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, December 3, 2010INT. SOUND WINS MESSENGERHarold and David Snyder, the father-sonteam who, through their InternationalSound Corporation and their families,have been the principal supporters ofHarness Tracks of America’s CollegeScholarship Fund, will receive HTA’shighest honor, the Stan Bergstein MessengerAward, at the University of ArizonaRace Track Industry Program’s awardsluncheon in Tucson Dec. 7.The fund has provided worthy youngstudents involved in harness racing with$707,950 in scholarships at colleges anduniversities of their choice since its inception,with the Snyder family and InternationalSound consistently leading theway.“Without them,” Bergstein said, “therewould be no fund. No recipient has beenmore appropriate in the 30 years the Messenger,which honors accomplishment ofnote in the sport, has been in existence.The previous winners read like a Hall ofFame, and the Snyders belong in it.”Past winners have included breeder NormanWoolworth as the first in 1981 andtwo governors, Edward Rendell of Pennsylvanialast year and Jim Edgar of Illinoisin 1992. Many of the greatest horsemenof the sport, including Joe O’Brien,John Campbell, Doug Brown, Stan- leyDancer and Lou Guida, have wonthe Messenger over the years.CAVALRY LATE THIS TIMEThe cavalry didn’t quite make it over thehill this time, and New York City OTBclosed down today, just as the slow-ridingNew York Senate said it would return tospecial session Tuesday to continue “considering”the OTB’s reorganization andrescue plan. The OTB’s chairman, LarrySchwartz, called this ride too late, andsaid City OTB was “dead on arrival.”There was confusion right to the end.News media couldn’t decide whether thenumber of employees laid off was 800 or1,020, a pretty wide spread. And bettorsat Aqueduct yesterday weren’t much better.They allowed the feature race winnerto gallop home a $15.40 winner in theBig A’s feature. His name? Goodbyeandgoodluck.NEVER FEAR, FRANK IS NEARThe governor of Maryland, MartinO’Malley, has called a meeting of racingleaders representing tracks and horsemenfor Monday afternoon. Both PennNational and the Maryland Jockey Club,who may or may not be co-owners of Pimlicoand Laurel, have been asked to attend.And from Austria comes consoling news.Frank Stronach told John Scheinman, reportingfor Thoroughbred Times, that “Iwill come down to Maryland next week,We’ll try to find common ground. It hasto be done quickly.” So does the mess inNew Jersey, where horsemen’s presidentTom Luchento was upbeat.