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, December 15, 2010PARK CAR, PLACE YOUR BETSIt appears that Maryland’s third casino,which will help fuel racing in the state, willnot get underway until late next year, andthen on the refurbished first floor of a parkinggarage. The president of the CordishCompanies, Joseph Weinberg, told a statepanel that the company planned to startwork on a temporary small version of itsMaryland Live! entertainment projectsoon, with 2,000 slots, as a completely enclosedfacility while it works on the fullproject, which will have 4,750 slots whenit opens in late 2012. Already in operationis Penn National’s Perryville operation,with 1,500 machines, and another800 are due to begin humming in Januaryat Ocean Downs. A downtown Baltimoresite will be rebid before summer, with thestate’s fifth authorized casino, in westernMaryland, drawing no interest from biddersor builders.DELEO TALKS SLOTS, SOFTLYRobert DeLeo, speaker of the House inMassachusetts, has outlined his agendafor 2011, and has toned down his fieryquest for track slots that failed at the endof this year’s last legislative session underheavy opposition from governor DevalPatrick. DeLeo says he still wants slotsat tracks “to keep people who are presentlyemployed employed and to providelocal aid,” and he hopes the matter will bediscussed early in the new session togive time for discussion and debate.So does Plainridge Race Course.CAT HITS 14,000, MOVES ONIndestructible Catello Manzi won his14,000th harness race last night, anddrives on toward Herve Filion’s world recordof 15,180. The Cat scored with BerryBerry Fast at Yonkers Raceway, saying,“I’ve never been a numbers guy. As I wasgetting closer, I was getting e-mail remindersfrom some friends, so it did cross mymind more. I just try to go out there, giveit my best and let those things take care ofthemselves. That doesn’t mean I’m notproud of the wins. I enjoy the competition,and more importantly, I’m healthyenough to stay at it.” Manzi is 60, andplans to drive on. He has driven the winnersof more than $146 million, accordingto USTA statistics.AS OTB LOSES, TABCORP WINSTabcorp Holdings, Australia’s off-trackbetting system, has been awarded an additional500 poker machines and 50 gamingtables for its Queensland Gold Coastand Brisbane operations, and has announcedit will invest $625 million Australianto upgrade the properties in thestate of Queensland. The renovation isthree times what Tabcorp announced inOctober, and comes after an $860 millionrefurbishment of its Star City property inSydney, Australia’s biggest city. Tabcorp,based on its stock price, is valued at $4.7billion. It is reassuring to know that thereare bookie operations that still know howto make money. Wonder what theywould charge to run NYC OTB?