The website of the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey is carrying two items of interest pertaining to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s newly assembled commission to study horse racing and the state’s sports and entertainment industry.
The first item is a story from the Asbury Park Press’s Bob Jordan and decries the lack of horse-racing expertise on the commission. Dennis Drazin, former head of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and now a member of the New Jersey Racing Commission, objects to the lack of experts from the racing industry, and said the $22 million loss projected for the state's tracks this year failed to take into account $9 million in profits from off-track wagering but did include certain regulatory charges and $8.1 million in payments to East Rutherford and Oceanport in lieu of taxes, expenses which should not detract from the success of the tracks themselves.
"When you get a good look at the numbers, racing has been holding its own," Drazin said. The commission was assembled after the Governor’s transition team issued a largely pessimistic picture of the future of horse racing in the Garden State, projecting a $22-million loss at the two state-owned tracks, Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands, in 2010.
The second item is a statement issued by State Senator Richard Codey, a long-time proponent of the New Jersey horse racing industry. Senator Codey’s statement applauded the Governor’s efforts, but also urged the commission to “put aside regional concerns and viewpoints. Parochialism should have no place at the table, and we should recognize that a thriving statewide sports, entertainment and gaming industry is beneficial for everybody.”
His statement went on to read, “We cannot allow the horse racing industry to die a quiet death. You’re looking at an industry that generates more than $1 billion for New Jersey’s economy and preserves acres upon acres of open space, and those funds and preservation opportunities will go elsewhere without State support. We must look for new ways to invigorate horse racing, or else forfeit those funds to neighboring states.”
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