Pa. tracks band together

In a solid showing of unity, cooperation and commitment to all of harness racing, Pennsylvania’s three racetracks and two horsemen’s associations have agreed to take the “redistribution” amount from the Sire Stakes tax budget for financial year 2008 and redistribute it to the state’s agricultural county fairs featuring harness racing, to help with operating expenses.

The Sire Stakes law puts a $25,000 “cap” on the amount of money a fair can receive  from wagering taxes for Sire Stakes purses. Whatever would be left over from the agricultural fairs’ tax amount, by law, is to be redistributed to the pari-mutuel racetrack licensees–The Meadows, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, and Harrah’s Chester. In previous years the tracks generously sponsored a series of Fair Sire Stakes Championships with a portion of the redistribution figure.

But now that Act 71 of 2004, the “slots bill,” is in place, the fairs will be receiving enough money from their slots revenue stream to fund their own Fair Sire Stakes Championships, leaving the “redistribution” money back with the tracks.

However, the tracks, with the full cooperation and consent of their horsemen’s groups–the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association and the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association–have declared that their redistribution funds for next year will be devoted to giving fairs a hand with operational costs. The slots bill had provided no direct pipeline of money to the agricultural fair administrators; now they may receive $5000-$6000 per harness racing fair towards those expanding costs.

“This generous showing of cooperation and working for the common good is a great signal for the brightness of harness racing’s future in Pennsylvania,” said Anton J. Leppler, executive secretary of the Commission. “The tracks and the horsemen have ‘stepped up’ and helped out the administrators of harness racing fairs, which often serve as a ‘development league’ for future racetrack stars, so that Pennsylvania’s agricultural county fairs can continue their fine tradition of hosting the Standardbred sport.” (Pennsylvania State Harness Racing Commission) 

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