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, EditorFriday, August 13, 2010“BACK TO TRACK” WEEKENDTwenty-one pari-mutuel harness trackswill participate this weekend in theU.S. Trotting Association’s “Back to theTrack” promotion, providing gifts includinga grand prize at each track of an allexpensetrip to the Little Brown Jug inDelaware, Ohio, next month. A $50,000guaranteed interstate Pick 4 on racesfrom the Meadowlands, Northfield Park,Empire City at Yonkers, and Balmoralalso is featured, as is a “Dueling Double”with four races from Tioga Downs andfour from Monticello. Some tracks are offeringfree admission and free programs,rides in the starting gate, visits to the racecaller’s booth, and tickets to area sportsand other entertainment events. IndianaDowns is racing 6 of its 14 races tomorrownight at distances other than a mile,with 12 starters allowed and supplementedpurses, including 3% allocated to outof-the-moneyhorses.MAJOR EXODUS IN ILLINOISIn a long feature story by reporter MarciaMartinez, the State Journal-Registerin Springfield, Illinois, has chronicled asteady outflow of harness racing talentfrom the state, including Ervin Miller, oneof the sport’s top trainers, who relocatedhis family from Sherman near Springfieldto New Jersey. His brother Andy and wifeJulie, a trainer, as well as HTA’s four-timedriving champion Tony Morgan, andtwo-time champion Tim Tetrick areamong others who left.Pat Berry, Brent Holland, Tyler Buterand Brandon Simpson are also namedin the story. Purse money, flowing fromslots, is the primary reason for the moves.Illinois, without slots and strapped formoney, did not pay its 2009 purses fromthe state fair meeting at Springfield untillate this spring. Springfield’s Grand Circuitmeeting, once a shining stop on thecircuit, drew 398 horses this year comparedto 507 a year ago. Miller, who usedto race 45 horses at Springfield, says hewill race only 20 or 25 this year. He saidslots at Balmoral south of Chicago wouldkeep money in Illinois rather than flowingto riverboats and racinos in Indiana.POTPOURRIAttendees at the Illinois state fair nextTuesday can hear Thomas Schwartz, anIllinois state historian from the AbrahamLincoln Presidential Library and Museum,speak on Lincoln’s involvement withhorses....The Harness Racing Museum’sCurrier and Ives exhibit is on display thismonth at the museum....Las Vegas stripgambling revenue fell 7.6% in June, thethird straight month of declines....PennNational Gaming held a ground breakingceremony for its Toledo, Ohio, casino, thefirst of four to get underway in the state.Located on Interstate 75 near downtown,construction starts in two weeks, withcompletion in 2012....No quick specialsession on slots in Massachusetts, andchances dimming for 2010 action.