Posted: Thursday, February 02, 2012 11:57 AM

Television Games Network has reached an agreement with Prairie Meadows Racetrack and the Iowa Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association to operate a co-branded advance deposit wagering (ADW) outlet.

TVG and Prairie Meadows will market each other’s products and services, including ADW operations and live racing.

The agreement follows enactment of 2011 Iowa legislation specifically authorizing ADW in Iowa and the completion of the regulatory process by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. As part of that process, Prairie Meadows and the Iowa HBPA announced that they would jointly seek an operator for an ADW system.

The ADW system will use TVG’s platform, which includes free handicapping information, TVG Wager Rewards, and premium video streaming. It will contain elements specifically tailored to promote Prairie Meadows’ racing and casino businesses.

“We are very excited about this new venture,” said Gary Palmer, Prairie Meadows president and chief executive officer, “and we look forward to this opportunity to partner with the Iowa HBPA and TVG in helping us to promote our live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse products through advance deposit wagering.”

Other tracks have reached agreements with other ADW providers to serve as the platforms for their ADW site. KeenelandSelect uses the TwinSpires site and the former DelMarBets site used the XpressBet platform.

Leroy Gessmann, president of the Iowa HBPA, said, “This venture is a testament of our ability to work together as a racetrack and horsemen’s group, and bring in Paladin Partners to consult with us and help choose the best ADW provider, and that is TVG. I look forward to the launch of the new site, as many horsemen and fans have expressed to me as well.”

“This is a very unique deal for several reasons,” said Stephen Burn, TVG’s chief executive officer. “First, it is a prime example of TVG partnering with a racetrack and its horsemen on both a business-to-business as well as a business-to-consumer approach. Second, each group has pledged to leverage its strengths to maximize the overall business, with TVG utilizing its television and digital presences and Prairie Meadows utilizing its significant physical presence in the state of Iowa.”

Posted: 02/01/2012 1:51 PM

Over the last month, “only in horse racing” met up with Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22.”

I got a call last Saturday from owner Robert Cole, less than two weeks removed from getting that Special Eclipse for Rapid Redux’s perfect 2011. He said he wanted to tell me a story.

Cole claimed a 5-year-old gelding named Aaron’s Legend out of a 4 1/2-furlong $7,500 maiden claimer on Dec. 17 at Charles Town. Little did he know he was claiming a horse that was not eligible to run at Charles Town or, for 60 days, anywhere else.

On the day Cole claimed the horse, Aaron’s Legend finished a solid second. The former trainer, Nancy Heil, was 1 for 40 in 2011 when the horse was claimed. Cole’s trainer, Scooter Davis, was a solid 28 percent last year and 40 percent off the claim.

The horse had raced 12 times since his August 2010 debut, with five seconds and earnings of $21,830. The horse got a 39 Beyer Speed Figure on the day he was claimed. He was with the pace in just about every race. He was quite competitive and had gotten dirt Beyers as high as 56 and 57.

Cole entered the horse for maiden $10,000 on Jan. 4.

“Just a typical spot, 4 1/2, nothing fancy, just where the horse figured to run,” Cole said. “And they refused to take the entry.”

Cole was confused. Then, he was bewildered. Finally, he decided to call me.

Seems that without much, if any notice, it was decided that any maidens that were 6 years old or older and had started at least 10 times would no longer be eligible to run at Charles Town in 2012.

“It was a bit of a cockeyed rule, but they can do anything they want,” Cole said.

It would have been nice if Cole had known about the rule when he claimed a 5-year-old maiden with 12 starts two weeks before the calendar turned to 2012.

“That was unfair, but this gets worse,” Cole said.

He’s right.

Charles Town has a 60-day jail rule. You can’t run a claimed horse out of town for 60 days after the claim.

“I said to the stewards ‘Well, you can let me run out of town,’ and they refused to let me run out of town,” Cole said.

Thus, the Heller/Catch-22 connection – you can’t run here in a maiden race, and you can’t run anywhere else, either.

“So, they don’t let me run at Charles Town, nor do they let me run out of state,” Cole said.

Cole’s $7,500 claim has been incurring training bills for the owner, but has no chance to earn any of it back until the middle of February, when he can run out of town in races that probably don’t suit him. Anytime the horse has run beyond 4 1/2 furlongs on the dirt, he has not been close at the finish. All of his good races have been at 4 or 4 1/2, the classic Charles Town distance.

This probably is not the best way to encourage owners, the very lifeblood of a sport that does not need any more stupidity than it already has. Can we please get a national commissioner to explain to those that are in charge of their little fiefdoms that it really isn’t about them – it is about the game.

When Cole asked the stewards why they instituted the rule, he was told they didn’t want horses that “aren’t going to be competitive.” Cole figured Aaron’s Legend would have been 2-5 in the race where he entered him. So, it would appear as if the 6-year-old would have been competitive.

Cole then went to the Maryland stewards who he said “blew me off” when he asked if they would ignore the 60-day jail rule.

Cole then was told about another maiden race at Charles Town. Two maidens who were more than 6 years old with more than 10 starts ran in it. He made a call to the stewards and was told it was a bad rule and they decided to change it, apparently because it would have superseded a state rule. If Cole had known, he would have entered the race.

He entered Aaron’s Legend again at Charles Town. His entry was not accepted. He was told the rule had been changed back again. Only now, it apparently had been written into the conditions of maiden races.

Charles Town’s chief steward, Danny Wright, confirmed the details of Cole’s story.

“I’m not unsympathetic to his circumstances,” Wright said. “I understand his feelings.”

Wright said the issue of barring certain horses from racing at the track will be addressed at a Feb. 7 rules committee meeting of the West Virginia Racing Commission.

Wright said he would prefer the criteria to be based on “poor performance.”

“Obviously, this is an absurd story,” Cole said. “It wouldn’t matter if it was me or an owner with one horse. Owners don’t need this kind of abuse. Here, they have a horse ready to run and they won’t take the entry. They won’t let him run out of town and then they change the rule a couple of times. Now, that’s the story.”

I say free Aaron’s Legend.

Why is common sense such a foreign concept in this sport?

Whenever I am out with some of my horse racing writing brethren at a major event and we are considering something really stupid in the sport, we say in unison: “It’s horse racing.” We say it a lot. We have been saying for years. We will probably be saying it forever.

Posted: 02.01.2012

4:20pm In an effort to share prosperity, Remington Park will offer a lower takeout rate on trifecta wagering. The reduction will take place during the 2012 American Quarter Horse Meeting & Mixed-breed Season which runs March 2 thru Memorial Day on May 28. The trifecta wager takeout percentage will drop from its current 24% rate to that of just 21%. The lower rate will become one of the lowest in North America for a trifecta wager, which challenges horseplayers to correctly select the top three race finishers in order. “We want to reward the people who play the Remington Park races,” said Scott Wells, Remington Park president and general manager. “A reduction in the takeout rate on one of our most popular exotic wagers is also intended to attract more national attention to the quality of our racing product.” The trifecta wager, along with the exacta wager (top two race finishers in order), have comprised the top pair of wagers played by fans year after year at Remington Park. Average race field size at Remington Park is consistently near 10 horses. The field size combined with the lower takeout rate makes the Remington Park trifecta a very enticing play. Remington Park will reduce its overall wagering menu by one bet this year as the quinella will be cut from the lineup. The quinella challenges players to select the top two race finishers in any order. The 2012 American Quarter Horse & Mixed-breed Season at Remington Park will begin on Friday, March 2 as Opening Weekend continues thru Sunday, March 4. Scheduled post times for the Opening Weekend programs will be 6pm on Friday and Saturday, March 2 and 3 with afternoon racing on Sunday, March 4 at 1:30pm. Open daily at 10am for casino gaming and simulcast racing, Remington Park also features the Bricktown Brewery on the casino floor. Admission, general parking and valet parking are always free at Remington Park.

Date Posted: 2/2/2012 9:33:44 AM Last Updated: 2/2/2012 10:55:46 AM

Penn National Gaming Inc. now plans to request to move Beulah Park near Columbus, Ohio, to a site near Youngstown rather than Dayton, according to its latest financial report.

With the expected advent of racetrack video lottery terminals in Ohio, PNGI has said it wants to move its two racetracks—the other is Raceway Park, a Toledo harness track—to new locations to avoid competing with two full-scale casinos it is building in Columbus and Toledo. The Ohio State Racing Commission must approve the relocations.

It has been repeatedly reported the Beulah Park license would move to Dayton, and the Raceway Park license to Youngstown. Neither market has racing or casino gambling.

Last fall sources told The Blood-Horse there was talk of a change in plans because the Youngstown area property is much larger and could better support a Thoroughbred racetrack. In a Feb. 2 statement accompanying the company’s 2011 earnings report, PNGI chairman and chief executive officer Peter Carlino indicated that is the strategy.

“The State of Ohio has approved the placement of VLTs at the state’s seven racetracks, and while we await the final regulatory framework, we are actively pursuing the relocation of our existing racetracks in Toledo and Grove City to Dayton and Youngstown, respectively, subject to the satisfaction of regulatory and other approvals,” Carlino said.

The state is in the process of resolving a lawsuit from a public policy group challenging the legality of the 2011 law that authorized racetrack VLTs. But one track, Scioto Downs near Columbus, is proceeding with construction of a gaming parlor.

Youngstown is located about 90 minutes from Thistledown near Cleveland. If the Beulah Park license were to move to Youngstown, the two tracks would form a year-round circuit in northeastern Ohio. The only Thoroughbred track in western Ohio would be River Downs near Cincinnati.

If the OSRC were to approve relocation of the Raceway Park harness license to Dayton, that market would have two harness tracks. The owners of Lebanon Raceway are planning to construct a new racing and VLT facility just south of Dayton.

In its financial statements PNGI reported that Hollywood Casino Toledo is scheduled to open in May 2012, and Hollywood Casino Columbus in November 2012. At the outset live racing would continue in those markets at Raceway Park and Beulah Park, respectively.

In comments Feb. 2 PNGI officials said they are proceeding cautiously with VLTs in Ohio given the outstanding lawsuit but will "be prepared to move quickly once there is clarity." PNGI also said it isn't concerned if Scioto Downs, owned by MTR Gaming Group, opens a VLT parlor before Hollywood Casino Columbus opens in the fall.

Scioto Downs plans to open with 2,125 VLTs. The PNGI facility will have full-scale gaming and other amenities.

"We have no concern given the quality of the facility they are building at Scioto Downs," PNGI president and chief operating officer Tim Wilmott said.

"We're not remotely worried," Carlino said.

PNGI reported net income of $242.4 million for 2011, $44 million of it in the fourth quarter. For 2010, the company posted a net loss of $59.5 million, according to financial documents.

PNGI is now reporting revenue by segments rather than individual properties. The strongest segment, which includes Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races in West Virginia, led the way with $1.29 billion in revenue in 2011.

One of the four segments is for racing operations such as Beulah Park that currently have no gaming component. The company reported revenue of $2.74 million from the properties in 2011, up from $2.45 million in 2010.

PNGI reported a gain of $20.2 million last year from sale of its interest in the Maryland Jockey Club, which is now owned by The Stronach Group.

Date Posted: 2/2/2012 10:07:17 AM Last Updated: 2/2/2012 10:14:44 AM

A lawsuit over legislative redistricting and the resulting extension of the filing deadline for the November election has stalled action on a constitutional amendment on expanded gambling in Kentucky.

The filing deadline for the November 2012 election has been pushed back by the Franklin County Circuit Court pending a hearing on a lawsuit challenging redistricting approved by the House of Representatives and Senate and signed by Gov. Steve Beshear. Lawmakers bristle at having to vote on controversial issues before the filing deadline.

Beshear, a Democrat, had said he planned to move the gambling bill the week of Jan. 29. The sponsor would be Republican Sen. Damon Thayer.

“It’s a controversial bill,” Thayer said Feb. 2. “There is too much uncertainty with this redistricting lawsuit, and until things settle down there is no sense in moving forward with (the gambling amendment). We still have plenty of time.”

The 60-day General Assembly session still has about 40 days to go.

The governor’s office said it remains committed to moving the gambling bill during the 2012 session.

“As the governor said before, there is still a considerable amount of time in the legislative calendar for legislators to consider the gaming amendment once it is filed,” Kerri Richardson, a spokeswoman for Beshear, said Feb. 2. “It’s too early to speculate on what impact, if any, the judge’s decision on redistricting may have on all business before the legislature.”

The language of the gambling amendment hasn’t been publicly discussed, though it is believed the objective is a mix of racetrack and non-racetrack casinos.

01/31/2012 1:07 AM

Portland Meadows, in a concerted effort to reward its grittiest competitors and their connections, have created the inaugural 2012 Route Claiming Series, a three-race event culminating March 14 in the final, a $25,000 race over 1 1/4 miles. Following on the heels of the track's successful McFadden Memorial Sprint Claiming Series, which crowned the hard-knocking 12-year-old Colonel Courtney as its champ last Dec. 7, the Route Claiming Series has attracted 27 entrants for Wednesday's first leg, a three-division split of mile-and-70-yard races.

In order to qualify for the final, all participants must run in both previous legs, the second set to be held on Feb. 20 at 1 1/8 miles, and must accrue enough points -- 1st place is worth 5 points; 2nd, 4 points; 3rd, 3 points; 4th, 2 points; and 5th, 1 point. Clearly, the point system is weighted to merit consistency, and the final, after its qualifiers have run three races in six weeks, rewards durability.

Notably, all 27 entrants in Wednesday's races run for a claiming price of $2,500, which could generate substantial interest at the claim box with the added incentive of a lucrative $25,000 purse just six weeks down the road. Compared to the final, the total purses for Wednesday's three qualifying races are $4,300 each.

According to Portland Meadows track announcer Jason Beem, "The 27 entrants for this series, compared to 19 in last autumn's Sprint Claiming Series, indicates the rising popularity of the concept. It's something owners and trainers are excited about and so is track management."

In turn, fans and handicappers can look forward to a rise in handle due to the series's competitive and deep races.

Wednesday's three series races, each with nine scheduled runners, go as the 7th, 8th, and 9th races on the 10-race card. The 7th race, scheduled for 2:46 p.m. Pacific, starts another of the track's popular 14 percent takeout pick fours and is headed by the well-known 13-year-old West Seattle Boy, who has recorded 5 of his 26 lifetime wins at Portland.

The 8th race marks the return of the 9-year-old Castle Pines, who has visited the Portland winner's circle a remarkable 15 times. Favoritism in Wednesday's series finale will likely go to Meshuguna, one of the event's five 4-year-olds.

Posted: 02.01.2012

10:51am

Texas, once one of the strongest states for racing and breeding, has faced tough times in the last decade. The lure of higher purses and breeding incentives in neighboring states Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Mexico have driven some of the state's finest horsemen elsewhere.

Fortunately for Texas racing fans, one of its native sons, Danny Pish, has remained loyal to the Lone Star State. Since saddling his first winner in 1995, Pish has won 1,458 races with almost equal numbers in second and third-place finishers. His horses have earned close to $20 million, mostly through the claiming and allowance ranks, but he has had his share of Texas-bred stake champions as well.

Rodeo Beginnings

Born in Yoakum, Texas, Pish became a trainer after competing in the junior and professional rodeo circuits where his top event was bull riding. That circuit prepared him well for his racing career, juggling life on the road and the steely determination it takes to come out on top.

In 1987, he began exercising racehorses at Sunny Clime Farm in South Texas. His mentor was noted Texas horseman, Tommy Oliphant and Pish made steady progress each year, beginning at Gillespie County Fair, Sam Houston Race Park, Retama Park and Lone Star Park. Known for breaking his babies and working the majority of his horses in the mornings, he has earned three leading trainer titles at Sam Houston and 13 at Retama Park.

"One of my first winners was a mare named I'm Allthat," Pish said. "She was a stone cold runner and was extremely easy to train. She won several stakes and could handle sprinting, routing, running on an off track."

The winners followed in every category, with Pish earning high marks for developing 2-year-olds as well as campaigning stakes winners. Pish trained Leaving On My Mind, who was honored as Texas Thoroughbred Association's 2004 Horse of the Year, for owner/breeder George Wolff. On October 11, 2007, Pish reached a coveted milestone at Retama Park when he earned his 1,000th career victory. Bye Bye Trey, a 3-year-old filly bred and owned by Wardlaw Ranch, won the eighth race on the Retama Park card.

"It's fitting that the 1,000th win was a non-winner of two, as claimers are the bread and butter of my barn," Pish said. "I'm also glad she was a Texas-bred, as I am sure that 990 of those wins were either Texas-breds or won in the state of Texas."

James Leatherman is the racing secretary at Retama Park and has a long-time association with Pish.

"He is a very special horseman," said Leatherman. "The fact that he works the majority of his horses gives him a step up on other trainers. He does not have to take an opinion from a jockey or exercise rider; he knows his horses first hand."

Of course, the daily challenge of a racing secretary is to fill races to both the satisfaction of the betting public and horsemen, which is a daunting task.

"Danny is one of the easiest horsemen to deal with," said Leatherman. "He has a tremendous passion for what he does, but roles with the punches and is always 100% respectful to everyone on the racetrack."

Family Adds Balance

With the ups and downs of horseracing, Pish has a strong family support of his wife of 23 years, Sabina. They have a 10-year-old son, Joe Dan, who has already racked up his share of belt buckles in junior rodeo competition.

Sabina was 18-years-old when she met Danny on the rodeo circuit. Her Dad owned a rodeo company and her brother, Joaquin Garza knew Pish. Sabina looks back on the rodeo days and notes that Pish's competitive nature prepared him well for his life in Thoroughbred racing.

"Rodeo helped him to take defeats gracefully," said Sabina. "You always want to win, but you have to be a good sport. We try to teach Joe Dan that now that he is competing in his rodeo events."

Sabina ably holds down the fort on their farm where they have 25 young horses and the Retama Park training center where another 28 are stabled. Wolff, joins Leatherman and pretty much everyone else in Texas racing in recognizing the importance of Sabina to the success of Pish Racing.

"She is a wonderful lady and big asset," states Wolff.

Strong Allegiance to Texas Racing

Texas breeder and owner George Wolff of Boerne, Texas has had much success with Pish. In addition to Leaving On My Mind, Wolff owned top Texas-breds Dynameaux and Action Tonight.

I've known Danny for 20 years and he has trained horses for me for the past 15 years," said Wolff. "He is a very astute horseman; hard-working and honest with a good team in place. He breaks all his babies, which I have always considered an asset. He tells me which have ability and if we are on the right track."

It was a significant honor that Leaving On My Mind was named TTA Horse of the Year.

"Danny took really good care of him," said Wolff. "He was a very sound racehorse and loved to win. It was a proud accomplishment winning the Horse of the Year title; we wouldn't have gotten there without Danny."

Pish is grateful for the support of his owners and feels the pressure to win races and offer a positive return on investment for the men and women who support his stable.

"If people thought rationally, they would probably not invest in racehorses," said Pish with a smile.

Top Horses

His stakes winners include Goosey Moose, Alleged Hug, Waco Hug, Spoonerism, Daddy Warbucks and Guacamole, but one, in particular, will always have a special place in Pish's heart. Boots On Sunday, bred and owned by Wilton E. Scott, made 36 starts, beginning in 1999. He won seven stakes at each of the Texas tracks and competed in the Grade I Joe DeFrancis Mile at Laurel Park in 2001. He was retired in 2006 and the 15-year-old bay gelding remains on the Pish farm in Cibolo, Texas.

"Lots of people love that horse," admits Pish. "During his career at least two to three times a year, he would step up and run above his level. Gamblers loved to bet on Boots On Sunday; he pulled a lot of upsets against horses better than him."

It's no surprise that Boots was not ready for grazing in the pasture and that rodeo events might be his calling. Joe Dan rode him in the grand entry of the Poteet Strawberry Festival Rodeo, he has a short tenure in barrel racing, and recently took on the challenging task of roping bulls.

"Most tall horses are not good at pulling," explained Pish. "You need a lower center of gravity to stand firm once the bull has been roped. "Boots pulled two bulls by the second rodeo; he looked like he had done it 100 times."

Perhaps Boots could have been a regular on the rodeo circuit. However, Sabina, who proudly regards Boots as a family member, voiced strong objections to Boots squaring off against an 1,800 pound bull.

"It almost cost me a divorce," admitted Pish with a grin.

,b>Riders Admire Pish

Roman Chapa, Lindey Wade, Don Simington, Quincy Hamilton, Chris Landeros and Justin Shepherd are a few of the riders that have high regard for Pish.

"He's a hands-on horseman," said Wade, who won two Texas Champions stakes for Pish in 2011 at Sam Houston Race Park. "His horses are always ready when they step onto the racetrack. Plus, he never has harsh criticism after a race; he always knew I tried every time."

Pish and Chapa have a long association and devoted friendship. Chapa was badly hurt at Retama Park in 1999. While riding in a 2-year-old maiden race on the turf, Chapa’s mount clipped heels and he fell. His injuries included lacerations to his liver and a ruptured kidney. He underwent surgery to remove his kidney and remained hospitalized for two months. His physicians advised him to stay away from riding for 8 months to one year, but Chapa’s courage and tenacity dug in, and with the encouragement of his family, and Pish, Chapa returned in January, 2000 at Sam Houston Race Park. His first win, was, of course, aboard Boots On Sunday.

"I was supposed to be out for a really long time," recalls Chapa. "Sabina showed her support every day, but it was Danny who pushed me and wanted me to make a comeback. They are great people and will give you the shirt off their backs. Danny is a special person; he's still a cowboy and tough as they come, but he's got a huge heart."

On the Road Again

Once Texas was the only state Pish traversed, but the 47-year-old conditioner has branched out to Louisiana and Oklahoma in recent years.

"Fair Grounds is now part of my circuit," said Pish. "My horses run in each of the three Texas tracks as well as Oklahoma. My number of starts in surrounding states has pretty much doubled for the last five years. Just like my rodeo days, I am accustomed to putting a lot of miles on my vehicle."

Both Danny and Sabina hope that legislative changes in Texas will take place in 2013 and want to remain in the Lone Star State for the rest of their lives. They have talked about having to relocate out of state to keep their business solvent, but try to remain upbeat.

"Danny tells me that I could become a "Cajun queen" if we moved to Louisiana or an "Indian princess" should we choose Oklahoma," jokes Sabina.

Perhaps we might need to recruit a few of the 1,800 pound bulls to persuade Pish to hang on just a little longer.

Martha Claussen has been prominent in the Texas racing industry since 1997 as a publicist, writer and handicapper.

Date Posted: 2/1/2012 8:15:17 AM Last Updated: 2/1/2012 2:55:45 PM

Voters in Gadsden County, Fla., Jan. 31 approved a ballot issue that authorizes a casino with slot machines at Gretna Racing, the Gretna facility that Jan. 16 completed the first pari-mutuel barrel racing meet in Florida.

Also on Jan. 31 voters in Washington County, Fla., approved a ballot issue that authorizes a casino with slot machines at Ebro Greyhound Park in Ebro, which is about 100 miles west of Tallahassee.

The legality of opening a casino at either site and of the future operation and expansion of pari-mutuel barrel racing in Florida are among issues under review by the state's legislature, its attorney general, and several regulatory agencies.

The Gadsden County vote was 6,042-3,558 in favor of allowing slots at Gretna Racing, which is about 25 miles west of Tallahassee in the Florida Panhandle.

Research by The Blood-Horse indicates there have been no other recent pari-mutuel barrel racing meets in the United States. Gretna Racing held its barrel racing meet under a Quarter Horse license issued Oct. 19, 2011, by the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering.

Two Florida Quarter Horse associations, supported by two of the state’s Thoroughbred associations, maintain that pari-mutuel barrel racing is not legal under Florida law. They are asking the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings to revoke Gretna Racing’s licenses for Quarter Horse racing and for a poker room (related story). That state agency has scheduled a hearing for March 28-30.

Creek Entertainment Gretna, which owns and operates Gretna Racing, is 70% owned by the Poarch Creek Indian Tribe of Alabama. Marc Dunbar, an attorney and lobbyist in Tallahassee, and David Romanik, an attorney and former president of Gulfstream Park, each own 10% of Creek Entertainment Gretna.

In a statement following release of election results Jan. 31, James Dorris, president and chief executive officer of the Poarch Creek Tribe Gaming Authority, said he expects a Gretna Racing casino would create about 1,500 jobs in Gadsden County.

“With the passing of the referendum, we believe we have completed the requirement set up in the statutes to have slot machines at our Gretna facility,” Doris said. “We will now work through the licensing process with the State of Florida and deal with those who will erect legal obstacles to oppose the project.”

The United Florida Horsemen, a coalition led by Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse associations, has been emphasizing that the traditional Quarter Horse meet at Hialeah Park, compared with barrel racing at Gretna, has created considerably more jobs as well as wagering and revenue for Florida. They maintain that barrel racing is a low-cost way to obtain poker licenses, and perhaps casinos, to compete with established horse tracks and their industries.

In a statement issued following the Gadsden County vote, the United Florida Horsemen said: “Notwithstanding the fact that the Gadsden County slots referendum was held based on the unlawful premise of ‘pari-mutuel barrel racing,’ the travesty is that, regardless of tonight’s outcome, the people of Gadsden County and the City of Gretna are being cheated out of exponentially jobs and long-term economic development they could have had if Gretna Racing were holding legitimate Quarter Horse racing instead.”

Members of the United Florida Horsemen include the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association, the Florida Quarter Horse Racing Association, the Florida Quarter Horse Breeders and Owners Association, the Florida Standardbred Owners and Breeders Association, and the Florida Barrel Horse Association.

The two Quarter Horse associations are plaintiffs in the petition to the Division of Administrative Hearings.

A more immediate issue is that on Jan. 12 Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi issued an advisory opinion that the Florida DPMW and its parent Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation cannot issue a casino license to the facilities in Gretna and Ebro or in any counties other than Miami-Dade and Broward. Bondi noted that a 2004 constitutional amendment and a follow-up 2006 state law allow casinos and slot machines only at pari-mutuels in those two southeast counties.

Officials of the Florida DBPR said the agency intends to abide by Bondi’s opinion. However, that opinion is not binding, and there are expectations Gretna Racing will file a lawsuit to challenge it.

Meanwhile, the Florida legislature is considering a bill that would allow the government of any county in the state to authorize a referendum in which voters would determine whether the county’s pari-mutuel facilities could have slot machines. If such a bill is passed by the legislature and signed by Gov. Rick Scott, it apparently would override Bondi’s Jan.12 opinion. A separate bill would amend some definitions of racing in Florida.

Gretna Racing has been able to hold pari-mutuel barrel racing, rather than traditional flat track Quarter Horse racing, because Florida laws specify the breeds of horses but not the types of races that must be held with horse racing licenses. It has abided by a requirement to have Quarter Horses in at least half of its races.

A bill sponsored by Sen. Dennis Jones states that “horse racing does not include steeplechases, hurdle races, barrel racing, timed events, pole pending, or any other rodeo” or related events. The bill also states that Quarter Horse racing may be conducted only “on a straight path on a traditional oval or straight path.”

If passed, the bill would become effective July 1, 2012. Jones said he is uncertain whether Gretna Racing would be able to continue to have pari-mutuel barrel racing. The legislature is scheduled to end its 2012 regular session March 9.

The Florida DBPR and Florida DPMW have scheduled a public hearing March 13 on issues related to definitions in Florida pari-mutuel racing laws.

Posted: Thursday, January 26, 2012 9:00 pm

It’s not yet known if horse racing will be a part of this year’s Northwest Montana Fair, according to Flathead County Fairgrounds Manager Mark Campbell.

Campbell has had several conversations with people who planned to stage races the afternoons of Aug. 18 and 19 and they’ve told him that money they’ve received in the past from the Montana Board of Horse Racing is no longer available. Without that cash, the group is assessing whether it can pull off the races, he said.

Several calls from the Inter Lake to three people involved in organizing prior local horse races were not returned.

Ron Thibert organized a meeting earlier this month to discuss the horse races and after that meeting he told Campbell the group would let fair officials know of their plans in early February.

Campbell remains optimistic that the local group can put together the racing program. But, if that’s not the case, he and Fair Board members want adequate time to come up with another fair offering to bring people to the fairgrounds on the final weekend of the fair.

“I’m feeling somewhat comfortable that they will do some races,” Campbell said Thursday.

Campbell expects horse racing to be a discussion item at the board’s Feb. 16 meeting.

“I’d love to have horse racing during the fair,” Campbell said, “but the county won’t fund it.”

Fair officials have become used to the attendance horse races bring to the fair, Campbell said. While he wasn’t able to get a 2011 head count from race organizers, based on gate traffic he estimated the horse races drew between 2,500 and 3,500 people last summer.

Horse races historically have been part of the Northwest Montana Fair, but were not held in 2007, 2008 or 2009.

The Western Montana Turf Club won’t hold races during this summer’s Western Montana Fair in Missoula. No races were held in Missoula last summer, either.

Missoula race organizers cited the absence of funding from the Montana Board of Horse Racing as the reason for canceling the races. That board previously has distributed some of the revenue generated from simulcast betting to tracks that hold live races.

The state racing board is no longer operating its off-track betting sites as it tries to get out of debt.

Last October, Gov. Brian Schweitzer appointed an advisory committee to work with the Department of Livestock to revamp the racing board’s operations. He appointed Department of Agriculture Executive Director Christian Mackay, Department of Commerce Executive Director Dore Schwinden and state Sen. Cliff Larsen of Missoula to that committee.

The Board of Racing was removed from the auspices of the Department of Commerce and placed under the Department of Livestock a few years ago.

Posted: Saturday, January 28, 2012

Nearly a quarter century of live horse racing at Fair Meadows Racetrack at Expo Square could come to an end as early as this summer.

Ron Shotts, racing director at Fair Meadows, said Friday that he has spoken with officials from Will Rogers Downs in Claremore about holding the races there.

Shotts is also pushing for passage of Senate Bill 1601, which would allow Fair Meadows to hold its live races at another track.

"Claremore is willing to run the races for us, and with our facilities and the shape it is in, we can't spend a lot of money" fixing it, Shotts said.

Closing the live meet would free up the $10 million Super Duty Barn for use by the horse shows that come to Expo Square during the summer, he said.

"Our horse shows in the summer are getting so big they need more space," Shotts said. "Basically, it is something we have been talking about for a few years.

"Instead of us having to spend a lot more money on our facility and build another barn, we would run the races in Claremore."

Fair Meadows' live meet has been a losing proposition for the fairgrounds for years. During the past six years, the 34-day meet, held in June and July, has lost at least $695,000 annually. This year it lost more than $800,000.

Shotts said holding Fair Meadows' live races at Will Rogers Downs won't necessarily plug that hole.

"It's nothing to do with the loss of money, because we are still going to have to pay them (Will Rogers Downs) to hold the races," he said, adding that details of the arrangement have not been worked out.

But Mark Andrus, president and CEO of Expo Square, said money is a factor because refurbishing the run-down local facility would take a significant investment. Replacing the grandstand, for example, would cost $14 million, Andrus said.

Andrus noted that several horse trainers and horse owners have complained about the condition of the track's grandstand and the lack of eating facilities and other amenities.

"With the dramatic decline in horse racing attendance and betting handles (money waged), and therefore the decline in revenues we have experienced, I am concerned about our live race expenses," Andrus said.

Fair Meadows live racing meet is central to the fairgrounds' overall financial well-being. Each year, the track receives a minimum of $2 million as part of a 15-year agreement that Fair Meadows signed with three Tulsa-area Indian tribes in 2005.

The agreement calls for Fair Meadows to receive the money from the tribes in lieu of installing gambling machines at the racetrack. As part of the agreement, Fair Meadows is required to run at least 400 live races a year.

The $2 million from the tribes, coupled with profits from the track's simulcast facility, more than offsets the live racing losses that have become a part of doing business at Fair Meadows.

Shotts and Andrus said Fair Meadows would still receive the $2 million annually if its live races were held at Will Rogers Downs. They said there are no plans to close the local track's simulcast facility.

"Expo Square will certainly do nothing that would jeopardize that revenue stream from the Indian compact," Andrus said.

Shotts said about 20 seasonal employees would lose their jobs if the live meet ends but that the closing would not affect any full-time employees.

He said the move to end live horse racing at Fair Meadows has been made in consultation with and with support from the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission and the state's quarter horse and thoroughbred associations.

The Tulsa World was unable to contact representatives of those organizations Friday night.

The fate of Senate Bill 1601 won't be known until the Legislature convenes next month. However, Shotts said that if the bill is approved with an emergency clause, it could take effect in time to hold Fair Meadows' live races at Will Rogers Downs this year.

"If not, it would be next year," he said.

In 1982, 58 percent of Oklahoma voters approved State Question 553, legalizing pari-mutuel racing.

Oklahoma currently has three tracks that hold live horse races: Fair Meadows, Will Rogers Downs and Remington Park, which is in Oklahoma City. Fair Meadows opened in 1989.

Date Posted: 1/27/2012 1:21:03 PM Last Updated: 1/28/2012 9:44:05 AM

Fairmount Park and the Illinois Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association have agreed upon an increased purse structure for 2012 thanks to the racetrack’s share of casino impact funding it received last year.

According to a purse guide from the track, purses will increase roughly 20%. The bottom purse of $4,000 for $3,200 claimers in 2011 will increase to $5,000 in 2012. Maiden special weight races, worth $6,000 last year, will go for $8,000.

In addition a bonus will be added to Thoroughbred purses when at least eight horses, all of them separate betting interests, arrive in the paddock. The bonus will range from $800 to $2,000 depending on the base purse.

For instance, an overnight handicap with a top purse of $12,000 would be worth $14,000 if the bonus applies.

The Illinois HBPA said purses this year will be the highest in the history of the Fairmount Park.

Fairmount Park, located across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Mo., was approved for 67 days of racing this year. The meet begins April 3 and ends Sept. 21.

Racing will be held two days a week—Tuesdays and Fridays—in April and September, and three days a week with Saturdays added from May to August. Post time Tuesdays is 1 p.m. CST and 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Posted: 3:56 PM EST, January 28, 2012

Alex Brown knows just where he was in 1977, when he learned of Elvis' demise. And in 1997, when he heard that Princess Diana had died. And on Jan. 29, 2007 — five years ago Sunday — when he got the news that, after a game fight for life, a champion racehorse named Barbaro had passed away.

"You never forget, when an icon goes. The enormity of the occasion is seared in your memory," said Brown, author of the book, Greatness & Goodness: Barbaro and his Legacy.

In hindsight, he said, perhaps no other thoroughbred so captured the country's heart as the undefeated 3-year-old who shattered his leg in 20 places during the 2006 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, and spent the next seven months battling for survival at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center. Visitors, cards, flowers, horse treats and well-wishes flooded the veterinary center and the farm of owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson.

Looking back, Brown said, Barbaro was "a supreme athlete who captured our imagination and showed courage at a time when our human heroes, from Tiger Woods to politicians to CEOs, had become morally bankrupt and were letting us down."

Five years after Barbaro's passing, his trainer, Michael Matz, still has several of his shoes tucked safely away.

"How can I not think of him all of the time?" Matz said. "He brought racing together more than anyone had done in a long time. Barbaro was a fighter, for sure; he just couldn't win that last battle.

"He had so much in front of him yet. Where he would have fit in with other great horses, we'll never know. It's a shame he couldn't have passed his spirit and his will on to (his progeny)."

Instead, says John Eisenberg, what Barbaro left behind was a public awareness that thoroughbreds are more than a gambler's plaything.

"His injury, and the long vigil that followed, was a heart-tugger," said Eisenberg, author of My Guy Barbaro: A Jockey's Journey Through Love, Triumph, and Heartbreak with America's Favorite Horse with jockey Edgar Prado. "For America, it was like sitting up with a sick relative, getting good news and bad, and hoping for the best

"(The episode) Disney-fied the horse and shed light on the fact that racing isn't just about betting, that you have to treat the animals with respect. Goodness knows, racing is still far from perfect, but Barbaro's injury brought a sensitivity to a business in which people are pretty hardcore."

Brown agreed.

"Thanks to social media, average people could follow that horse and share their sorrows," he said. "Before Barbaro came along, people didn't talk in terms of horse slaughter, or the rescue of retired thoroughbreds, or even about the cause of laminitis, the disease that eventually put him down.

"As short a life as he led, he had a huge impact on the industry. He shifted the needle, and if that's your legacy, you've led a helluva life."

Posted: January 28 2012 • Article # 19509

A Louisiana Senate committee rejected an emergency rule approved by the Louisiana State Racing Commission (LSRC) to lower the testing threshold level for phenylbutazone (Bute) from 5 micrograms per milliliter to 2 micrograms.

The Louisiana State Senate Commerce Committee took the action Jan. 20 after horsemen protested the manner in which the LSRC approved the rule. The Louisiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) claimed the change isn't an emergency, and therefore interested parties should have had time to comment.

"We've got no problem with the rule, and the last thing we want to do is interfere with any of the tracks in Louisiana," Louisiana HBPA president Stanley Seelig said in a statement provided by the National HBPA. "We just want the commission to do this the right way. Conduct a hearing, let people state their views. There's no reason this was an emergency."

The lower testing threshold for the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug phenylbutazone, commonly called Bute, is among the model rules adopted by the Association of Racing Commissioners International in recent years. It is in the process of being adopted in various jurisdictions that haven't already done so.

The American Graded Stakes Committee made the lower Bute threshold part of its approval process for graded stakes effective January 2012. The LSRC reportedly acted on the emergency rule to protect grades of stakes at racetracks in the state.

Seelig said he expects a hearing will be held so "all sides can come together and have their say on the subject before a decision is made."

A Bute testing threshold rule is making its way through the approval process in Kentucky. The rule and related penalty provisions were approved by the Equine Drug Research Council, but the two regulations still need to go before the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission for approval.