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, EditorTuesday, May 11,2010SOME ADVICE TO OUR FRIENDSWe have hung around long enough, andput in enough shifts, that we can doleout advice on occasions now with a littleauthority. Here is one piece of wisdompicked up over the years, and more recentlyin the hallowed halls of the NewYork legislature in Albany.Don’t get caught in the middle betweenDemocrats and Republicans.That’s where the New York Racing Associationfinds itself, and although it willwiggle out of this one as it has all the rest,it blew a cool $17 million over the weekend.Democrats in the Senate, accordingto The Saratogian of Saratoga Springs,NY, claim Republican attempts to giveNYRA a $17 million loan are unconstitutional,and would shut down state government.The Republicans, through Sen. RoyJ. McDonald, accused the senate majorityof playing “Philadelphia lawyer games.”Yesterday, the legislature, unable to reachagreement on a state budget well beyonddeadline, as usual in New York, approvedthe sixth emergency spending bill to keepstate government running. Even a pollike McDonald realizes how stupid thisexercise has become. “I understand thepolitics,” he said in the Senate. It’s timewe start doing something. I appeal to youto recognize this vitally important industry.”And so it goes, on and on,in the nation’s “greatest state.”GREAT BREAK FOR TROT FANSThere will be eleven weeks of high qualityharness racing on national radio this summer,it was announced today by SIRIUSRadio in New York. The coast-to-coastservice, with top track announcer DaveJohnson and widely respected major racingjournalist Bill Finley at the controls,will kick off the series on May 29 at 10p.m. eastern time on SIRIUS 126 and XMchannel 243. The $500,000 Hoosier Cupfor pacers from Hoosier Park in Anderson,Indiana; the $200,000 New Jersey sirestakes for colts and fillies from the Meadowlands;and the $60,000 James LynchMemorial from Mohegan Sun at PoconoDowns in Wilkes-Barre, PA will feature thefirst show. “Saturday Night at the Races,”Johnson says, “will give SIRIUS and XMlisteners from coast to coast access to thebest, richest and most important harnessraces held this summer. These upcoming11 weeks will feature dozens of big eventsand give us the chance to showcase harnessracing at its very best.” The broadcastshave been made possible by a collectiveindustry effort, in which BrittanyFarms, Hanover Shoe Farms, the IndianaStandardbred Breed Development Fund,Perretti Farms, Tioga and Vernon Downs,Woodbine Entertainment and YonkersRaceway have agreed to underwrite theshows, with Bill Finley spearheading theeffort. All-around star Peter Kleinhanswill serve as analyst and HTA ExecutiveVP Stan Bergstein as commentator.