Horse Racing News from Pennsylvania

November 21, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act

The most significant regulatory change in horse racing oversight is making headway.

Rather than the patchwork regulating 38 racing states, including Pennsylvania, a uniform national standard is coming.

A draft of proposed anti-doping and medication rules is out and a comment period is open. Changes begin next July.

Key changes include:

  • The bans the anti-bleeding medication Lasix on race day in all 2-year-old and stakes races. Last week, all 14 Breeders’ Cup world championships ran without Lasix for the first time.
  • Primary substances are never allowed, including anabolic steroids and erythropoietin (EPO) that can increase red blood cells and boost aerobic capacity.
  • Secondary substances as anti-inflammatories and supplements cannot be used on race day.
  • Up to 48 hours before a race, Horses are allowed to ingest only water, hay and oats two days before a race.
  • There be no detection of any prohibited substance beginning at midnight on race day…
Filed Under: Kentucky Derby | Triple Crown Tagged With: ,

Governor Wolf (D) Attempting to Terminate Horse-racing Subsidy

May 18, 2021 by Leave a Comment

“Average daily attendance for the Williamsport Crosscutters minor league baseball team is greater than attendance at any of the state’s six horse tracks.”

A proposal by Gov. Tom Wolf to redirect about $200 million a year in subsidies that currently go to the horse-racing industry has the backing of animal rights and school funding proponents, but faces stiff opposition from the horse-racing industry, the agricultural industry lobby and rural lawmakers.

Pennsylvania: racing handle drops by more than 10% in 2019Wolf first proposed shifting the horse-racing subsidy to other uses in 2020. In this year’s budget, unveiled in February, he repeated that call and suggested that the money should be used to fund scholarships for students to attend one of the 14 universities in the State System of Higher Education.

“When you think about it, when you support a college student, that person’s going to live another 50 years and be a productive member of society,” said Sharon Ward, a former Wolf administration official who authored a report released on May 2020 examining the horse-racing fund. “These horses are around for three to four years and then they are gone.”

She called it a “bad use of tax dollars.”

That report noted that, despite the state subsidies, public interest in horse racing has been consistently waning.

“In 2018, the subsidy of $240 million was almost five times the amount wagered by Pennsylvanians on races run on Pennsylvania tracks,” that report found.

“Average daily attendance for the Williamsport Crosscutters minor league baseball team is greater than attendance at any of the state’s six horse tracks,” according to the report…

Filed Under: Horse Racing News, Horse Racing Promotion | Marketing, Horse Racing Survival Tagged With: , ,

PA Gov. Wolf is at it Again. Seeks to move money from Penn horse racing to college scholarships

March 30, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Horse racing in Pennsylvania supports 20,000 jobs, according to the industry, which is supported by hundreds of millions of dollars from slot machines. There is now a push to take some of that money and give it to college students.

Insiders say hold your horses.

Governor Ed Rendell signing Act 71 in 2004. It was called the Race Horse Development and Gaming act.

“Watch the jobs in the horse racing industry double,” Rendell said.

The law legalized casino gambling and steered a cut of slots revenue to the horse racing industry. It’s about $250 million a year — but too much, critics say.

“After 15 years and $3 billion, the horse racing industry is fat and happy but it can’t stand on its own four hooves?” asked Sharon Ward, of Education Voters of Pa.

Ward is with Education Voters of Pa., a group that supports Governor Wolf’s plan to siphon $199 million from horses and bet on college scholarships.

“Imagine if we spent that money on college students who would then be productive and taxpayers in Pennsylvania,” Ward said.

Russell Williams, owner of Hanover Shoe Farms, disagrees…

Filed Under: Horse Racing News, Horse Racing Promotion | Marketing, Is Horse Racing Dead Tagged With: , ,

Pennsylvania Horse Racing handle drops by more than 10% in 2019

August 17, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board released the Annual Racetrack Casino Benchmark Report detailing the impact of Pennsylvania casinos on the Commonwealth’s horse racing industry. The report is now available for download from the PGCB’s web site https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov.

The report includes and compares information from calendar year 2019.

The taxable handle generated by Pennsylvania’s six race tracks dropped by more than 10.7% in 2019 to around $300 million, the report shows, a decrease of more than $36.1 million from the previous year.

The taxable handle has dropped every year since the reporting began. In 2006, the taxable handle from all tracks was just under $976 million.

That means handle fell by more than two-thirds in 13 years. The taxable handle was cut in half by 2013 when it dropped to $480.6 million.

That’s not unique to PA, the report notes, and is due to a decreasing demand for retail horse betting.

Filed Under: Horse Racing News, racino Tagged With: ,

Penn National preparing for horse racing return

June 10, 2020 by Leave a Comment

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — The sports comeback continues to spread across Pennsylvania, and horse racing is one of the latest beneficiaries.

The Pennsylvania Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) released a statement Saturday saying it expects approval to begin racing at Penn National on Friday, June 19.

Filed Under: Horse Racing News Tagged With: , ,

What’s the Status of Horse Racing In PA?

May 28, 2020 by Leave a Comment

When can horse racing resume in Pennsylvania? Even the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission hasn’t a clue.

And that’s not because they haven’t asked PA Gov. Tom Wolf. The governor suspended racing right along with casino operations in mid-March to stem the onslaught of COVID-19 infections and deaths.

And there is no target date for racing to resume in PA, yet.

Late-breaking news update: A face-to-face meeting between Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration and members of horseman’s groups is now scheduled for Thursday [5/27], PlayPennsylvania has learned exclusively.

Filed Under: Horse Racing News, Horse Racing Survival Tagged With: , ,

Don’t Raid the Horse Racing Fund in Pennsylvania

February 27, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Opinion Piece

“In his 2020 state budget, Governor Tom Wolf has proposed student debt forgiveness for our PA state system graduates when they agree to stay in PA for 6 years after graduation. This is a bold initiative and worthy of exploration. The second oldest state in the US needs these skilled, eager young people to stay, work, and make a life in PA. On the surface there is not much to object to; however, the Governor’s proposal would be paid for with $200 million from the PA State Horse Racing Development Fund.

This fund was created by Act 71 of 2004 and uses proceeds from slots to support breeding of top-level race horses, to further strengthen our agricultural economy. In this budget scenario, the issue of addressing PA student loan debt now quickly becomes swapping futures, those of hard-working families and business owners for the futures of our kids. The film Sophie’s Choice comes to mind.

I strongly reject the perception that the horse racing industry in our state is run exclusively by wealthy horse owners and that the only ones who benefit economically are owners. Many owners form partnerships in order to share costs, and the cost to breed, train and care for a race horse is steep. It’s also a well- documented fact that this industry supports our local, regional, and state economy.

The list of direct and downstream businesses includes breeders, owners, trainers, farms that lease space, the breeding and training facility owners and workers, mechanics, manure haulers and composters, small and large animal veterinarians, veterinary pharmaceuticals, grain and hay farmers, feed and supply businesses (a business my family was in for nearly 100 years), shipping and transport, hotel and restaurant, software and many more. At this point…”

Filed Under: Horse Racing News, Horse Racing Promotion | Marketing, Horse Racing Survival Tagged With: , , , ,

PA Governor proposes using Funds from Horse Racing to help with college tuition

February 14, 2020 by Leave a Comment

“Three years ago the governor signed a bill to create that trust fund that couldn’t be touched, and now three years later he’s coming back and taking $200 million out of 250 dollars. All those jobs would be lost, all these horses would have to be re-homed, the economy would be devastated.” ~ Kim Hankins, the executive director of Meadows Standard Bred Owners Association

WASHINGTON, Pa. — Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is proposing to cut $204 million from the Race Horse Development Fund and moving it to help college students with tuition.

The governor says the money would support the Nellie Bly tuition program, which provides financial assistance to targeted full-time students who agree to stay in Pennsylvania for the same number of years for which they receive the benefit.

Governor Wolf tells Channel 11′s Cara Sapida that the legislature would need to approve the transfer of the tax dollars going to purse winnings for owners, trainers and jockeys, and redirect them to this scholarship program.

Pete Peterson, executive director of the Pennsylvania Equine Coalition, told Channel 11 that money in the Race Horse Development Trust Fund comes from an assessment paid by casinos on their gross terminal revenues from slot machine gaming. The legislature noted in the 2017 Race Horse Industry Reform Act that the money isn’t funds of the Commonwealth and that the “Commonwealth shall not be rightfully entitled to any money” in the RHDTF.

Filed Under: Horse Racing News, Horse Racing Survival, racino Tagged With: , , , ,

Casino’s Impact on PA’s Horse Racing Industry

April 20, 2016 by Leave a Comment

racino slots machine Annual Report on Casino Gaming’s Impact on PA’s Horse Racing Industry Published by PA Gaming Control Board

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Slot machine gaming in Pennsylvania generated $246 million to support the state’s horse racing industry, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s annual Racetrack Casino Benchmark Report, released today. The report, which covers calendar year 2015, is the 9 th compiled by the Gaming Control Board detailing the impact… [Read more…]

Filed Under: Horse Racing News Tagged With: , , ,