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, EditorTuesday, August 17, 2010$1.3 BILLION. WHY NOT?A report this morning from Kuala Lumpurin Malaysia, headquarters of Gentinggaming, says the company will spend $1.3billion building the racino at AqueductRacetrack. Why not? Genting gets a 30-year lease, which should give it adequatetime to brush off the $1.3 billion and addbillions more. The company’s shares rose6.2% in Singapore yesterday, but the risewas not attributed to winning the racinoaward. Instead, a release in the StraitsTimes talked of “bullishness about thetourism sector...with visitor arrivals inSingapore hitting record highs in successivemonths since the start of the year.”SPEAK OF WORTHY CAUSES....New Mexico, like many states, has a statelottery, but with a worthy difference. Bylaw, at least 30% of lottery revenues in“The Land of Enchantment” must go to ascholarship program to cover tuition forNew Mexico students who attend statepublic colleges and universities. That30%, in the most recent fiscal year, contributed$43.6 million to the college scholarshipfund. The figure represented anincrease of 6.8% in the 2010 budget yearthat ended in June. Lottery officials saythe jump was accomplished by holdingdown expenses, with lottery salaries frozenand vacant positions not filled. Ticketsales rose for the first time in threeyears, although minutely, up a littleless than 1% at $143.6 million.SILVERMAN, OTHERS BETTERHarness racing’s walking wounded arerecovering, with hopes of returning to actionbefore year’s end. Ellen Harvey ofHarness Racing Communications reportsRichie Silverman, whose first big movetoward fame was winning HTA’s JuniorDriving Championship years ago when hewas a kid, is gaining ground in his battleagainst two broken ankles and a severeconcussion suffered in a multiple driveraccident at the Meadowlands. Here, forthose who might like to send regards tosome of the top men sidelined, are theiraddresses, alphabetically.Clint Galbraith, Rodney Farms, P.O. Box902, Scottsville, NY 14545-0902Marcus Johannson, 66 Mill Run West,Hightstown, NJ 08520Jim Meittinis, 19 Barclay Court, Bordentown,NJ 08505Aaron Merriman, 223 Washington Drive,Northfield, OH 44067Richie Silverman, 9648 Wyeth Court, Wellington,FL 33414MI LOSES, STRONACH FRETSMI Developments, which took over frombankrupt Magna Entertainment this year,lost $6.2 million in the second quarter ofthe year. Boss Frank Stronach has calleda meeting of horsemen at Santa Anita,presumably to discuss his proposal for 140racing “anytime” racing dates, usedwhen most likely to attract fans.