South Korea plans to suspend night-time horse racing for the first time in nearly 20 years in order to cut down on electricity usage as oil prices set record highs, an official said on Friday.

“The government did not order us to make this decision but we felt the need do this because we have a social responsibility as a public institution,” said Park Sang-young, an official with the state’s Korea Racing Association (KRA).

Crude prices have surged seven-fold since the start of 2002 as supply struggles to keep up with demand from emerging nations such as China. South Korea, which imports nearly all of its oil, has been hit hard by record high prices.

The KRA planned to have night races on the weekends from mid July through August. It will start the racing day earlier during those times in order to complete a full card before the sun sets.
(Source: Guardian)

Mumbai: A part of the Mahalakshmi racecourse building in Mumbai went up in flames on Thursday evening. There was no casualty.

No injuries
“The entire members’ stand on the top floor of the two-storey building on a side of the racecourse ground is gutted. Fortunately, nobody was injured because the stand was locked,” an official of the Royal Western India Turf Club that owns and runs the racecourse, told The Hindu.

He said the fire could have been caused by an electric short circuit.

The fire started around 8 p.m. Twelve fire engines and five water tankers were rushed to the spot in response to the call, graded number two.

Scores of firemen battled the huge blaze for hours.

The Turf Club is virtually empty these days as its 1,200 horses and the staff have shifted to Pune, where the new racing season is to begin shortly.
(Source: The Hindu)

Bill Nader was crying “show me the money” early in the evening at Happy Valley and the horse players of Hong Kong, somehow hearing him, piled it on until the counter stopped at an astonishing HK$912 million - the biggest Happy Valley evening meeting in more than six years.
The executive director of racing lost count of the number of times he clicked his Blackberry as the money rolled in, with the club averaging HK$114 million per race for this race meeting of last resort.

The 2007-08 racing season was due to finish on Tuesday at Sha Tin, but Tropical Storm Fengshen changed all that when last Wednesday night was washed out.

If that standard midweek fixture had been able to go ahead, on a rain-soaked track, a betting turnover of around HK$750 million would have been the result. So the abandonment and rescheduling ended up a bonanza all round.

Nader said the benchmark Happy Valley midweek meeting took place on May 8, 2002, when punters turned over HK$924 million, and nothing had gone close to that ever since.

“Because this meeting was a one-off, and with so many people having already left town, no-one was quite sure how this would go,” Nader said. “But certainly, no-one was predicting a HK$900 million-plus meeting either. This has been huge.”

The final Happy Valley meeting of last season turned over HK$778.4 million, so last night’s fixture gave the club a year-on-year increase of 17.2 per cent.

Out on the track, Brett Prebble won his sixth Jockey Challenge as heavily-bet odds-on favourite, courtesy of a winning treble that took him to his best season, 83 wins.

Prebble was faultless in landing Amazing Fortune for Francis Lui Kin-wai in the third and hot favourite Thunder Flash for his long-time friend and supporter, David Hall in the trophy race, the Cricket Club Valley Stakes.

But it was the middle pin of his three winners, Marvellous for Peter Ng Bik-kuen, in the Johnston Handicap (race four) which had the most meaning.

Ng went into the 78th and final meeting of the 2007-08 racing season in danger of missing the Jockey Club’s minimum performance criteria.

The veteran horseman saddled three runners for a win with Marvellous and seconds with Active Valour and Dashing Champion to comfortably make it over the line. “Naturally, I’m very pleased the night has gone so well,” Ng said.

“Actually, it was all settled when Active Valour ran second in race one, and everything after that has been a welcome bonus.”

David Ferraris continued his brilliant end-of-season flourish with another double, taking his sequence to five wins in the space of two meetings.

Ferraris teamed with Douglas Whyte for the fourth time in three days to win the sixth with Chater Silk ($27 favourite) and then scored the upset of the night with Crusader of Gold ($226) in the final event.

“With Chater Silk, he’s appreciated the freshen up and the stronger pace tonight suited him down to the ground,” Ferraris said. “As far as Crusader of Gold is concerned, it’s a pleasant surprise because I really didn’t think he could win. We’ve been having a lot of trouble with his feet but he was very free in his action tonight and you could see a long way out that he was travelling well and enjoying himself.”

Gary Ng Ting-keung and jockey Eddie Lai Wai-ming won the opening two races with 6-1 chance Master Ying and 10-1 shot King of Spades, giving Lai’s long-priced Jockey Challenge backers an early thrill. The main event in the stewards’ room was a careless riding suspension for Thomas Yeung Kai-tong on his final meeting as an apprentice.

Yeung was fined HK$30,000 in lieu of a suspension for his riding of Wei Hai Invincible at the winning post with a lap to go in race six.
(Source: SCMP)

Only nine runners have been declared at the final entry stage for tomorrow’s Eclipse Stakes but three trainers are doubly represented, so the Sandown stewards will have to be alert to the possible use of team tactics. The issue has already become one of the major talking points of this Flat season, despite the fact that no trainer or jockey has been found guilty of using team tactics since new rules were introduced a year ago.

“It’s a fascinating new development,” said Simon Clare, spokesman for Coral bookmakers, who sponsor the Eclipse. “We’ve seen examples in the past but it’s only in this year and last year that we’ve seen the regular use of several runners to influence the way a race is run.”

The issue of team tactics shot to prominence after the 2006 running of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, when jockey Seamus Heffernan, riding one of three runners trained by Aidan O’Brien, was banned for 14 days by the Ascot stewards for deliberately interfering with the Godolphin-owned Librettist. On appeal, Heffernan’s barrister successfully argued that Heffernan could not be found guilty of the team tactics rules as they stood and the jockey’s ban was reduced to six days for careless riding.

In response, the British Horseracing Authority redrafted the rules and, since last summer, it has been an offence for any jockey to “make a manoeuvre in a race in the interests of a horse in common ownership…or from the same stable…whether or not such a manoeuvre caused interference.” But stewards have appeared reluctant even to inquire into possible breaches of the new rule.

It seemed there were obvious grounds for concern after the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot recently, when the O’Brien-trained pacemaker Honoured Guest drifted right and interfered with another runner after jockey David McCabe had looked left, where his two stablemates were the only horses on his inside. “How is this fair?” demanded Betfair founder Andrew Black on his blog, while the Racing Post referred to Honoured Guest “waving through” O’Brien’s Haradasun, who won the race by a head.

But the Ascot stewards held no inquiry, a decision supported by the BHA’s Paul Struthers yesterday. “I know that has been looked at here, and the head-on has been looked at as well, and we have come to the conclusion that there was not any interference caused,” he said. “The look over his shoulder doesn’t look great but we believe that the [horse’s] movement is down to the horse drifting as opposed to the jockey manoeuvering.”

However, Struthers confirmed that a pacemaker who deliberately rolled off the rail to let a stablemate through would be in breach of the rules as they stood. Officials in Ireland apparently take a more relaxed view, as McCabe committed exactly that manoeuvre after another look over his shoulder on the home turn of the Irish Derby on Sunday.

Struthers believes the 2003 Eclipse would have resulted in an inquiry under the new rules, had they been in place at the time. Jamie Spencer, riding Godolphin second-string Narrative, denied a clear run to the favourite Nayef, eventually beaten less than a length. Spencer apologised and denied he had been instructed to cause any interference but Struthers says: “Interference was caused, so the stewards would have enquired into that, under the team tactics rules.”

For now, Clare is content that the possibility of team tactics is just another interesting piece of the puzzle set by top-class contests. “I wouldn’t say punters are shying away from betting on these races because of it,” he said, “but you’d want to see it policed effectively.”
(Source: Guardian)

A class action by racing authorities against the federal government over the equine influenza (EI) outbreak is unlikely.

Queensland Racing Limited (QRL) today confirmed it would not be a party to, or initiate, any class action against the Commonwealth and Racing NSW was expected to follow suit.

A new board of Racing NSW is expected to be formed by early September following the tabling of the Thoroughbred Racing Amendment Bill in state parliament last month.

“It will be a decision for the new board but it seems highly unlikely that we will take any action,” Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’Landys said.

QRL chairman Bob Bentley echoed V’Landys’ sentiments, saying the financial assistance package and the new federal government’s decision not to make the industry pay for the eradication of EI meant his organisation would not pursue such a course.

“Given the federal government’s significant contribution of more than $342 million to both NSW and Queensland in response to the disease, QRL will not join or pursue any litigation against the federal government at this stage,” Bentley said.

“Our position on an EI class action stems from the federal government’s considerable contribution to the industry and from the Rudd government’s confirmation that it will not levy the horse industry to repay its share of the costs of eradicating EI.”

However, the multi-million dollar breeding industry, which received no financial assistance, is still considering its position as are others such farriers, transport companies and those involved in performance horse events.

The outbreak of EI in August last year brought racing in NSW and Queensland to a halt for three months and curtailed the breeding industry.

The Callinan Inquiry found it escaped into Australia’s general horse population because of faulty procedures at Sydney Eastern Creek quarantine station.

The effects of EI will continue to be felt over the next four to five years with this year’s foal crop reduced by at least 10 per cent.

The quality of the foal crop has also been reduced with some of the top mares unable to travel to the leading stallions due to movement restrictions in place at the height of the breeding season in September.

While legal action is unlikely, the Australian Racing Board will continue to lobby for ongoing vaccination against EI despite the federal Agriculture Minister Tony Burke’s announcement last week the disease has been eradicated and Australia is now officially EI-free.
(Source: Brisbane Times)

The criminal trial of the two Lexington, Ky., lawyers who own a minority share in 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin ended in a mistrial on Thursday when a jury told the judge in the case that they were deadlocked for a second day.

Judge William Bertelsman of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky in Covington ordered the mistrial after the jury could not decide whether to declare Shirley Cunningham Jr. or William Gallion guilty on one charge each of criminal conspiracy. As a result, Cunningham and Gallion will be tried again on the charge, though no date for a second trial has been set.

The mistrial result fails to clear up lingering confusion over whether Cunningham and Gallion will be eligible to be licensed in the states where Curlin plans to race. The two lawyers own 20 percent of Curlin through Midnight Cry Stable, but that stake has been placed in receivership by a judge who presided over a separate but related civil-court judgment against Cunningham, Gallion, and a third lawyer, Melbourne Mills Jr.

Mills was declared not guilty by the jury in the criminal trial earlier in the week. He was released from jail on Tuesday. Gallion and Cunningham remain in jail without bail on the orders of Bertelsman, who has said the two lawyers are a flight risk.

Prosecutors in the case had alleged that the three lawyers intended to defraud their clients out of tens of millions of dollars from a $200 million settlement reached in 2002 with the manufacturer of the diet-drug combination fen-phen. Last year, the civil court concluded that the lawyers had defrauded the clients.

Angela Ford, the attorney representing the clients in the civil case, said that she believed the civil-court judge, Roger Crittenden, would issue a ruling next week to formally transfer the lawyers’ assets to her clients as part of the settlement of the case. The assets will include Midnight Cry’s 20 percent share in Curlin.

For his next start, Curlin is being pointed to either the Arlington Handicap at Arlington Park in Illinois or the Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont Park in New York, both on July 12. Ford predicted that all licensing issues regarding Curlin would be cleared up once Crittenden issued the order to transfer the assets.

“As of next week, that should clear things up for regulators in New York and Illinois,” Ford said. “I can understand their confusion right now, but the order should clearly define the authority and management issues.”

On Monday, Crittenden reiterated in an order that all of Midnight Cry’s earnings were to be managed by the court-appointed receiver. The order was issued after Ford filed a motion on Friday questioning whether a leaseholder arrangement reached by Midnight Cry was in violation of the initial order to put the stable’s earnings under the control of the court. Earlier this year, Midnight Cry’s stake in Curlin was leased to Cunningham’s wife, Patricia, to enable the company to receive a license in Kentucky.

The other 80 percent of Curlin is owned by Stonestreet Stables, a racing company owned by Jess Jackson and his wife, Barbara Banke.

Marc Laino, the executive director of the Illinois Racing Board, said that the board had not yet received a license application from any of the principals that own Curlin. He reiterated that the board could not issue an opinion on whether Midnight Cry, the receiver, or the former plaintiffs in the civil case would be eligible for a license until an application was filed.

“Obviously the clock is ticking,” Laino said. “No matter what the case, we’d need to review quite a bit of paperwork before we issue a license. This isn’t an easy process.”

New York regulatory officials did not return phone calls on Thursday. Richard Getty, a lawyer for Stonestreet, was said to be out of the country on Thursday and didn’t respond to a phone message.
(Source: ESPN)

TILLS will be ringing across KwaZulu-Natal this weekend as the region reaps the benefits of the Vodacom Durban July at Greyville Racecourse on Saturday. In a flurry of spending, an estimated R200 million will change hands around the 112 year old horseracing event.

Despite the escalating oil price and the knock-on effect this had had on fuel and airline costs this does not seem to have impacted on the interest in the Vodacom Durban July.

“By and large the winter season has not been that great, however this weekend there is not an empty bed in town,” said Warren Ozard, FEDHASA’s Operations Manager for the East Coast. “Every flight, every hotel and every B&B is full, which says a lot about the Vodacom Durban July.”

“It is a fantastic attraction,” he added. “It’s no surprise that it has not been affected by the negatives like high fuel prices and skyrocketing airlines costs. People think nothing of flying in for the weekend for the Vodacom Durban July, and we see these visitors spending a lot of money at local restaurants and clubs.”

“These are exactly the sort of people that we want visiting Durban,” he added. “Plenty of businesses in the region, including the catering and hiring companies really benefit from the event and it is a major economic boost for the region.”

Airline bookings into Durban are in most cases overbooked, with eager passengers willing to go onto long waitlists to try and secure a flight to Durban for the weekend.

Hotels in the greater Durban area are either fully booked or close to capacity, with a large number of extravagant functions and parties planned for popular venues in the city to celebrate the Vodacom Durban July.

Around 20% of the visitors to the Vodacom Durban July each year travel from outside of the province to attend the raceday. Whilst they travel by road or air to Durban, the overwhelming majority book into hotels or local bed-and-breakfast establishments for two nights, providing a massive injection of revenue for the greater Durban hospitality industry.

“We have seen over the years that this is the one day in the year that punters and socialites regard as a very high priority,” said Gold Circle’s Event Marketing Manager Ken Tweddell. “Even with the pressure that everyone is feeling on their wallets, it seems that this is one occasion that no-one wants to do without.”

The fashion industry enjoys a bonanza triggered by socialites keen to make a sartorial impression at the Vodacom Durban July, and dress to the raceday’s theme. This year’s theme “It’s A Shore Thing” has proven to be a hit at the pre-raceday fashion competitions, where the marine theme provided waves of inspirations for designers.

All of the top designers approached reported that they were being inundated with requests for men’s and women’s outfits for the Vodacom Durban July, and most were referring these requests to other designers because they couldn’t cope with the demand.

“It’s the usual last minute rush,” said ace Durban designer Kathryn Kidger. “It seems that everyone wants something special to wear for the Vodacom Durban July, but there is a clear trend towards garments that are multifunctional and can be worn to other events as well.”

Department clothing stores and designer label outlets back up the designerssentiments, as a brisk trade in stylish raceday attire underscores the fact that the Vodacom Durban July has lost none of it’s elegance and appeal in the tough economic climate.

“We are into the seventh year of sponsoring the Vodacom Durban July and it is exciting to see that this great event continues to go from strength to strength,” said Dot Field, Vodacoms’ Group Communications Director.

“The event plays a significant role in supporting the national fashion community and it is an important contributor to the economy of the greater Durban region as well,” Field added.

Based on figures extrapolated from a detailed economic impact study done in 2006, it is estimated that around R120 million is generated around theVodacom Durban July, R90million of which will be spent on catering, hospitality, fashion and entertainment, as well as travel and accommodationfor the weekend.

Add to that consumer spending the massive amount of money that will be wagered on the twelve races on the racecard, which last year topped R90 million, and the grand total attributable to this year’s Vodacom Durban July looks set to top R200 million for the first time.

During last year’s record breaking raceday R92,1 million was wagered on the Tote nationally, with R36,6 million being bet on the actual Vodacom Durban July nationally.

The winter season attracts over 1,3 million holiday makers to KwaZulu-Natal, 30 000 of whom are international visitors. Tourism KZN identified the Vodacom Durban July as one of the principle draw cards for this influx of visitors.

The Vodacom Durban July will be run at Greyville Racecourse on Saturday 5 July. Further information about the event can be found at www.vodacomdurbanjuly.co.za.

The Supreme Court of Florida ruled July 3 that Gov. Charlie Crist exceeded his authority last November when he signed a compact that has permitted the Seminole Tribe of Florida to have Class III Las Vegas-style slot machines, blackjack, and baccarat.

However, several observers of the case said that under state laws, it would be several months, if at all, before the Seminoles would be required to remove those games and machines from their casinos in Broward County, Fla.

One possible resolution would have Crist obtaining the Florida legislature’s approval of the compact, perhaps in revised form, to make the Seminoles’ expanded games legal under Florida law.

The court, in a 6-0 opinion, ruled that “the governor does not have the constitutional authority to bind the state to a gaming compact that clearly departs from the state’s public policy by legalizing types of gaming that are illegal elsewhere in the state.”

Florida laws permit only Thoroughbred racetracks and other pari-mutuels in Broward and Miami-Dade counties to have Class III slot machines. Florida does not permit pari-mutuels or other entities to have blackjack and baccarat.

“This (ruling) definitely is helpful to us, but the Seminoles are still the 800-pound gorilla,” said Marc Dunbar, an attorney who represents Gulfstream Park and its parent company, Magna Entertainment Corp.

Gulfstream has Class III machines at its racetrack/casino in Hallandale Beach, Fla. Gulfstream is 10 miles from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, which on June 22 became the first Florida casino to have blackjack and baccarat.

Earlier this year, the Seminoles upgraded from Class II bingo-like machines to Class III machines at that casino and a casino in the Broward County town of Coconut Creek.

Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens, Fla., is considering the building of a casino. But parent company Churchill Downs Inc. has not announced a prospective starting date.

Crist and the Seminoles signed their compact Nov. 14, 2007, permitting the tribe to expand its gaming while agreeing for the first time to pay Florida a share of its gaming revenue. Without an agreement with the state, the Seminoles had authority under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to upgrade to Class III machines without making payments to Florida.

On Nov. 19, House Speaker Marco Rubio filed suit to void the compact. He asked the Supreme Court to rule that Crist had violated separation of powers laws and was permitting illegal expansion of gambling. Gulfstream filed an amicus brief to Rubio’s suit Nov. 28.

On July 3, the court did not rule on the separation of powers issue. But in addition to ruling that Crist granted the Seminoles an illegal expansion, it said state laws on gambling superseded federal tribal laws in the case. As of 3 p.m. EDT July 3, Crist had not issued a statement on the ruling.

Sole defendant Crist and the Seminoles, because of their direct relationship in the case, probably have until late August to file for a re-hearing from the court, said Dunbar, a partner in the Pennington Law Firm in Tallahassee, Fla. The normal deadline of 20 days will be extended because the court will be on recess from July 14-Aug. 15.

State Sen. Steve Geller told the Miami Herald that a federal court order would probably be needed to immediately force the Seminoles to shut down their Class III machines, blackjack, and baccarat. Geller, who is not seeking re-election, has sponsored several bills that would have permitted slot machines at all Florida pari-mutuels.

Dunbar said Gulfstream and other racetracks might consider seeking a court order or asking the Broward Sheriff’s Office to halt the Seminole games if they or Crist lose an appeal.

Gulfstream, harness track Isle Racing & Casino at Pompano Park, and Greyhound track Mardi Gras Race Track and Gaming pay a 50% state tax on net slot machine revenue. Under their compact, the Seminoles this year will pay the state $100 million. Indian Gaming Report, which monitors Tribal casinos, estimates that the Seminoles had more than $1 billion in gaming revenues in 2006.

The Seminole tribe blitzed South Florida television and radio stations with ads prior to its launch of blackjack. “They have been promoting themselves as ‘Florida’s only real casino,’ ” Dunbar said. “With blackjack, they were taking some of our slots and poker players. This ruling is a victory, and everything like this helps.”
(Source: The Blood-Horse)

Democratic Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear signed an executive order July 3 reorganizing and renaming the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority, which is now the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

Several of the “new” members already had been appointed to fill expired terms. The only holdovers from the KHRA, established when Republican Ernie Fletcher became governor four years ago, are Tom Ludt and Thomas Gaines, who will serve on the new KHRC.

Along with Ludt and Gaines, members of the KHRC are Robert M. Beck, chairman; Tracy Farmer, vice chairman; Edward S. Bonnie; Francis Thomas Conway; John T. Ward, Jr.; Frank L. Jones Jr.; Burr James Travis II; Michael Anthony Pitino; Jerry L. Yon; Elizabeth “Betsy” Stone Lavin; Dr. Foster Harold Northrop; Alan J. Leavitt; and Wade Houston.

Ward currently serves on the Kentucky Equine Drug Research Council. Jones, active in the Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, was a member of the Kentucky Racing Commission before it was abolished by Fletcher.

“Kentucky’s signature industry is in crisis and immediate, aggressive action is necessary to preserve its integrity,” Beshear said in a statement. “The actions I have taken reflect my continued commitment to strengthening horse racing in the commonwealth.”

The KHRC includes the 15 appointees and the secretaries of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, Public Protection Cabinet, and Economic Development Cabinet, who serve as ex-officio members.

The announcement drew criticism from Republican Kentucky Sen. Damon Thayer, who called the changes political.

“It’s another example of this governor trying to thwart the will of the legislature,” Thayer said July 3. “This reorganization needs the approval of the General Assembly, and it cannot be codified until January 2009. It’s an inappropriate time to reorganize something that didn’t need reorganizing. By all accounts, the horse racing authority was doing a wonderful job.”

It was expected Beshear, elected in November 2007, would reorganize the KHRA soon after he took office. That never occurred.

Thayer said the KHRA did a good job establishing the breeders’ incentive programs in Kentucky and also was making progress on regulation of anabolic steroids. He also questioned the timing given the July 3 announcement that Ellis Park wouldn’t hold its summer meet.

“It’s an inopportune time reorganizing the racing authority particularly when there is no compelling reason to do so,” Thayer said. “I hope the new horse racing commission will continue the good work of the racing authority on breed development and the banning of anabolic steroids by Jan. 1, 2009.”

Also on July 3, the KHRC issued a brief statement on the closure of Ellis Park, saying it was “disappointed to learn” the meet had been canceled, and it had hoped a “resolution could be reached” to allow for Thoroughbred racing this summer.
(Source: The Blood-Horse)

For 62 years, Ruidoso Downs Race Track has been a fixture in the community, bringing tourists and their dollars into the local economy. Its impact is immeasurable on local hotels, restaurants and retailers - and on the area’s psyche.

The future of the track, however, is uncertain. R.D. Hubbard, who leases the track from the Fountain Miller family, says that under certain circumstances, he could envision moving the operation elsewhere.

“We’re looking at alternatives and other locations,” he acknowledged in a recent exclusive interview. “We hope that’s not necessary in the end.”

Organized racing began at Hollywood Park, as it was then known, in 1947. The complex was renamed Ruidoso Downs in 1953. The world-famous All American Futurity, known previously under other titles, was instituted in 1959. The futurity, with its large purse, gave the track, and the Ruidoso area, a horseracing identity.

Ten years later, a small-town Kansan, R.D. Hubbard, visited the track for the first time with his wife, Joan Dale.

“Ruidoso Downs Race Track was one of the first places my wife and I visited together,” Hubbard said. “We came to see the All American Futurity, and that’s why I’ve always been fond of this area.”

In the mid-to-late ’80s, the racetrack suffered some financial hardships. In August 1988, Hubbard purchased the struggling enterprise for $2.6 million and assumed debts of $9 million.

The longtime businessman was a risk-taker who was no stranger to rescuing struggling enterprises.

He had previously taken over a debt-ridden, floundering glass company in 1978, and proceeded to build it into the second-largest glass producer in North America with annual sales of $700 million. After making American Federated Glass (AFG) into a Fortune 500 company, he sold it in 1992.

Hubbard sunk another $2.5 million into renovating Ruidoso Downs. A year later, the amount wagered through the track’s betting windows was up to $38,630,272 - third highest in the track’s history.

“There’s no doubt in my mind R.D. Hubbard saved Ruidoso Downs Race Track,” Senior writer for the AQHA Magazine, Richard Chamberlain, said.

But not every year showed a profit. Over the next two decades, Hubbard says, his operation lost $22 million.

Beginning with his initial purchase of the track, Hubbard lobbied to have slot machine gambling legalized on track grounds. State approval of the Billy the Kid Casino took 10 years, but, Hubbard says, the casino’s existence dramatically improved the horseracing end of the operation.

But there was competition.

The Inn of the Mountain Gods had been a fixture for slot machine gaming in the region. In 2003, the Inn introduced slots at Casino Apache Travel Center on U.S. 70 West, just miles from Ruidoso Downs. According to Hubbard, slot machine revenues from the track dropped by 50 percent.

In February 2008, a bill (HB484) introduced in the state House of Representatives attempted to close the gap on the percentage of profits that Indian and non-Indian casinos could keep. Originally called the New Gaming Tax on Certain Race Tracks, it would have lowered the gaming tax on certain racetracks, including Ruidoso Downs, from 26 percent of the net take to 10 percent of the net provided that the total net take was under $14 million.

The bill passed overwhelmingly on the floor of the New Mexico House of Representatives. A Senate version subsequently died.

Hubbard was counting on that tax relief. An attempt to reintroduce similar legislation could resurface in the 2009 legislature.

“The village needs to do everything it can to keep the race track in Ruidoso Downs and operating profitably,” said Ruidoso Mayor L. Ray Nunley. “And part of that profitability is a level playing ground on the issue of taxes.

“I think the Mescalero Apache Tribe is a really good neighbor, but the race track needs to be on a par with what they pay (on the casino side). R.D. Hubbard has fought hard and I’m sure the issue will come up in the next session of the state Legislature. Anyone who reads this with influence needs to call them (legislators) and tell them we need that race track here.”

During racing season, the casino and track employ 450 workers, most of whom live, rent or maintain real estate in the track area and surrounding communities.

Even in the off-season, Ruidoso Downs Race Track and Billy the Kid Casino retain a staff of 180 jobholders.

According to the New Mexico Business Journal, more than 40 percent of the workforce in Ruidoso is directly or indirectly connected to the fortunes of the track and casino.
Last year, 242,000 visitors passed through the casino and track. More than 80 percent of those visitors were from out of state.

Both the casino and the track, which are located on leased land in Ruidoso Downs off U.S. 70 East, comprise a 240-acre tax base, which contributes to local and state governments.

Should the track and casino close down - headed for more accommodating pastures - business and political leaders feel that the effects could harm a segment of retailers, restaurants, hotels and others who rely on the steady influx of track visitors.

“The effect would be devastating,” Nunley said. “The racetrack is the major part of our economy. Even though we have more diversity that a few years ago, it is a big draw. Not everyone comes here for the races, but the majority do.”

The workers who move into the area for the racing season also spell big bucks for local businesses, Nunley said.

“They come from other places and their employment stimulates our economy and many businesses associated with the race track,” the mayor said.

Ruidoso Downs Mayor Tom Armstrong says he’s played the “what-if” game before, and he echoes Nunley’s sentiment. “If the track were to leave, it would be devastating to the Ruidoso Downs area,” he said, “particularly to real estate and retailers.”

Armstrong said many summer homes in the Downs are occupied by people associated with the racetrack.

As for Ruidoso, the Downs mayor added, “Midtown would look bare.”

“The track and casino are very crucial to the economic well-being of Ruidoso,” Brad Treptow, former executive director of the Ruidoso Chamber of Commerce, said. “If they were to leave, the economic impact would be substantial.”

Other business people in the area echo Treptow’s sentiments.

“Not having the racetrack in Ruidoso would be like not having snow here in the winter,” Texas Club Managing Partner Cliff Herring said. “The track is consequential to the summer economy of the village and therefore necessary for all the merchants and restaurants. Not all of our customers come from the track, but many do.”

Because New Mexico-bred horses have increased in stature throughout the Southwest the track could probably survive if Hubbard left, but it would be a blow, AQHA’s Richard Chamberlain says.

“The Ruidoso Downs track has a rich history that goes back more than six decades. Its significance to the vitality of the community is appreciated by many, I’m sure. Just the mystique alone of the track and the $2 million All American Futurity that is raced there brings a rich heritage to the Ruidoso area that is immeasurable. For that to be gone would be unthinkable.”
(Source: El Paso Times)

EVERYONE has always known York Racecourse brings money into the city and creates jobs. It’s a dead cert. But how much? No one has ever before calculated just what it is worth to York’s economy – until today.

The racecourse commissioned economists led by Dr Bernard Stafford, of the department of economics and related studies at the University of York, to carry out a comprehensive study of the racecourse in 2007 – with figures adjusted to take account of the exceptionally wet summer weather which led to the cancellation of some meetings.

The Local Economic Impact of York Racecourse in 2007 was produced after a detailed study lasting four months.

It shows that the racecourse attracted almost 347,000 visitors from outside the city last year, more than eight per cent of the total coming to York. But they also spent almost twice as much as the average visitor.

The report stressed that it isn’t only on racedays that the racecourse is generating revenue. It is also home to conference, exhibition, banqueting and hostel facilities. Visitors don’t only spend at the racecourse, but also at bars, restaurants, shops, hotels and bed and breakfasts.

William Derby, York Racecourse chief executive and clerk of the course, said the study had been commissioned because, although the racecourse was already widely regarded as a significant racing venue, he had always been conscious of its additional role as part of the economy of York and the wider region. Yet the contribution made in this capacity had not previously been quantified.

“Racing has taken place on Knavesmire since 1731 and we are proud of our position in the sporting, cultural and economic landscape of the city and region,” he said.

“The team here are proud that through their efforts, the standing of York Racecourse has continued to appreciate within the sport of racing over recent years, through our staging of Royal Ascot at York in 2005, the St Leger Festival in 2006 and the quality of racing on Knavesmire.

“We are also delighted that racegoers are continuing to enjoy racing at York with six racedays in 2007 securing record attendances.

“That said, an evaluation of our impact on the economies of the city and wider region as a whole was always, in a sense, the missing piece of the jigsaw and this report means we can now see a wider picture.

“As the team who work here permanently and those who work on events and racedays live locally, we are proud of the wealth and consequent jobs we bring to our community. Given this responsibility, we need to continue to succeed and evolve as a modern sports and events venue.”

Dr Stafford explained how he and his team had crunched the numbers: “In order to estimate the expenditure and job gains, we applied a multiplier model which has been extensively used by economists to estimate the local economic impacts of a range of institutions in the UK including museums, art galleries and universities.

“The model allows estimates to be made of the economic gain to the local area as a whole, which is not the same thing as the economic gain accruing to the institution or activity in question.

“We were fortunate in being able to draw on extensive data on users of the racecourse and their spending patterns provided by the Racecourse and the economic development unit of City of York Council, without which we could not have produced robust estimates We are very grateful to them.”

A new survey examines the assorted ways the city benefits.

LEADING figures in York have hailed the importance of the racecourse to the city’s economy – particularly the tourism sector – in the wake of today’s report.

Bill Woolley, director of city strategy at City of York Council, said the racecourse was a “hugely important” component of the city economy and its leisure industry.

“It is highly regarded within the racing industry and recent investment in facilities means that it is well placed to rise to future challenges and opportunities,” he said.

“The work done on the economic impact of the racecourse confirms what a prize economic asset it is to the local area and wider region.

“York has recently enjoyed significant growth in its tourism economy and related visitor spend, and the racecourse has played a role in achieving this. The racecourse’s related conference and hostel facilities are also playing an important role in providing good quality additions to York’s leisure offer.”

John Yeomans, chairman of Visit York, said the report showed the continuing importance of top-class racing at York to the local economy and tourism in particular. “Congratulations are due to all at York Racecourse for these terrific results and we at Visit York will do everything we can to support their future success.’’ Len Cruddas, chief executive of York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said the contribution horse racing made to the city’s cultural life was obvious for all to see, but the report showed in some detail the extent of its positive contribution to the economy.

York MP Hugh Bayley said he had always recognised that tourism was an essential part of the local economy. “This study highlights the important contribution the racecourse makes to this in terms of expenditure and job creation,” he said.

Tom Riordan, chief executive of Yorkshire Forward, said that sporting and cultural events such as those held at York Racecourse had the capacity to directly add to the regional economy by attracting new visitors and jobs to Yorkshire.

“They also have the ability to raise the profile of our region with new audiences, helping us to attract new investors and show that Yorkshire and Humber is a great place to live, work and invest.”

David Andrews, chief executive, Yorkshire Tourist Board, said that as a flagship attraction in the region, York Racecourse had always been a draw for visitors, and the importance of tourism in the regional economy was further highlighted by the impressive contribution made by the racecourse.

“Such a study is a welcome addition to our information base when talking tourism outside of the region.”

Meanwhile, Nic Coward, chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority, said York was known for attracting the world’s best horses, with its prestigious race programme, consistent high level of investment in facilities, and a reputation for looking after the visitor.

“The course has seen its ambitious plans rewarded with growing recognition and crowd numbers,” he said.

“We are always keen to demonstrate through quality research what we all believe to be true, that racing is a leading sport, a vital part of British life and a significant part of the economy. It is no surprise to see proof of York’s wider role in the economy of the region, and this study is a real asset to the whole of racing to drive home our case.”

Simon Channon, chairman of Go Racing in Yorkshire, said he had been racing in cities all over the world, and could confirm that the “York experience” was truly world class, on and off the track.

“It makes me proud of our racing to hear the positive comments about our flagship racecourse. I’m delighted but not surprised to learn about the significant boost that it provides to the regional economy.”

Facts and figures.

*Where York’s racegoers come from…

Some 15 per cent of racegoers come from the immediate York area, with just over 40 per cent coming from the wider Yorkshire and Humber region and a similar percentage from further afield.

* How conferences and banquets at the racecourse also bring in revenue…

About 180,000 attend conferences, banquets and other events at the racecourse, about 75,000 of whom come from outside the city. They spent of about £4 million within York, about £1.25 million of this at the racecourse, £1.6 million on staying in the city overnight and another £600,000 spent on other items away from Knavesmire.

* The racecourse hostel also brings in money and visitors…

Then there’s a racecourse hostel, which provides accommodation for more than 1,000 stable staff close to their thoroughbred charges. Outside racing, the hostel accommodates visiting groups especially school parties, with around 11,000 overnight stays at the course’s hostel, which generated additional spending in the city of £715,000.

* Not forgetting the prize money…

More than £4,600,000 in prize money is being contested this season at York, with 14 separate races valued at £100,000 or more. The richest race at the venue, the Juddmonte International, offers £550,000 in prize money and is ranked in the world’s top ten races. More than 40 per cent of prize money from 2007 went to horses trained in Yorkshire
* And the prestige…

York Racecourse has been voted Northern Racecourse of The Year for 18 consecutive years and was the number one flat racecourse in surveys by The Times and The Racing Post.

York Racecourse increased the city’s spending by £44m in 2007, according to a new report by independent experts that analysed the net inflow of increased expenditure into the area.
(Source: York Press)

The owner of Ellis Park in western Kentucky said he will close the facility, where the summer race meet was to begin on Friday, citing a court ruling in a dispute with horsemen.

Ellis Park owner Ron Geary said he has no plans to reopen Ellis, which was built in 1922, as a racetrack.

Geary told The Courier-Journal in Louisville that he decided to close the track after a federal judge turned down his request for an injunction against Kentucky horsemen. The injunction would have allowed Geary to offer Ellis races to national account wagering outlets that take bets by phone and online.

“I don’t have any plans on opening it again as a racetrack,” Geary said Wednesday. “That’s for sure.”

A formal announcement was expected Thursday morning.

(There were high hopes for Ellis Park when Geary bought the track in 2006. Horsemen vowed to support the racing product, and Geary planned to make the track the Del Mar or Saratoga of the Midwest.)

Earlier in June, Geary indicated the account-wagering situation was tenuous, and that the future of Ellis Park was up in the air.

The closure means Kentucky horsemen will have no place to race in the state for much of the summer as Churchill Downs’ spring-summer meet ends Sunday. The closest alternative is River Downs in Cincinnati.

Rick Hiles, president of the Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, said the horsemen’s revenue-sharing plan would have resulted in more money for Geary as well.

Hiles said he hated to see the decision to close Ellis. He called it “rash” and said he had hoped negotiations could continue.

Account wagering is the growth area of the $15 billion-a-year pari-mutuel market. Horsemen’s groups nationwide are attempting to gain a larger share of revenues from it. Hiles said account wagering represented 5 percent of Ellis’ betting last year.

He said if Geary is closing the track because of the ruling, “he was going to close it anyway.”

About 400 horses are on the track’s grounds. It was not clear how long the stable area will remain open.

Kentucky Horse Racing Authority executive director Lisa Underwood said Geary informed her Wednesday that the track wouldn’t open for the meet.

“I’m sorry that it came to this,” she said. “It’s sad for the industry, but I am not surprised.”

Churchill Downs’ betting numbers have been down because horsemen blocked its races from being offered to national account-wagering companies, like Churchill’s TwinSpires.com. Under federal law, horsemen have the right to block races from interstate betting.

The horsemen notified Geary last week that Ellis’ races would be blocked as well, which prompted Geary to file a lawsuit on Tuesday in U.S. District Court, where a hearing took place in Owensboro on Wednesday.

Geary said in the lawsuit that Ellis lost $2.7 million during the 2007 meet and would be forced to close without account wagering revenue.

Geary bought the track in 2006 from Churchill Downs Inc. for an undisclosed sum.

The track, on the north bank of the Ohio River, was formerly known as Dade Park. James C. Ellis bought it and operated it from 1925 until he died in 1956, and it was renamed in his honor. Churchill Downs owned the track from 1998 until 2006, when it was sold to Geary.

A November 2005 tornado caused heavy damage at the track, but it was rebuilt for the 2006 season.

The grade III Gardenia Stakes was the track’s centerpiece event.
(Source: The Blood-Horse)

As the racing season in Hong Kong ends today, Frenchman Gérald Mossé has announced he is to return to France next spring and will ride in his native country until the Arc.

Recent events may have been influential in his decision as Mossé was recently handed a nine-meeting ban, which equates to one month off, the duration of which he is appealing and will be heard by the stewards on 8 July.

“I will carry out a double-season in 2009,” he said. “Winter in Hong Kong until around the Derby which is run in mid-February, followed by the spring in France.

“I enjoy my time in Hong Kong but my professional obligations only allow me to return to Europe from time to time.”

When asked about future plans Mossé added, “I still enjoy riding and have no intention of quitting this career. When I decide to finish I am considering setting up as a trainer however this is not a decision I am going to make in the immediate future. I will still be a jockey for a few more years.”
(Courtesy Jour de Galop)

Adelaide boy Dwayne Dunn has been offered a three-year contract as Lee Freedman’s stable rider.

The 35-year-old Dunn, a three time premiership winner in South Australia, will move with his family to Victoria to take up the position as the Hall Of Fame trainer’s No 1 stable rider.

Dunn said he was surprised at the approach but both he and Freedman were keen for a permanent solution to a stable rider.

“I was quite surprised when Lee first approached me,” Dunn said.

“We agreed on a three-year-old contract as I wanted the confidence I’d get the support. It will mean a change for the whole family and new schools so we needed something in concrete. Lee was looking for the same kind of commitment so it worked out well.”

Dunn said he was being paid a retainer from his new employer, a position not seen in Australia but used in Europe and the USA, such as that of another SA boy Kerrin McEvoy with the Godolphin stable.

Dunn’s management, PB Active Sports, said the agreement may become the new standard in Australian racing for leading riders like athletes in other sports.

“It’s not really done here,” Dunn, who has ridden across the world, said. “We don’t get sick pay and things like that in Australia but this agreement change that.

“But I don’t want to worry about that, I just want to focus on getting on the horses and getting the results.”

Aside from his three Adelaide premierships Dunn has ridden seven Group 1 winners including a record four straight Blue Diamond Stakes wins.
(Source: Racing & Sports)

Robert Clay, the vice chairman of Breeders’ Cup Ltd., did not receive enough votes for re-election to the Breeders’ Cup board of members and trustees.

Two other incumbents, Robert Cromartie and J.V. Shields Jr., were not re-elected to the 48-member panel. Clay and Shields also have been members of the Breeders’ Cup board of directors that oversees the general operations of Breeders’ Cup Ltd. but already were due to rotate off the board of directors.

Foal and stallion nominators elected 12 representatives from 21 candidates.

Incumbents Helen Alexander, Bill Farish, Terry Finley, Lucy Young Hamilton, Maria Niarchos-Gouaze, Charles Nuckols III, and Mark Taylor, were re-elected.

Doug Cauthen, Bill Oppenheim, Don Robinson, Charlotte Weber, and Barry Weisbord will be new members. They all will serve three-year terms, pending ratification by the current board of members and trustees at its July 11 meeting.

The election’s other candidates were Clay, Cromartie, Shields, Bobby Flay, Arnold Kirkpatrick, Allan Lavin Jr., James McAlpine, Leverett Miller, and Ric Waldman.

The board of members and trustees, which meets at least annually, will elect six new members to the Breeders’ Cup board of directors in the July 11 meeting.
(Source: Thoroughbred Times)

Management of the minority interest in reigning Horse of the Year Curlin and other horses has been transferred to the control of a court-appointed receiver, a move which majority owner Stonestreet Stables says clears the way for the champion horse to race at any venue.

Kentucky state judge Roger Crittenden signed an order July 1 which places control of all assets owned by Tandy LLC into the hands of an interim receiver, including the minority interest in Curlin, which is owned 20% by the Midnight Cry Stables operated by jailed attorneys Shirley Cunningham Jr. and William Gallion.

The order was signed in a Boone County civil case that includes as defendants Cunningham and Gallion, who are awaiting a jury verdict in a separate federal criminal trial. The two lawyers are accused of bilking clients they once represented out of $65 million in a class-action lawsuit settlement involving the diet-drug Fen-Phen.

Plaintiffs in the civil case last year were awarded a $42-million judgment by a previous judge, and representative attorneys have been working since to get some assets into their hands. Crittenden chastised Tandy for defying previous directives from the bench, which among other issues, ordered the interim receiver to pay owed bills.

“It now appears that the decisions being made in the management of Tandy LLC are not conforming to at least the spirit of prior court orders and may be in direct violation of those orders,” the judge wrote. “It also appears that the management decisions … are not being made to benefit the organization, but may actually diminish the value of the LLC.”

The order should clear up any jurisdictional issues in regard to where Curlin can race, an attorney with Stonestreet Stables said July 2.

“They (Cunningham and Gallion) basically have no say in any of the horses at this point,” said attorney Richard Getty, who represents the Stonestreet Stables operation of Jess Jackson and his wife, Barbara Banke. “I think this is a very positive development in terms of the ability to race Curlin in any jurisdiction. We hope it is viewed as such by such racing authorities.”

New York officials recently said that Curlin could not run in the state, because all of the owners, and subsequent leasers, could not be licensed. The connections of Curlin are reportedly considering a run in the Oct. 5 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I), and are examining options for a turf prep, including the July 12 Man o’ War Stakes (gr. IT) at Belmont Park.

Einstein, a grade I winner wholly owned by Tandy/Midnight Cry Stables, was also mentioned in the order. Crittenden said the court was informed that Einstein and the minority interest in Curlin were both leased “for racing purposes only” to the respective wife and girlfriend of Cunningham and Gallion, Patricia Cunningham and Melissa Green.

“However it appears that Ms. Cunningham and Ms. Green have received sums as a result of race participation by both Curlin and Einstein … (and) those sums have not been turned over to the interim receiver,” Crittenden wrote.

In summary, Crittenden wrote, “This court orders that the interim receiver shall take control of the management decisions of Tandy LLC, to receive all income of the LLC, and to pay all appropriate and necessary expenses of the LLC.”

Attempts to obtain immediate reaction from New York racing authorities were unsuccessful.
(Source: The Blood-Horse)

Jurors were deadlocked at the start of the seventh day of deliberations July 2 in the case of two lawyers charged in federal court with defrauding their clients out of $65 million in a diet-drug settlement.

The judge asked prosecutors and defense attorneys Wednesday morning to consider either giving the jury instructions to try again or to declare a mistrial.

Suspended lawyers William Gallion and Shirley Cunningham Jr. each face a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They were charged with taking more money from their clients than allowed in a $200 million settlement involving the diet-drug fen-phen.

The case has been closely watched in the horse racing industry because Gallion and Cunningham are part-owners of 2007’s Horse of the Year, Curlin, through their Midnight Cry racing stable.

A third lawyer, Melbourne Mills, was acquitted by the same jury Tuesday.

After less than an hour of deliberations Wednesday, the seventh day the jury has had the case, jurors sent out a note about 9:40 a.m. EDT.

“We the jury continue to remain deadlocked,” the note said. “We also agree we cannot come to a unanimous decision.”

Defense lawyers asked the judge to hold off declaring a mistrial.

“We definitely do not request a mistrial,” said Gallion’s attorney, O. Hale Almand.

But Cunningham’s lawyer, Steve Dobson, said another deadlock would bring the trial to a close. “If they’re hung again, we’re stuck with them being hung,” Dobson said.

Bertelsman asked Cunningham and Gallion if it was their desire to have deliberations continue.

“It is,” Cunningham said in the first statement to the court since the trial began.

“Yes, it is, your honor,” Gallion told Bertelsman.

Prosecutors said in closing arguments that the lawyers were motivated by greed when they took a $127 million payment to settle a 2001 lawsuit in which they should have been paid $60 million. Defense attorneys said the lawyers didn’t commit any crimes and any mistakes in the settlement were unintentional.
(Source: The Blood-Horse)

Britain’s leading racecourses are to launch a landmark £10 million flat racing competition to crown the champion British racehorse.

The Sovereign Series will link 10 of the most prestigious races in the racing calendar into a major new competition and will run for an initial three years beginning in May 2010 with new terrestrial broadcast and commercial agreements planned.

The Series will feature 10 of the leading Group 1 races, starting with the Stan James 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and culminating with the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes again at Newmarket in October.

The Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, The Derby, the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Coral Eclipse at Sandown, Ascot’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the BGC Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, the Juddmonte International at York and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot complete the line up.

The Sovereign Series has been created with the full support of the British Horseracing Authority, and has received industry-wide backing from owners, trainers and jockeys, as well as all major stakeholders.

Racing UK, the media rights company representing the courses, will be promoting and managing the collective broadcast and multimedia rights.

In addition to the existing prize money of just over £5 million, a further £5 million per annum will be added to the Series, culminating in a £2 million prize for the overall winner.

An extra £3 million has also been committed to the marketing, promotion and production of the Series both on and off the course, which will take race goers and viewers right to the heart of the action.

Simon Bazalgette, Executive Chairman of Racing UK and Chief Executive designate of The Jockey Club said: “Horseracing is one of Britain’s great sports but is faced with increasing competition from other sports and leisure activities, so Racing needs to evolve and appeal to a wider audience.

“We believe the Sovereign Series will capture the imagination of a new generation of sports fans who have never before been interested in Racing.”

“Our vision is that in 5 years The Sovereign Series will have become established as a major sports competition on the British calendar alongside Wimbledon, The Open and other similar events.”
(Source: Sporting Life)

Greek lottery system supplier Intralot bought Italian group William Hill Codere (WHCI) as part of plans to strengthen its position in the Italian market, it said in a statement on Wednesday.

Intralot will pay 5.5 million euros ($8.68 million) for WHCI, adding a further 55 outlets for horse-racing and sports betting in Italy and expanding in the north of the country, it said in a statement.

William Hill Plc and Grupo Codere established the WHCI joint venture in 2006.

Intralot’s Italian unit already has 416 exclusive point-of-sale licences and a further 164 non-exclusive licences to operate in the country, and is one of the top three gaming companies in Italy, it said.

Intralot, the world’s second-largest lottery systems provider, is present in 45 countries and also runs sports betting in 12 countries.
(Source: Reuters)

RATON - “We’re down to the stretch,” Michael Moldenhauer told a standing-room-only crowd of Ratonians and others from the area who came Wednesday night to hear from the man leading the effort to build a horseracing track and casino in south Raton.

Although Moldenhauer - a real estate developer based in Toronto whose work has included residential, commercial and industrial projects but never a gaming project - estimated he had been to Raton “probably 75 times” in the last five years since beginning the project, this week’s community meeting at the Shuler Theater was the first formal gathering at which the president of Horse Racing at Raton laid out his plans for the public.

Moldenhauer is hoping a July 10 meeting in Raton of the New Mexico Racing Commission will help secure the state’s final available racing license for the Raton project, which is competing against track applicants from Santa Fe and Tucumcari.

The track and casino - with a current price tag of $48 million - is to be built on a 225-acre site - formerly La Mesa Airport - off N.M. 555 that sits across from Raton’s defunct La Mesa Park, the state’s first horse track that ran for 46 years before going bankrupt in 1992.

The new facility is to feature a one-mile racing oval, as well as a 550-yard quarter-horse track. It is to have 1,500 stalls to accommodate 52 days of live racing in an initial season scheduled to begin in June 2010 if the state racing commission gives its OK.

“I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that date becomes a reality and that racing returns to Raton,” Moldenhauer said, drawing applause from the crowd.

The 53,693-square-foot grandstand and casino building will host simulcasting year-round and is to include 600 slot machines, with a state-allowed potential for increasing to 750. A restaurant/lounge and entertainment area are also planned.

The casino is scheduled to be built first, with completion of the track to follow eight to 10 months later.

Construction is expected to produce 100 jobs that will give way to 300 full- and part-time positions once the track-and-casino facility is fully operational. Horse Racing at Raton forecasts an annual payroll of $7 million, which Moldenhauer said, would almost double the entire community’s current payroll amount. The 300 jobs would make Horse Racing at Raton the largest local employer, well ahead of the current top two - Miners’ Colfax Medical Center and Raton Public Schools - which each employ about 190.

Horse Racing at Raton’s information that was part of its updated application to the racing commission predicts the track and casino acting “as the major investment inspiration for the revitalization of Raton’s main thoroughfare,” as well as being “a catalyst for small support business and job creation” while increasing tourism.

Moldenhauer called the proposed building plans a “starting point” for discussion with the local community. He said he wants input about the building’s style and themes, as well as what other venues could be added to the track and casino site. He said some suggestions that have been made include a hotel, truck stop, RV park, indoor rodeo facility and an equestrian center.

“I don’t pretend to be a horseracing expert,” Moldenhauer said. “I don’t pretend to be a casino expert…It’s incumbent on me to put together a team.”

That team is a bit different than the one that helped launch the idea five years ago, but one person who has remained is Eric Culver of Raton, the former owner of La Mesa Park from 1965 to 1975. Culver serves as general manager of racing for Horse Racing at Raton.

The partners investing the money for the Raton project are Moldenhauer, Marc Correra of LLMN Capital Management, and Ward Chilton of R6 Gaming Solutions. Correra is an investment broker who moved from New York to Santa Fe about five years ago. Chilton is recognized as a veteran of the gaming industry, including having worked as a consultant to Wells Fargo Bank’s Gaming Group. The Raton project is also working with Wells Fargo, which Moldenhauer identified as the largest lender to the gaming industry in the world.

Also working on the Raton project is Paul Micucci, who Moldenhauer described as a racetrack expert who led the Ontario government’s efforts in incorporating slots into tracks. The architect for the project is Toronto-based David Climans, whose firm’s specialties include horse tracks and casinos.

Moldenhauer was drawn to Raton as a site for a track and casino because of the city’s location on Interstate 25 and U.S. 87 and its location within what he calls the “five-state area” of northeast New Mexico, southern Colorado, the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma, and southwest Kansas.

Moldenhauer also wants to play up Raton’s horseracing history when the state racing commission comes to town July 10. He asked people to contribute stories and photos they may have.

Carol Middleton has lived in Raton for only four years so she had never been to La Mesa Park in its heyday, but still, she called a new track and casino Raton’s “chance to come back to what you were.”

Middleton was one of numerous local residents who spoke at Wednesday’s meeting to express their support for the project. No opposition was voiced. Many of the people who spoke were former or current horsemen who trained or owned horses that ran at La Mesa Park, or people who had worked at La Mesa Park.

Ed Eagan suggested a contest be held to select a good name for the actual track and casino, something “exotic.”

All the residents who spoke looked forward to the positive economic impact they envisioned the track and casino would have on Raton. Many also talked about the city’s historic link to horseracing as the site of the state’s first track.

“When we lost the racetrack, Raton lost a part of itself,” said Ann Phillips.

Mayor Joe Apache cautioned those at Wednesday’s meeting that “it isn’t a done deal yet…We need to show the same enthusiasm” to the racing commission. The city is planning a downtown barbecue prior to the July 10 meeting. The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the Shuler Theater. The chamber is planning to have specially-designed T-shirts - showing support for the track and casino - to give to the first 400 people at the meeting.

State racing commission Executive Director Julian Luna this week said the commission will likely make a final decision about the final racing license 30 to 60 days after the commission’s final public meetings in the communities that are seeking the license. Following the July 10 Raton meeting, the commission will hold similar public hearings in Pojoaque (for the Santa Fe application) July 22 and Tucumcari July 24. In addition, another racing commission meeting is expected to be held in Albuquerque before a final decision is made on the license.

Once an applicant is awarded a racing license, the applicant will then have to seek a gaming license from the New Mexico Gaming Control Board that oversees the casino aspect of the proposed facilities. Gaming board Deputy Executive Director Greg Saunders this week said his board and the racing commission are “working hand in hand,” although he “guarantee(d)” the gaming board would have different questions for an applicant than the racing commission has. He estimated a gaming license could be granted as soon as a month after a racing license is approved, but it could take longer depending on the questions and concerns of the gaming board.

Both Luna and Saunders agreed that if the financial and other background checks that have already been done in regard to the Raton racing application are OK, nothing else should prevent a gaming license from being granted if a racing license is approved.
(Source: Trinidad Times Independent)