HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICA Executive Newsletter

HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAExecutive NewsletterA daily fax and e-mail report on racing and gaming developments in North America and beyondStanley F. Bergstein, EditorMonday, July 26, 2010BASINAIT BEGINS LAST RUNMarty Basinait, who has led HTA memberBatavia Downs to successful operationfor 29 years, starts his final termas president and chief executive officerof the western New York OTB track asit opens its 2010 season tonight. Marty,HTA’s director from Batavia during thatthree-decade span, has announced he willretire at the end of February. Dick Seibert,chairman of the board of WesternOTB, credited Basinait with a long list ofaccomplishments that has left the trackin a strong position as the city of Bataviaundergoes expansion and renewal. Seibertsaid it was Basinait’s determined effortsconvincing Western OTB to buyBatavia Downs and revive harness racingand then championing VLTs at the trackthat led to a bright future for the track, apioneer 70-year-old operation that racedits first meeting on Sept. 20, 1940. HTAwishes Marty well. The meeting that beginstonight runs for five months, with 72racing dates on Mondays, Wednesdays,Fridays and Saturdays until Labor Day,when Mondays will be dropped.LAST SHOT FOR MASS. SLOTSSenate and House delegates are down tosix more days of debate and reconciliationof their versions of slots in Massachusetts.Gov. Deval Patrick, back froma controversial tour of Iraq and Afghanistan,says there still is time fora compromise solution.A DIRECTED VERDICT IN NJ?The more one studies the 29-page reportof Gov. Chris Christie’s advisory commissionon gaming, sports and entertainmentin New Jersey, the more one realizes thatlittle thought was given to harness racingbecause no one on the 7-person commissionknows anything about it. As MonmouthCounty freeholder director LillianG. Burry, a Republican like Gov. Christie,put it, “The report virtually ignores standardbredracing and spells the demise ofthat industry, which is unfortunate becausethis all ties into our farms and openspace and preserved properties.” TomLuchento, president of the New JerseyStandardbred Breeders and Owners Association,which has been offered a $1 ayear, 3-year lease on the Meadowlands bythe governor, noted that “A Meadowlandslease is virtually worthless without slotsgambling at the site. How do you lease orsell the Meadowlands without slots? Youcan’t do it.”LET THEM KNOW THE WHYSThe New York Racing Association has beguna program of communication with itscustomers on stewards’ rulings. At Saratogacurrently, and at Belmont and Aqueductwhen racing returns to those NYRAtracks, the three stewards will provide anexplanation of what happened and thereason for their decisions. The informationwill be carried on NYRA’s TV feedand presumably ontrack as well.