“Contract stalemate could affect horse racing season (KTVB Boise)” plus 2 more |
- Contract stalemate could affect horse racing season (KTVB Boise)
- Horse Racing Bill Stalls (The Kentucky Post)
- Losing horse racing bets may someday be lucrative (Solana Beach Sun)
| Contract stalemate could affect horse racing season (KTVB Boise) Posted: 18 Mar 2010 03:53 PM PDT
BOISE -- A stall in contract negotiations could lead to a dark season this year at the Idaho Downs at Les Bois Park for the horse racing season. The company that leases the park, and the leader of the group that represents the horsemen, are not seeing eye to eye. The race season typically begins in early May. Horse trainers say it takes twice as long to prepare their horses for the first race day. So, if an agreement isn't made soon it could mean no horse racing again in the Treasure Valley this year. Tim Elison is head of the the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, or HBPA. He and other members have invested thousands of dollars in racing horses, but he's concerned the animals may sit idle. "We have been now negotiating this contract for the better of eight months and we have been unable to reach an agreement with these people," Elison said. Elison says the contract favors Idaho Entertainment, which is the company that runs the racing park. But Eric Spector, Idaho Entertainment's president, says the HBPA is being unreasonable. "This contract is extremely close to where it needs to be, it will never be perfect for either side but frankly we think we've got the right mix and it's time to get this thing going," Spector said. Hang-ups include contract length and training time, but the biggest sticking point is race days. According to a 1989 law, there are supposed to be 46 live race days to ensure park owners don't eliminate live racing and only profit off of simulcast races. The latest contract draft offers less than 46: no more than 36. The HBPA says horse racing is a career for a lot of its members, and the fewer the race days, the less money they make. Idaho Entertainment says it's worked with HBPA's concerns. "We frankly think the HBPA leadership has raised some issues from time to time that are valid. They've been incorporated into the drafts that have been issued forward by our company," said Spector. "My understanding is nobody is really communicating with each other," said horseman Dirk Crane. Crane says no contract is better than a bad contract, but he wishes the leadership on both sides can come to an agreement soon, otherwise horsemen will be forced to race outside of Idaho. "Everyone has to pack up with their families or without their families so and leave everyone so they can go try make a living, make a house payment, pay for their cars for whatever else they need in life," Crane said. Spector says he's talked to rank and file members of the HBPA who say they're eager to get a contract going and now it's up to the HBPA leadership. "It's time to stop nit picking the contract, it's time to focus on what's important which is bringing live racing back to the Treasure Valley its time to execute this contract and let's all get ready together to get this place up and going and rebuild this industry," said Spector. Both sides say they're open to discussions but at this point neither is willing to call each other. They say they've made their intentions known publicly and it's up to the other side to get in touch with them. Ada County receives a percentage of income at horse racing events, so commissioners have an interest in seeing a contract in place. Commissioner Sharon Ullman will address the matter when she appears on Viewpoint, which air Sunday, March 21 at 9 a.m. on Channel 7. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. | |
| Horse Racing Bill Stalls (The Kentucky Post) Posted: 18 Mar 2010 03:20 PM PDT FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Legislation meant to bolster Kentucky's racing industry by tapping into a new form of gambling on old horse races has stalled in committee. It was an abrupt change in fortunes for the bill, which just a week ago had cleared the same Senate committee with strong bipartisan support. The bill was sent back to committee by the full Senate, and its chairman said Wednesday that anti-gambling forces have rallied opposition against the measure. The committee chairman, Sen. Damon Thayer, said he's not sure if the bill will advance. Instant Racing is a game in which gamblers bet on randomly selected past races without knowing the names of the horses. The bill proposes a 1.5 percent tax on those wagers, with the money flowing into a fund to supplement race purses for Kentucky-bred horses at Kentucky tracks. ___ The legislation is House Bill 368. ©2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. | |
| Losing horse racing bets may someday be lucrative (Solana Beach Sun) Posted: 18 Mar 2010 12:43 PM PDT
| Losing horse racing bets may someday be lucrative  Proposal to be introduced at meeting on Friday Losing bettors at Del Mar may soon still have a chance to go home with pockets full of cash. That is, if the California Horse Racing Board, and ultimately state legislation, adopts a proposal to be introduced at today's CHRB meetings. The horse racing governing body will weigh in and provide direction on an idea to pool a percentage of all the money from losing bets for a weekly cash prize. Under the proposal, if a fan places a losing bet on any day of a race week that person could return on Friday when the lottery takes place. The catch is that the bettor must be present to win, thereby increasing attendance and overall handle for the struggling horse racing industry. "It sounds like they're thinking out of the box, and horse racing needs that," Fairgrounds Chief Executive Officer Tim Fennell said. On-site bets have decreased by nearly $1 billion over the past decade. Phone and Internet wagering is now at nearly $500 million annually. Jack Liebau, president of Hollywood Park, said prizes for losing tickets are nothing new. Previously, however, they were generally material gifts. "I don't think there's any question we have to make our wagering platform, so to speak, more enticing to the wagering public," he said. Darrell Vienna, a longtime thoroughbred trainer, is putting the proposal forward. Jerome Moss and Jesse Choper, who make up the CHRB wagering and simulcast subcommittee, will first hear it at 9 a.m. today. They will then report to the entire CHRB at the regular meeting, scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at Arcadia City Hall. The body is free to make any changes or adjustments to this proposal if and before it decides to endorse it and take it to state Legislature. A timeline has yet to be established if it is ultimately supported, and a final proposal would still have to be vetted in Sacramento. While this idea is only aimed at on-site wagering, the industry is also now hoping to come up with a business plan that will resurrect the financial fortune of its off-track betting brick-and-mortar facilities. A modified collective bargaining agreement between horse racing and its wagering handlers' labor union to reduce required staffing will allow the off-track betting centers to stay operational past June 30. However, since the experience for the participant does not change, Liebau said something still must be done to further combat dwindling attendance and the convenience of Internet wagering. "What we have to try to do is make our satellites more user friendly," he said. Moss said several ideas have been discussed, including a combination of an off-track betting center and movie theatre. "Sort of a facility inside that facility is a wagering sports bar," he said. "Places where people can have access to and can do things other than just wager, where people can drop in for an hour, bet a couple races, get a bite, have a drink and meet somebody." Although the Del Mar Times does not have any obligation to monitor this board, the Del Mar Times reserves the right at all times to check this board and to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to the Del Mar Times in our sole discretion and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. The Del Mar Times also reserves the right to permanently block any user who violates these terms and conditions. All threats to systems or site infrastructure shall be assumed genuine in nature and will be reported to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. Submission of any comments will be considered permission to use online or in print. © Copyright 2008 MainStreet Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the express written consent of MainStreet Media, LLC. is expressly prohibited. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
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