressed their desireto have slots there, but the legislature, whichaccomplished little of Gov. Jeb Bush’s agenda,did heed his expressed opposition to gamblingand let the matter die without a vote in theHouse after the Senate passed a bill with a 35%to 55% sliding scale tax on slots. State senatorSteve Geller, who led the fight for slots at tracks,said, “At the end of the day, the governor wasthe heavyweight in the slot debate. The Househas a history of following the governor’s lead onissues, and the governor was very outspokenabout slots”. The people were too, but theirgovernor wasn’t interested in what they weresaying. The tracks have not made a decision onwhether they will go to court seeking relief.NO NUKES, SEATRAIN DIETwo big names in the harness racing equine worldhave died. No Nukes, one of a few stallions ofany breed to sire winners of over $100 million,died yesterday afternoon at Hanover ShoeFarms in Pennsylvania. His sons and daughtershave won $123.2 million, ranking him thirdamong all standardbred stallions behind Albatrossand Abercrombie. He was 26.Seatrain, winner of the 1975 Little Brown Jug,died Saturday night at his retirement home atthe Rockin T Equine Rescue in Maine. He becamethe first gelding ever to win the Jug, andwas 33.LAKES REGION SURRENDERSThe owners of Lakes Region Greyhound Park inNew Hampshire, caught up in illegal gamblingcharges in January, have surrendered theirlicense.