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, October 11, 2010CROWNS A HUGE SUCCESSArtistically, financially, journalistically,and everyway else, the $6 million 12Breeders Crown championships at MoheganSun at Pocono Downs Saturday nightwere a roaring success. The racing wasspectacular, the crowd big and enthusiastic,and business breaking a 15-year-oldrecord, more than doubling the previousbetting mark set on Kentucky Derby daya decade ago. The $2.25 million wagered,with Australian and New Zealand bettingnot yet recorded, set a Pennsylvania harnessracing record, and was just underthe $2.3 million total bet at Woodbine lastyear.The Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader, MoheganSun’s prime local media outlet, joinedin the accolades. Its story read, in smallpart, “Thousands of people flocked to theracetrack for the 27th annual BreedersCrowns, which featured the best harnessracing horses and drivers in the world.Extra seating, security, parking attendantsand concessions were in place for therichest day in harness racing, with pursesexceeding $6 million.” One attendee toldthe paper’s reporter, “I wouldn’t be hereif it wasn’t for the racing. I think thisnight’s going to bring a lot more peopleto the area, to the track and to MoheganSun. It’s going to be good for business.”The track’s local press carried glowingstories reporting fans’ enthusiastic andexcited reactions to the big night of racing,and the TV production of the proceedingsalso received critical acclaim.Both HRTV and TVG carried the Crowns,the former blemished badly by hosts whoobviously knew little or nothing aboutharness racing, the latter suffering whenTVG opted for a co-host performancerather than letting veteran harness racingannouncer Gary Seibel go it alone.It may have been hypersensitivity, butboth shows downplayed or ignored the$500,000 and $600,000 purses, in one caseshowing a $300,000 purse as $3,000in its graphics. Nothing, however,could dim the success of the night.AT OTHER HTA TRACKS.....BATAVIA DOWNS was forced to cancelits OTB show simulcast in the Buffaloarea because WGRZ/Universal Sports/Buffalo was unable to carry the requirednumber of live racing simulcasts on cable.It continues to be carried on channel 98on Time-Warner’s basic digital packagein the Rochester market....PRAIRIEMEADOWS is working on a new leasewith Polk County in Iowa. Voters are beingasked to approve another eight yearsof gambling at the track in next month’selection. The current lease expires Dec.31 and the county administrator says therevised contract, on which work began inJuly, should be much different than thecurrent agreement under which PrairieMeadows has been operating.