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, EditorThursday, March 4, 2010BETTING RESUMES IN QUEBECAfter months of being shut out from legally bettingon horse racing in Quebec, patrons of thesport now can watch and wager on more than150 tracks from around the world, thanks to anagreement announced today between WoodbineEntertainment Group and Le Club Jockey duQuebec. As a result of the accord, Woodbine’sHorsePlayer Interactive online account wageringplatform now is available to both Quebec’sharness and thoroughbred racing fans. The serviceis Canada’s first and only legal pari-mutuelaccount wagering service. Club Jockey du Quebec,better known as CJQ, is a not-for-profitgroup formed last June by a group of horse owners,including former Montreal Canadiens hockeystar and successful harness horse owner andbusinessman Serge Savard. The Internet bettingwas approved by the Canadian Pari-MutuelAssociation, according to the Montreal Gazette,after CJQ secured a permit for 10 days of liveracing at a location known as Ayer’s Cliff, witha harness meeting of 50 days a possibility. Takeoutfor bettors under the new agreement willdrop from 30% to 23% under Woodbine and itsaccount betting service.NOT A WYNN-WIN SITUATIONSteve Wynn arrived in Harrisburg, PA, for ahearing with the Pennsylvania Gaming ControlBoard, and with a new lady friend on his armand cheering union workers just happening tobe on hand to greet them. The control board wasless cordial, voting unanimously to continue its$2,000 a day fine of the Foxwoods casino groupthat Wynn expects to take over in Philadelphia,and telling the Vegas impresario it wanted morespecific information on his plans for buildingand managing the long-delayed riverfront casino.The chairman of the board, GregoryFajt, told Wynn, “I’m getting more comfortablewith this, but we’ll take this onestep at a time.”HORNICK GETS 10 YEARSKen Hornick, the former Woodbine media relationsman and Standardbred Canada employeewho turned to drug dealing, has been handeda 10-year suspension and fined $30,000 by theOntario Racing Commission. Chairman RodSeiling, presiding over a hearing requested almosttwo years ago by Hornick after an originalrecommendation of 15 years and a $60,000fine, said, “The use of illegal, non-therapeuticmedications has no place in horse racing. ThisCommission is committed to eradicating theiruse by the small few who would seek to gain anunfair advantage. For that reason, this Commissionhas established and published a substantivepenalty regiment that is designed to act as a deterrent.The penalty falls within the guidelinesas set at the time of the violation....In my view,the ORC properly took into account that therewas a significant need for general deterrence ina case such as this given the level of drug abusein the industry.” Hornick’s car and home weresearched by Ontario Provincial Police and theORC’s Investigations Unit on Dec. 11, 2007, anda number of prohibited substances were found,along with records on his computer hard drivecontaining sales and other information involvingthe DPO drug Aranesp.WHERE’S THE UNDERTAKER?Lawmaking in Indiana is providing some greatsound bytes. One legislator, commenting on theHouse defeat of a move to allow riverboat casinosto move inland, said recently the legislature was“creative” and “the undertaker didn’t have thebody yet.” Yesterday for a brief time it appearedthe creativity might restore the measure, when abill suddenly reappeared from conference committee.Asked about its chances, House SpeakerB. Patrick Bauer replied, “You never say never,but I don’t see it happening, unless you seeTinkerbell and Peter Pan reappearing.”