Page 155 - 12 April 2013

Ohio Racing Commission Rejects Penn Gaming Plan
The Ohio State Racing
Commission (OSRC) on
March 12 rejected plans by
Penn National Gaming, Inc.
(PNGI) to move horse racing
from Beulah Park in Grove
City to Youngstown and
rename the track Hollywood at Mahoning Valley Race Course; and to move racing from Raceway Park in Toledo to Dayton and rename the track Hollywood Slots at Dayton Raceway. However, the OSRC said they were not satisfied with the design plans presented by PNGI because they did not focus on live racing facilities as much
as they did on the racinos. According to OSRC Chairman Robert K. Schmitz, PNGI wanted to, “open up a brand new horse racing facility that doesn’t have adequate seating for people who want to watch the races.” Schmitz went on to say that PNGI’s plans would not, “move horse racing forward in Ohio.”
Ohio Racing Plans On Hold
The Ohio State Racing Commission (OSRC) on March 27 put a hold on plans to run the 2013 River Downs race meet at Beulah Park after Beulah owners and the Ohio Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association could not agree on race dates and other aspects. The OSRC, however, did approve a 65-day meet at Beulah for River Downs in hopes that an agreement could be reached at a later time.
Georgia Pushing For Horse Racing
The Georgia Horse Racing
Coalition is supporting a 2014
statewide referendum to allow
betting on horse races, and has
started a billboard advertis-
ing campaign in Atlanta. The
proposed referendum requires
a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate before it can go on the 2014 ballot. Georgia voters approved a lottery 20 years ago, but there has been continued resistance to gaming in the state.
Idaho Passes Racing Bill
Idaho Gov. C. L. “Butch”
Otter signed a bill to legal-
ize pari-mutuel wagering on
historic horse races in the state,
which is expected to generate
money for education, as well
as additional purse money for
racing. Wagering on historical racing or Instant Racing, which allows wagering on previously run races, was recently approved in Wyoming and has been successful in Kentucky and Arkansas.
C. Wade Navarre Passes Away
C. Wade Navarre, 81,
passed away Feb. 17 at his
home in Kaplan, Louisiana,
one day shy of his 82nd
birthday. Navarre attended
McNeese State University
and Southwestern
Louisiana Institute,
and served at
Keesler Air Force
Base in Biloxi,
Mississippi. Navarre
was an independent
businessman and
entrepreneur, but
he devoted much of
his life to his love
of horse racing. He
bred, raised, owned,
trained and raced Quarter Horses for over 50 years, and was the breeder of 1985 All American Futurity winner Mr Trucka Jet. Navarre is sur- vived by his wife Codrey Meaux, two daughters, six sons, 21 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, 2 great great grandchildren, and numerous other family members and friends.
Kansas Advances Bill That Would Hurt Horseracing
The Kansas legislature
on March 26 advanced a bill
that would eliminate live
horse and greyhound racing
in the state until at least the
year 2032. According to the
Kansas Quarter Horse Racing
Association, the Expanded Lottery Act was passed in 2007 to allow state-owned and operated casi- nos to operate slot machines at three parimutual racetracks. None of the tracks, however, reached agreements with the state to operate the machines due to a 40% tax on revenue compared to 22% paid by destination casinos. Legislators are now recommending a substitute bill that would drop the minimum financial investment in a state- owned casino, and the bill would also strip all language from the 2007 Expanded Lottery Act allowing slot machines at racetracks, with no chance of changing until 2032.
Racing To Return To Fort Erie
The future of Fort Erie
Race Track was uncertain
when the slot machines
were withdrawn by the
former Premier, and only
limited gap funding was provided. The govern- ment in Ontario, however, has now earmarked funds for 2013 racing at three tracks, includ- ing Fort Erie. Not all of the details have
been ironed out, but officials expect May
26 to be the first day of racing for a 50-day Thoroughbred meet with potential Quarter Horse racing to be conducted as well. It is esti- mated that the track has an economic impact of around $100 million on the town of Fort Erie.
2012 West Nile Virus Cases
According to the Center for Disease Control, there were over 600 cases of equine West Nile Virus (WNV) and more than 200 cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in 2012, mak- ing it one of the worst years for mosquito-borne diseases. Texas reported the highest number
of equine WNV cases with 116, followed by Louisiana (62), Pennsylvania (47), Oklahoma (42), Mississippi (38), Iowa (35), and Indiana (30). There were 5,387 human cases of WNV reported in 2012, resulting in 243 deaths. 48 states reported WNV infections in humans, birds or mosquitoes, with 80% coming from 13 states (Texas, California, Louisiana, Illinois, Mississippi, South Dakota, Michigan, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, Arizona, Ohio and New York), with
a third of them from Texas. WNV cases begin in May/June, peak in July/Aug., and decrease in Oct./Nov. The best way to protect horses from WNV and EEE is to vaccinate.
Shayne
World’s Oldest Horse Dies
A gelding believed to be the world’s old-
est horse was euthanized at the age of 51 in England on Feb. 22. Shayne, an Irish Draught cross Thoroughbred, lived at the Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary near Ingatestone in Essex. The oldest horse on record is Old Billy, a British barge horse born in 1760 who lived to be 62 years of age.
C. Wade Navarre
SPEEDHORSE, April 12, 2013 153
news briefs
Martin Rose, Eastnews
Speedhorse Files