With The Field: Meadowlands Horse Shortage

This week Yonkers Raceway announced the nominated pacers for the Bluechip Matchmaker and George Morton Levy Memorial series’. These six-week long events which culminate in two rich finals on Saturday, April 27 present one of the best earning opportunities for older horses that the game has available.

In the Levy each field of horses get to race for $50,000 for five consecutive weeks. Then the top eight money-earners return for a jackpot of around $450,000 in the final. The Matchmaker offers a $40,000 weekly prize pool for each race and a final that usually ends up in the upper $200,000 range.

All-time money-winning pacer Foiled Again has made a healthy living in the Levy series over the years. The now 9-year-old Ron Burke trainee has banked $963,150 over the last four years racing in the Levy. That represents just over 20 percent of his $4,625,984 career earnings. The son of Dragon Again won the series in 2009 and 2010.

Burke, who has six in the Levy and nine in the Matchmaker, also sends out perennial Levy big money earner Atochia. Also a son of Dragon Again, he has made $536,200 since 2009 in the series. The 2012 winner has earned just above 30% of his career $1,722,092 in the series.

Real Nice, who won the series in 2011 but did not nominate this year, has taken home $579,600 in his four-year Levy career. That sum is about 46% of his $1,245,289 career tally.

But back to the Burke stable.

While it is fun to watch the top older pacers, perhaps there needs to be a limit on the number of horses one stable can nominate to the series. Yonkers Raceway does a great job limiting the number of finalists from one barn to two. Maybe the maximum number of nominations from one barn needs to be five.

This is nothing against Burke, who does an awesome job of juggling the biggest stable on the planet. But in the interest of providing the best possible betting product and most competitive races, the prospects of having a Burke entry in half of the preliminary legs of the each series just doesn’t cut it.

Here’s hoping for an exciting six weeks of racing at Yonkers. The Matchmaker kicks off on Friday, March 22 and the Levy on Saturday, March 23.

While Yonkers will likely be welcoming top drivers Tim Tetrick and Yannick Gingras each weekend for the Matchmaker and Levy series, the Meadowlands is desperately seeking horses to ensure full fields for as many races as possible.

Operator Jeff Gural sent out a “from the heart” plea to the horsemen on Thursday. I have to admit that I’m not sure what these messages accomplish. Very few horsemen are going to alter what is in the best interest of their owners and horses to help the Meadowlands. In a perfect world there would be enough horses to go around for every track to race as much as they want. That is not the case.

Until the time comes when Meadowlands gets alternative gaming options and can lure horses away from the surrounding states, perhaps they need to capitalize on the summer and “dead periods” on the racing calendar.

I would propose a November to mid-March and last week of June until mid-August schedule (racing Thursday to Saturday) for the East Rutherford oval. That would ensure maximum horse population and the best chance of consistently full fields for the number one generator of harness racing handle in North America.

For the record, here is some of what Gural said:

As you know, the first twenty-nine days of the 2013 meet at the Meadowlands have been an overwhelming success.  The public has adapted to the classification system, along with the competitive style of racing full fields, etc. as our handle is up approximately 33%.  Last year we only had two days excluding the Hambletonian and Meadowlands Pace where the handle exceeded $3 Million dollars.  This year we already exceeded $3 Million dollars on thirteen occasions. 

That is the good news.

The bad news is that because all of our income is derived from wagering and horse racing we need to continue to generate handles of over $3 Million dollars every Friday and Saturday.  In order to do that we require full fields and since we are only racing two days beginning next week essentially we need 250 horses each weekend to fill both cards. Last weekend we had twenty-five fewer horses racing over the weekend and as a result our handle declined by $508,000. 

To be blunt, I need the industry to step up and support the Meadowlands which may not be the best business decision for everyone in the short term but, in my opinion, the industry needs a healthy Meadowlands and we deserve the support of the industry. 

The other option would be for us to drastically reduce the stakes program which I think would help increase our overnight purses but would have a very negative impact on the industry because our stakes program is vital to support the breeding industry.  It also serves to attract new customers by showcasing our best horses and creating the kind of excitement we see for our major races.  This will be especially true when we move into the new building. Currently we use 25% of our purse money to fund the stakes program approximately $4,200,000 while our competitors are typically using 10-12%. 

To be honest, I am not sure there are enough horses for all of the race days that are scheduled at Chester, Pocono, Yonkers, Dover and the Meadowlands.  It would seem at some point it should be addressed as the number of mares bred and yearlings born each year continues to decline significantly.  Common sense would tell you that this has to have an impact and that race days have to start to come down.  The bottom line is we cannot survive without full fields as we get killed when we have six or seven horse races no matter what the quality is.  We struggled to fill the card with short fields the last two weekends and Pocono is not open yet. 

I would rather see the industry support us on a voluntary basis as I think it is in everyone’s best interest that we continue to provide the type of product we have been providing for the last two and a half months.  Hopefully I can count on your support.

Meadowlands Saturday Spot Plays

I’ll be doing Saturday Meadowlands analysis again starting next week but here are some spot plays which caught my eye for this week:

Race 1 – (1) WARRAWEE NEEDY

I know he got caught after setting fast fractions last week, but with a couple of starts under his belt, that won’t happen this time around. I’d accept 4-5 or better on him.

Race 2 – (5) MODERN FAMILY

He was raced a bit more conservatively last week because he simply didn’t need to win the race to make the final. I expect him to be on the lead or sitting right on Quick Deal’s back this week. My target price is 7-5 or higher.

Race 5 – (2) OLDE TIME HOCKEY

Had post 10 in his pari-mutuel debut and the race was over for him once he didn’t leave the gate. The trip was awful behind lackluster cover and he still finished with good pace.

Race 11 – (5) STATESMAN N

New Zealand import kicked home in 25 4/5 in his first U.S. qualifier. He’ll have to drop about four seconds to compete, but he looked like one that could be decent. If the price is at least 5-2 I would take a shot.

Harness Racing: New York Racehorse Safety

NYRA

By Liz O'Connell

Huffington Post

Article Link

More than five months after being formed, the New York Task Force on Racehorse Health and Safety has yet to share its findings concerning the alarming number of racing-related horse deaths (19) over the inner track during Aqueduct's winter race meet.

Akin to slamming the barn door closed after the horse is loose, on March 14, 2012 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's staffers Robert Megna (Director, NYS Division of the Budget) and Bennett Liebman (Deputy Secretary for Gaming) sent a strong letter to New York Racing Association's then-president, Charles Hayward. Megna and Liebman directed NYRA to hire a consultant to investigate the cause of the catastrophic injuries plaguing the then-ongoing Aqueduct meet. On March 22, 2012, the New York State Racing and Wagering Board issued a press release announcing the formation of the New York Racehorse Health and Safety Task Force tasked with a broad investigative mandate to examine policies, practices and make recommendations beneficial to horse racing.

Since that initial missive on March 14 from Cuomo's messengers to NYRA, across the state at the four Thoroughbred race tracks at least 56 horses have had catastrophic accidents requiring euthanasia. Calculated through September 6, 2012, these latest losses have occurred while horses were training or racing at Aqueduct (8), Belmont Park (20), Saratoga (14) and Finger Lakes Race Track (14). Expected to be released on August 21, the report has been delayed with no release date given.

A report delayed is a report denied.

The most likely scenario is that the task force's recommendations are at odds with the New York Racing Association or its state government overseers. Or, perhaps the release of the report will be used as a publicity springboard for announcing the re-organization of NYRA and the new board and executives -- thereby reducing the safety of our racehorses to a political ploy. Of course, this will be denied by all parties. In the meantime, whatever the cause for the delay, whatever the excuse, there are horses dying while racing and training on New York's Thoroughbred tracks.

Until the report is issued and the recommendations promptly reviewed and implemented, every time a horse suffers a fatal breakdown at a New York track , a point to ponder is: could there have been a different outcome, other than euthanasia, if the task force's report had been released and its findings instituted in a timely fashion?

Racehorse breakdowns at Aqueduct.

Earlier in the year during the Aqueduct Winter/Spring Meet, there was an unprecedented number (19) of catastrophic racehorse breakdowns while the racing was on the inner dirt track. That the accidents occurred while racing, rather than being distributed between training and racing, leads to questions about race administration and the fitness of horses being entered in the races. This rash of breakdowns occurred at the same time the purses for the races benefitted from the influx of funds originating from the video lottery terminals at the newly opened racino at Aqueduct.

The underlying cause of the breakdowns was unclear. Backstretch fingers were pointed at NYRA's racing office for allegedly strong-arming trainers into entering questionable horses to fill and increase the size of fields to please handicappers (relying on an eventual pre-race scratch by the track vet that often did not materialize). If horses weren't entered by a trainer, allegedly that trainer's precious stall allotment could be diminished. Trainers are loathe to discuss this problem, commonly referred to as starts-per-stall, publicly for fear of retaliation by racing officials. Note: Starts per stall policies are used in some form at most race tracks, not just NYRA.

Conversely, trainers were blamed for entering unsound horses and trying to cash in on the slots-enriched purses. If this was the case, how could so many horses slip through the race track's pre-race veterinary soundness checks and observations?

Is this the new transparency in racing?

New York State Racing and Wagering Board

Upon the task force's announcement, I emailed Lee Park, Director of Communications of the New York State Racing and Wagering Board, a series of questions relevant to the task force's appointment. Board Chairman John Sabini and Executive Director Ron Ochrym were copied.

1. Are the members paid? If so, by whom and how much?

2. Why is there no surface expert on the task force? Someone like Mick Peterson?

3. What is the timeframe for the task force -- when is report due, first meeting?

4. When are meetings of the task force?

5. Are meetings of the task force open to the public? If not, why not?

6. Is this task force intended to satisfy the mandate in Governor Cuomo's letter to NYRA regarding the racing fatalities?

7. Will this team be looking at Finger Lakes and the harness tracks? If no, why not?

No response.

I asked the governor's office to provide the information I sought. No response.

I sent NYRA the questions and was referred back to the Racing and Wagering Board.

On May 30, 2012, I made a freedom of information request to Racing and Wagering that was partially answered after the maximum number of delays allowed by law; then the information was mailed to the wrong address.

Brief overview of processes related to the New York Task Force on Racehorse Health and Safety.

• Initially, NYRA wanted to use the National Thoroughbred Racing Association as the investigative agency. This was declined on March 16 by the Racing and Wagering Board because "The NTRA is trade organization of which NYRA is a prominent member... Under these circumstances utilization of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance does not present the level of independent and fresh analysis contemplated..."

• On March 22, with much fanfare the task force was announced by the New York State Racing and Wagering Board. Retired Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, Alan Foreman - attorney and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, Scott E. Palmer V.M.D. -- equine veterinarian and surgeon, and Mary Scollay D.V.M. -- Equine Medical Director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. Palmer was named chairman and he sent a letter to NYRA and the Racing and Wagering Board outlining the scope of the task force's mandates on March 27, 2012.

• On April 1, 2012, the task force offered its opinion on the then-imminent changes being made to the claiming rules by the Racing and Wagering Board. In the letter, Palmer also said that the task force "plans to complete its investigation and report to NYRA and the NYSRWB within 30 days." That timeline would have had the report finished by May 1, 2012.

• In an April 2, 2012 letter, Palmer requested veterinary and treatment records, necropsy reports and drug test results from the Racing and Wagering Board. The Racing and Wagering Board responded on April 5, 2012 with the available records for each horse. However, New York does not mandate necropsy (autopsy) of horses that die racing, unlike California and Ontario, so there were no necropsy reports. The Racing and Wagering Board did not include the individual records when fulfilling my freedom of information request.

• Palmer sent a letter on April 3, 2012 to the Racing and Wagering Board requesting approval of a fee schedule for the task force members:
  Jerry Bailey --$250/hour plus expenses
  Alan Forman --$500/hour plus expenses
  Scott Palmer, VMD --$250/hour plus expenses
  Mary Scollay, DVM - expenses only; no hourly rate because she works for the State of Kentucky
• The RWB referred Palmer to NYRA regarding fees. When I asked NYRA about the fee schedule, I was referred to Scott Palmer who has not responded to my query.

• On May 10, 2012, Palmer requested a list of horses that finished in the top three in races where horses had catastrophic accidents during the winter Aqueduct meet. Among the information sought by Palmer was a list of any medications administered within 7 days of the race, the date the medication was administered and the route of administration.

• There was further communication that day, May 10, from Palmer to Racing and Wagering justifying the request. On May 11, an internal Racing and Wagering email concerning the request was sent to the board's general counsel, Robert Feuerstein. Almost a month later Feuerstein sent an email to Racing and Wagering's acting secretary, Kristen Buckley, about the request. Beyond Palmer's explanation of need, the content of the emails was not disclosed in the materials received under the freedom of information request. It is unclear if or when the information was sent to Palmer, whether it was sent in May or delayed until June.

On August 8, the New York Post announced the report of the New York Task Force on Racehorse Health and Safety would be released on August 21 - the Tuesday of Travers Week. Travers Tuesday has come and gone, and no report. A delay was announced with no date for the report to be issued.

Since the aborted August 21 report release date, five Thoroughbreds have died in racing or training accidents. Golden Essence. Karakorum Magic. The Shade. She's Got Tude. Bluember.

Tick. Tock.

(Note: data concerning the catastrophic breakdowns of racehorses in New York was obtained from the New York state Racing and Wagering Board's Equine Breakdown, Death, Injury and Incident Database.)

Harness Racing: Ohio is surging!

DAYTON: The Ohio harness racing industry is showing signs of resurgence three months after the opening of the state’s first racetrack with video lottery terminals, according to some in the racing industry.

Attendance at harness racing events is up, racing fans are betting more and the number of mares bred in Ohio is expected to rise, the Dayton Daily News reported.

Tracks in Ohio started slipping in attendance after Pennsylvania and Indiana approved video lottery gambling at racetracks in 2006, said Jerry Knappenberger, general manager of the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association. But many in the industry think the addition of video lottery terminals in Ohio will help draw more people to Ohio’s tracks and increase those tracks’ purses.

Scioto Downs in Columbus was the first to get terminals this year, and purses are up there from a range of $2,000 to $4,000 per race in 2011 to $4,000 to $15,000 this year. Betting on live races also is up about 35 percent over last year, said Stacy Cahill, Scioto Downs’ general manager.

“People who have never seen a race are going down to the track to see what’s going on,” Cahill said.

The Ohio Lottery Commission is reviewing five additional applications from racetrack owners to become video lottery terminal sales agents. The applications include one for Lebanon Raceway from the Miami Valley Gaming and Racing LLC., a joint venture of Delaware North Companies Gaming and Entertainment and Churchill Downs Inc.

“We’ve all been waiting for so many years for slots to save racing in Ohio,” said Vickie McNabb, director of the Lebanon Raceway track for the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association.

The American Horse Council has estimated that Ohio horse racing was once a $900 million agricultural-based industry that supported 25,000 jobs directly, involving more than 250,000 Ohioans. But the number of industry jobs fell to 15,000 during the past decade, Knappenberger said.

Pennsylvania and Indiana racetracks have used video lottery revenue to increase the purse money paid out to owners of winning horses and to increase the number of horses bred in those states. States with expanded gambling have seen increases in horse training and breeding operations, and in investments in farming and livestock and in the need for veterinary services to handle foal production, according to the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association.

Knappenberger said Ohio already is seeing more mares bred in the state after falling from more than 2,591 in 2003 to 687 in 2010. The number of Ohio-bred mares increased to 693 last year with the anticipation of larger purses helped by video lottery terminal revenue, and there should be more Ohio-bred mares this year, Knappenberger said.

Robert Schmitz, chairman of the Ohio State Racing Commission, warns that it’s too soon to predict the full impact of the lottery terminals on the racing industry, but he says he is encouraged.

Harness Racing's Future Debatable

Editorial from the Times Union

In response to Joe Faraldo's "N.Y. horse racing a good bet," Aug.23, he touched upon many great points in the debate about the effect of video lottery terminals on the health of horse racing.

Being associated with horse racing in various ways in the last 35 years, my view has been skeptical of the effect of the VLTs. My concern has been that, over time, the VLT operators would lobby to discontinue the horse racing, which loses money in some instances.

I think the New York Racing Association tracks will be fine, and certainly the successful Saratoga Race Course meet will continue to do great with the increase in purses, keeping the best horses there in the future.

Looking at the Saratoga Casino and Raceway harness track is a different story, though. I do not know the track handle figures but, from going there over many years and seeing the parimutuel pool totals, I don't believe it has helped the racing there to any extent. It is often sad to see the harness track's win pool total way under $3,000 per race and less than 100 people watching the live races.

As Mr. Faraldo noted, the days of Roosevelt Raceway are gone forever. The question is: Will harness racing survive the times? More study is needed.

STEVEN STEWART

Berlin

stevexcr@yahoo.com

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Letter-Harness-racing-s-future-debatable-3822500.php#ixzz24yAA9Slk

RED MILE RACING SCHEDULE

RED MILE RACING SCHEDULE - Click Here

With The Field: Miss. Horse Park needs money for repairs to facility's damaged harness racing track

The Republic - Article - Click Here

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi Horse Park Director Bricklee Miller says a local engineer is currently developing plans to repair the facility's damaged harness racing track, but funding is needed to go forward on the project.

Once repair plans and cost estimates are finalized, Miller said she will approach the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors about funding options.

In May, representatives from the Mississippi Trotting Association said the facility could become one of the most-used racing venues in the South if repairs are made.

Miller said Wednesday a lack of events in the past reflects a low desire to consistently use the facility.

Heavy rains over the past two years developed dangerous washes in the track's foundation, Miller said. A previous annual inspection by Mississippi State University deemed the track unsafe until repairs are made.

Because of the Horse Park's connection with MSU and potential liability issues with racers and their horses, Miller said her organization contacted County Engineer Clyde Pritchard to develop repair plans.

In May, MTA President Eric Tinsey said members of his organization and the national trotting group could provide assistance with repairs, but Miller said repairs must be planned and approved by properly trained professionals.

Burns Dirt Company — which built the track — previously delivered a $38,648 quote to remove the track's top surface, cut the it down to grade and repair the foundation.

"We'll go back (to the board of supervisors) to see if they're willing to pay for repairs or willing to fix it, but (repairs have) to be done by an engineer's standards (due to liability issues).

"Safety is a huge concern at the Horse Park, and we certainly don't want a rider or their animal hurt. If we do not fix (the track) correctly, then we are setting ourselves up to be liable. I feel responsible for everyone who comes out to our facility," Miller said.

The harness track was constructed in 1999 with funds provided by the state and was rented on four different occasions through 2007.

Between January 2007 and June 2008, MSU improved the track by moving and clearing a hill at the center of the track, an expense which totaled $500,000. A reopening was held June 20, 2008 to entice events back to the track, Miller said. On Sept. 27, 2008, a sanctioned horse race was canceled after only six horses were entered.

Although $1.4 million was invested in the harness track, events have only provided $1,400 in returns. In May, Tinsey said his organization would be more than interested in returning to the facility if repairs are made.

"Our dream scenario is two days of intense racing while there's a fair or rodeo or something going on at the horse park in conjunction with our event," he said in May. "Racing is our second life, and that limestone track will bring racers. We'll spend money in hotels, rent stalls, go out and eat, buy gas and go shopping."

In a presentation to the board of supervisors Monday, Miller said the Horse Park attracted 36,690 people to Oktibbeha County last year, almost 8 percent more than 2010's previous attendance record. Miller credits events such as the MSU Bulldog Classic AQHA Show and the Lucky Dog Barrel Racing event as boosting this year's attendance numbers.

"The Horse Park events are continually bringing people in to the community, and that's what our focus is. For over 40 weekends a year, we're bringing people to Oktibbeha County," Miller said.

Harness Racing: Dave Palone On His Way To Victory Record

From the USA Today Article

Article - Click Here

If you took one victory for every day of Dave Palone's life from the time he was 8 years old, and added them up, it would about equal the number of wins Palone has racked up in his career as one of the greatest harness racing drivers of all time.

Palone, 50, has 15,179 victories in his 30-year career, and his next one will tie him with perhaps the sport's greatest North American driver, Herve Filion.

In comparison, Thoroughbred horse racing's all-time winningest jockey, Russell Baze, has nearly 4,000 fewer wins than Palone.

Palone's record-tying and possibly record-setting victories could come on Thursday at his home track, The Meadows Racetrack and Casino, in Washington, Pa.

Filion is expected to be on hand Thursday for the possible record by the man known as "The King of the Meadows."

"Yes, he's coming into town on Thursday and I'd really like to break the record on my home track on Thursday or Friday, but there are no guarantees in horse racing, that's for sure," Palone said by phone on Tuesday, a few hours before he went out and won six races to put himself on history's doorstep.

Palone, who was inducted into the Harness Hall of Fame two years ago Wednesday, says this would be the biggest highlight in a career filled with highlights, including winning the Little Brown Jug, the Breeders Crown and the Adios at The Meadows, the signature event on his home track.

"I was actually thinking about it last night. I think I'm going to have mixed emotions," Palone said about setting the record. "When I was a kid, Herve was my idol. In soccer, there's Pele. In harness racing, there's Herve. When you say Herve, everyone knows who that is.

"Since I grew up in the sport since I was 13, I've followed his career, and (15,000 wins) was a number that was unattainable. To get here, and get here as relatively quickly as I did, it really hasn't sunk in yet. I don't think I could ever replace Herve as the legend that he is."

Perhaps most amazing is Palone's consistency over the years. He has won at least 532 races a year for 20 consecutive years, a record that is still current.

Fellow Hall of Famer John Campbell says what makes Palone great is that he "puts his horses in the right position practically every race.

"The other thing you have to admire is his consistency of excellence. That's what's really startling about this — to be at such a high level for such a long time."

Winning, Palone says, never gets old or ho-hum.

"That's the easiest answer in the world. It doesn't matter if it's a regular race on a card today or a major stakes race," he says. "I've got to go the The Meadowlands on Saturday to race in a feature race, then I've got to Yonkers later Saturday night to race in the Yonkers Trot. And I'm telling you — people don't believe this — but it's just as much of a thrill winning an ordinary horse race as it is to win a major stakes race. It's probably what has kept me going all this time."

Palone has kept going through illness and injury. He says he has broken just about every bone in his body, including a career-threatening broken leg in 2007. "I shattered my femur — it was described to me by the doctor as 'it shattered like a plate of glass.' They put a rod and screws in my hip. It was amazing that we came back in seven weeks," he says.

Yet he's stronger and in better shape than he's ever been, which he attributes to his longevity.

"Physical fitness is vitally important," he says. "If you doubt it, show me a 200-pound catch driver who's successful. There isn't one, not one in the game. That's not just coincidence."

Asked how long he can keep competing, Palone says, "I'm 50, and I think the answer changes per individual.

"Ronnie Pierce and John Campbell, they're at the top of their games right now. And they're in their mid-50s. To me, they haven't lost a step. When you quit seeing your name listed on numerous horses to drive, maybe your time as passed and it's time to lay back a little bit."

Palone, who lives in Washington, Pa., with his wife and three daughters, jokes, "With all the female things going on at the house, I run out of here every day to get to the track."

Yet life at the track hasn't exactly been a state of bliss for those involved in the sport. It's no secret that the state of horse racing has been eroding for years, and Palone acknowledges that help is needed to keep his sport going.

"All racing is fighting an uphill battle with the slots and all the poker that's going on Internet-wide, stuff like that," he says. "But stories like this, we need right now. It's attracted a lot of media attention, and the more new faces at the track we can get, the better."

Illinois legislation creating ‘racinos’ boosts horsemen’s hope

Bettendorf native David McCaffrey is itching to get back to the Quad-City Downs.

He recalls being a teen and bolting Bulldog high school football games at half time to make it to the East Moline harness racing track after the 7th race. Then, admission was free.

Today, McCaffrey operates a stable of 60 horses. This trainer and owner is chairman of the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association and insists reviving live racing is not only possible at the Downs. It will be lucrative.

He and the horsemen’s association director Tony Somone visited the Quad-City Times Editorial Board on Wednesday. They’d read our skepticism about reopening the track (May 5, “Derby belies racing’s reality”) and are adamant that bringing slot machines to race tracks can fund the purses that will revive harness racing at the track.

And they insist the Quad-City Downs can be made ready for racing.

“We walked the track last night. I would feel safe racing on that track tomorrow,” McCaffrey said. “That track, as it sits now, 20 years without a horse, is in better shape than most county fairgrounds where we race.”

What’s lagging are purses for Illinois horsemen. There’s not enough at Maywood and Balmoral, which hosts Illinois’ remaining harness meets, to support the state’s industry. So some are pulling out. Others, including McCaffrey, are establishing stables elsewhere.

Pending Illinois legislation would turn Illinois tracks into “racinos,” a term that describes tracks that offer casino-type gaming. Illinois’ bill would put slots at existing tracks, and use the revenue to raise purses.

McCaffrey says purses of $10,000 (about triple the standard purse from the Downs’ glory days) would bring horses back to the Downs.

“Horsemen run to the money.”

He envisions a “boutique meet” — a short two-to-three month season of Friday through Sunday racing. The weekend cards would draw 600 to 800 horsemen to town each weekend, mostly from Chicago. The Downs wouldn’t need to rebuild a back stretch. A much less expensive “ship-in” barn could hold horses. No one would live there.

The slot revenue wouldn’t just increase purses. McCaffrey and Somone say it will create new product — live racing — that will serve a rapidly expanding part of their business: Online wagering.

“Seventy percent of our handle comes from wagering through computers and phones,” McCaffrey said, pulling out his phone. “I can bet on a race with this in two minutes, then watch it.”

Each Illinois race track by law is allowed to license up to five off-track-betting parlors. That provision encouraged Illinois lawmakers and regulators to pretend the Downs still is a track, entitled to five OTB licenses on behalf of its owner, Churchill Downs.

Both Somone and McCaffrey said OTBs have run their course and will be left behind by online wagering.

“They could offer me an OTB for $10 and I would say, “no,” because of this,” McCaffrey said, gesturing again with his phone.

Meanwhile, Somone insisted that if Churchill Downs would lease him the Quad-City Downs, “ I’d take that right now and make money.”

The horsemen expressed frustration the Downs owners haven’t produced any specific plan to revive racing. But they find themselves allied with Churchill Downs leaders to back the Illinois gaming bill that adds five new casinos and hundreds of slots at existing tracks.

“I have to laugh when I hear this called an expansion of gambling,” McCaffrey said. “What do people think has been going on at these tracks for years?”

Tim Hudak hears from harness racing community at Guelph stop

 

Tory talk. Provincial Tory leader Tim Hudak stopped in Guelph for a town hall meeting at the Victoria Road Recreation Centre on Thursday. Tony Saxon/Guelph Mercury Source: Guelph Mercury

Tony Saxon, Mercury staff

May 17, 2012

GUELPH — Provincial PC leader Tim Hudak wasn’t about to holster his anti-green energy guns just because he happened to be in a riding with hundreds of solar energy jobs on Thursday.

Hudak held an early morning town hall meeting at the Victoria Road Recreation Centre that attracted around 30 people.

He stood fast on his contention that green energy initiatives are not cost effective in the big picture and that they should be a choice for those willing to pay extra for them.

“We can’t power a 21st century economy on when the wind blows and the sun shines,” Hudak said.

His party has called for the scrapping programs such as FIT and microFIT programs under the Liberals’ Green Energy Act, which he said boosts wind and solar companies but at the expense of Ontario’s power consumers. Affordable hydro and nuclear power are his preferences.

Hudak has been touring the province to keep his finger on the pulse of the province and to keep the Tory agenda on simmer should a provincial election be called.

In a post-town hall interview, Hudak was asked if his opposition to green energy stance was a tough sell in a riding like Guelph that has seen its economic benefits – through spin-offs such as the creation of the Canadian Solar plant.

“No, not at all,” he said. “What we’re suggesting is that we can’t continue down the path that we’re on today where we’re paying up to 10 times the price of power for wind and solar power.

“It’s got to the point it’s costing us jobs and families are struggling to pay those bills.”

The Tories would like to see green energy be a choice people are willing to pay extra for, not something that is jacking up the price for everyone.

Also on hand at the town hall meeting were members of the harness racing industry, including leading driver Jody Jamieson of Moffat, who asked Hudak what the Tories would do about the Liberal plan to end the current slots at tracks program.

The Liberals have announced plans to end a program that has fed over $300 million into the harness industry, a move harness people says could ravage the industry and cost up to 60,000 jobs.

Hudak pointed out he was part of the government that brought in the slots at tracks program and called it a “win-win-win” situation for the government, the industry and the host municipalities.

“It’s heartbreaking. It will devastate families. It’s a big tax grab that they haven’t thought through,” Hudak said of the Liberal plan.

He stopped short of outlining any policy his party has on the matter or supporting the continuation of the existing agreement, but was supportive of the horsemen’s plight.

Hudak also had some strong words for the province’s unions, as the PC party has proposed a wage freeze for public sector employees.

“Union leadership would probably object to that, but the front-line understands that we can’t keep digging a bigger hole.

“There’s a disconnect between people that get it and union leadership that seems stuck in the past sometimes.”

Hudak spent about an hour at the town hall meeting. He met with local agricultural groups later in the day.

tsaxon@guelphmercury.com

This article is for personal use only courtesy of Gue

Ontario funding cuts fear causes foal deaths

http://www.harnesslink.com/www/Article.cgi?ID=97517

The March decision by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission to end harness racing funding in the province has led to the reported euthanizing of healthy foals by several breeders across the countryside, according to QMI (Quebec Media Incorporated) Agency.

The announcement by legislators eight weeks ago to end the slot revenue-sharing agreement with racing authorities in the province is killing far more than a sport, condemning healthy animals to death mere days after they are born.
The heartbreaking decision by breeders to enthenize young foals results from the notoriously high cost of breeding and raising high-performance race horses. According to QMI Agency, raising such a horse can approach $10, 000: on average, a breeder can look to spend about $2,500 a year for veterinary care, $130 a month for shoes, approximately $10 a day for lodging and food.
This is without the inclusion ofstud fees, which alone reach into the tens of thousands of dollars, all before any money at all is made by owners from the horse participating in races. The local industry has reacted violently to the removal of government funding concessions, with the resulting instability throwing the harness racing community into financial disarray. Without the return on their sizable investment, breeders simply fear they will be ruined by the sheer cost of raising a top-quality racehorse.
"They (the breeders) definitely don't want to be doing this, but without knowing there's going to be some sort of stability in the industry, they feel like they don't have a choice," said Standardbred Canada registrar Pat Kennedy, in an interview with QMI.
This snap decision has affected the financial forecasting decisions breeders make: it takes 11 months from the date of conception for a foal to be born, meaning that a sizable financial outlay has already been made on the basis that horses will earn enough money to be profitable investments in future. The hefty stud fee is delivered on the birth of a healthy foal. In an interview with QMI, Brian Tropea, General Manager of the Ontario Harness Racing Association, voiced his frustration with the situation.
'"When they made those decisions, they were all hoping to raise healthy, strong foals," Tropea said. "For the government to cut their legs off, it was completely irresponsible."

Beyond the upsetting slaughter of young horses,prominent industry critics have suggestedthat the implications of government cutbacks is that the harness racing landscape in Ontario will look very bare in 2013, with many predicting all but seven or eight not-for-profit tracks will be closed down.
A week ago, Windsor Racecourse announced they would be shutting the track for good at the end of August, having lost its slots business already.Howard Howe speculatesthat racing in the province will be set to drop up to a third,with, he believes, even keystone event The Ontario Sires Stakes in danger. The event distributes something like $20 million dollars in purses and breeders award alone, not to mention the economic activity the event itself brings to the area.
No doubt these funding cuts can be traced back to the extended poor performance of the economy after the November 2007 credit crunch. (While economists disagree that Canada is experiencing a recession, 70% of the nation apparently disagrees.Copper hoarders might consider gettingscrap metal insuranceif much of the world is heading for a double-dip, as many pundits seem to agree.) The racing industries have been treated like glorified piggy banks ever since, with clubs right across the continent feeling the pinch.
Considering the program was originally brokered to raise additional funds for a cash-strapped government facing intense opposition from anti-slots campaigners in urban centers, you'd think the government would be more grateful. Revenues from slots at racetracks were split 20:80, with the lion's share going to the government. It seems greed has set in, and now the breeders and, ultimately, innocent animals have to pay the price.
by Imogen REED

Bombilla Hanover

With a well timed three wide brush in the backstretch deployed by driver Bruce Ranger, Bombilla Hanover returned to the racetrack for her 4 year old season in triumphant fashion to highlight the Monday evening, May 7 harness racing program at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park.

She sat well backof a torrid opening half battle of 26.2 and 55 seconds waged by fraction setters Looney Dunein rein to Richie Simard and Major Trap with Andy Santeramo in tow.
They were joined going to the half by She's A Pegase driven by Tom Sells as his bid to make the front failed. That set the stage for Bombilla Hanover to burst on by going tothe three quarters in 1:23.2 and tocoast home with daylight to spare in 1:54. Looney Dune dug in stoutly to hold second over Major Trap in the $8,500 purse weekly Mares Open Pace.


It was the first start of her 4 year old campaign. Last year on the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes trail when racing from the care of Bill Fahy and later in Florida from the barn of co-owner Peter Blood, Bombilla Hanover amassed almost $64,000 in season's earnings.


Her greatest accomplishment was a stunning 1:51.4 tour of the Pompano oval last November nearing the end of her three year old campaign which beat the previous category track record of 1:52.1 established by Special Sweetheart two years earlier.


Lew Whitaker of Schnecksville, PA co-owns the daughter of The Panderosa from the Matt's Scooter mare Bet Me Hanover. Peter Blood has reassumed training duties on Bombilla Hanover while she's in Florida.


More performers in the 2012 Florida Standardbred Breeders And Owners Association (FSBOA) program continue to make their way back to the track

On the Monday evening program, Quail overcame post eight to find room on the pylons late to score in 1:57 over older mares in a NW3 event.


The three year old daughter of Six Of Diamonds-Armbro Robin has never missed the top three in her entire career, and this was the second straight win of her 3 year old campaign.


Trainer Kim Sears shares ownership of the promising miss with Jay Sears of Osteen, FL.
The current schedule of live racing every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday continues through May with post time at 7:05 p.m. Eastern.

The 2011-2012 meet at Pompano concludes with live racing every Wednesday and Saturday in June and July. Free race night live streaming, the racing schedule, handicapping selections by Hall Of Famer John Berry and much more is available at www.theislepompanopark.com.


by Frank Salive