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, Sept. 27, 2010SIGNS OF LIFEAs major yearling sales in Kentucky andPennsylvania draw near, there has beentrepidation among breeders as to howthe market will hold. The most hearteningsign to date has been the huge 12-dayKeeneland thoroughbred yearling auctionin Lexington, where total, averageand median prices were up and buybackswere down. The overall sale showed anincrease of 3% from 2009 figures. ThoroughbredTimes reported average priceup 6.7%, median up 13.6%, and buybacks-- yearlings not sold -- down from 27.5%to 26.7%. An American buyer purchasedthe highest priced yearling for $4.2 million,and the Arab sheiks again were active,pouring millions into the sales totalsas the leading buyer in total sales. Keenelandrearranged its sales structure thisyear, offering its top colts and fillies onthe first two nights of the sale, then sellingthe rest by alphabetical order of dams.FIRST MD. CASINO OPENSPenn National Gaming opens Maryland’sfirst casino today, three days ahead ofschedule and four weeks ahead of originalestimates. The $97.4 million casinois located less than half a mile off busyInterstate 95, thirty minutes northeast ofBaltimore, with 1,500 slots bought andowned by the state of Maryland and 350new jobs filled mostly by local residents.Penn National will hold a grandopening with the governor MartinO’Malley on hand Thursday.OHIO ANNOUNCES 2011 DATESBoth harness and thoroughbred racingwill cut their dates next year, with HTA’sNorthfield Park member dominating theracing calendar with 213 programs. Intotal there will be 325 days of thoroughbredracing, down 33 from this year, andharness will cut back to 366 programs,20 less than this year. The Ohio harnessdates awarded by the commission are:Northfield Park, Jan. 1 thru Dec. 30, 213programs;Scioto Downs, May 13 thru Sept. 11, 57programs;Lebanon Harness, March 4-July 11 andSept. 23-Dec. 30, 50 programs; andRaceway Park, April 30-Sept. 18, 46 programs.GOV: GETTYSBURG A BAD IDEAGov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, puttingprincipal ahead of friendship, says he isopposed to the idea of a Gettysburg casino,even though the principal proponentand potential beneficiary is “a good personalfriend.” That was Rendell’s identificationof casino backer David LeVan,but the governor said, “I think the historicarea is of such a value, and the touristeconomy is so important, that it would beinappropriate for it to be there.” Whenthe Gettysburg site, half a mile from thehistoric battlefield, was first proposed-- and defeated -- in 2006, Rendell, thenmayor of Philadelphia, said, “I wouldn’twant a casino two blocks from theLiberty Bell.”