Seckel said he hopes money from the
new casinos in Ohio will filter down to harness racing. He said there
is a possibility the Marion County Fair could hold the races in the
future.
MARION, OHIO - This is the first year
the Marion County Fair will not host harness racing, but this change
may not be permanent.
The fair board voted last year to
remove races from the list of entertainment for financial reasons.
Keith Seckel, the fair board president,
said the decision was difficult.
"I grew up watching harness
racing," he said.
Candy Tripp, the fairgrounds director
said the Marion County Fair used to have more than 20 races a day. In
2011, it had five races one day and six races another.
Without the entry money coming in from
races, she said, the fair board's budget was strained.
"It was not an easy decision,"
she said. "This was a longstanding tradition."
Jerry Knappenberger, the general
manager of the Ohio Harness Horseman's Association, said horse
breeding in Ohio has declined in recent years.
Ohio used to lead the nation in
thoroughbred horse breeding. Now, breeders of thoroughbreds and other
horses are concentrated in New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana and West
Virginia.
When Ohio House Bill 386 passed in May,
gambling laws changed in Ohio. Now, video slot machines are allowed
at race tracks. Knappenberger said more people are attending races at
Scioto Downs in Columbus because purses are bigger and more people
are spending money at the tracks.
He said the horse industry will
probably make a resurgence in Ohio.
Seckel said he hopes money from the new
casinos in Ohio will filter down to harness racing. He said there is
a possibility the Marion County Fair could hold the races in the
future.
"If the industry turns around, I'd
love to see (harness racing) again," he said.
Seckel said the horse track is still
used for the motorcycle races and the rodeo. Events such as the
demolition derby and truck pull are held at the grandstand every
night.
"I'm very happy with what they've
got," he said.
Tripp said there are no plans to remove
or modify the racetrack.
Knappenberger said Marion was the only
county fair that had harness racing in 2011 but did not in 2012. He
said 65 fairs in Ohio will host a harness racing circuit this year.
Knappenberger said the OHHA has seen
"two or three" clients remove harness racing from fairs in
the last five years.
