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, EditorWednesday, October 20, 2010DOES JON KNOW ABOUT THIS?Horse racing in New Jersey found it hada new friend yesterday, when GovernorChris Christie told them so. Christie,campaigning in Philadelphia for thePennsylvania Republican gubernatorialcandidate Tom Corbett, said he wouldlike to save horse racing in New Jersey...aslong as New Jersey doesn’t have to subsidizeit. It was not known if developer JonHanson, author of the death decree forracing that carries his name, knows aboutChristie’s new announcement that “I wanthorse racing to continue in New Jersey...and I’m sure we’ll be able to work it out.”Christie referred to the Democratic proposalMonday that supported racing byintroducing sports betting and intrastateinternet gaming at Atlantic City casinos,but apparently not by installing slots atthe Meadowlands, Monmouth Park orFreehold Raceway.A NEW SPEED RECORD IN OHIOEleven days in office. That was the newmark established in Ohio yesterday whenMichael H. Bolte, a 30-year veteran of theCincinnati police department who was appointedon Oct. 8 by governor Ted Stricklandto the new Ohio Casino Controlcommission, quit. Bolte said he decidedto retire from his new job for unspecifiedpersonal reasons. Another former Cincinnaticop, John L. Wainscott, wasnamed as a new Republican commissionmember replacing Bolte.JOCKEYS ASK COURT HELPThe Jockeys’ Guild has asked a Kentuckyjudge to issue a temporary restraining orderblocking the Kentucky Horse RacingCommission’s emergency rules on safetyvests and advertising on pants. With theBreeders’ Cup coming up at ChurchillDowns Nov. 5-6, the commission requiredthe use of new safety vests and full disclosureof how much jocks would be paidto wear advertisements on their ridingpants. The Guild says enforcing that ruleon full disclosure of sponsorship agreementswould discourage advertisers fromparticipating in the Cups, which offerwide television exposure opportunities.STRONACH’S $10 MILLION BETFrank Stronach’s latest idea to save racingis a $1 Quad Superfecta, which wouldprovide a $10 million payoff for a buck toanyone able to pick four horses in correctorder of finish in four different races on aSaturday afternoon. The Maryland RacingCommission is considering approvingthe bet, and publisher Ray Paulick askedhis newsletter readers what they thoughtabout it. One called it “beyond ignorant,”and another claimed that approximateodds of winning would be 645 trillion to1 in four 10-horse fields, 83 trillion to 1 infour 9-horse fields, or a mere 17 billion to1 in four 6-horse fields. That respondentsaid the bet was so flawed that it appearedno Stronach staffers sat down and did thebasic math. Don’t look at us. Whenit gets past 9 x 8, we back off.