Ohio dates still undecided

At a meeting last month, the Ohio State Racing Commission awarded 2005 racing dates to the state's seven racetracks. Final approval hinged on a nine-party agreement between the four harness tracks, the three Thoroughbred tracks, the Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association (OHHA) and the Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association.



When Thistledown and the Ohio HBPA did not sign the agreement, the commission pulled the plug on the calendar and scheduled a meeting for Tuesday, Nov. 2, to re-allot dates, which chairman Scott Borgemenke said would likely lead to the minimum numbers allowed to be awarded.

Version two of Ohio's 2005 racing calendar came out of that Nov. 2 meeting, but OHHA general manager Jerry Knappenberger told The Horseman shortly afterward he expects version three, and possibly another, to still materialize.



"Our minimum (harness) dates in the state are 529 and the dates they granted today are 476. They took us 53 under minimum and allowed the Thoroughbreds to stay 21 over minimum," said Knappenberger of the commission's reshuffling of the 2005 dates. "All this is going to change at the next meeting (on Nov. 18). There were no specific dates assigned...so what happened today was just posturing."

The commission awarded the Thoroughbred tracks a total of 441 days, with Thistledown and River Downs racing the minimum required and Beulah Park receiving 21 more than the minimum. On the harness side, Lebanon (81 dates), Scioto Downs (86) and Raceway Park (116) received requested dates that were less than the minimum. Northfield Park was granted 193, 11 more than the minimum 182 but less than the 211 requested.



"When you've stated twice for the record you were taking everybody to the minimum," Knappenberger said of Borgemenke's stance, "and you let a Thoroughbred track go 21 over and the best track in the state regardless of breed, Northfield Park, that does the most handle and sends the most signal, you let them go 11 over. It just doesn't make any sense. It's far from over."

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