Several hundred Ohio horsemen attend rally at Statehouse

Ohio State Sen. Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) got a roar of approval from several hundred Ohio horsemen on Tuesday when he urged Governor Ted Strickland to “get off your moral high horse” and save horse racing by allowing slot machines at Ohio tracks.

The rally at the State Capitol Building was spearheaded by Lisa Schwartz, wife of Dr. Robert Schwartz of Midland Acres. She organized the event, recruited speakers, and helped spur the attendance of horsemen from across the Buckeye State.

Seitz has long been a vocal supporter of slots at tracks and his previous setbacks as a sponsor of legislation to help horse racing hasn’t discouraged him.

“The sweetest words in the English language are ‘I told you so,’” said Seitz in explaining how he included a slots provision in 2003 that was later removed by the full Senate.

“Just think of how much money we would have generated by now if we’d approved slots then,” said the Cincinnati senator.

Seitz acknowledged the opposition to slots by some in the media, but asked if they would pose a question to all Ohioans to ask their preference of: (1) increased taxes (2) cuts in state services for programs they personally use (3) slots at tracks.

He said he was sure that Ohioans would overwhelming approve slots if asked that question.

Seitz said that Ohio was in a “depression, not a recession” and acknowledged that the state is “billions of dollars” short in plugging its budget gap. He told the horsemen that slots can help the state and urged them to put pressure on their elected officials to make slots a reality.

Busloads of horsemen came from the state’s four pari-mutuel tracks and many others gathered on the South Plaza of the State Capitol for the hour-long rally, which was held under blue skies and sunshine.

Willie Koester, chairman of the Ohio State Racing Commission, outlined the plan that the commission submitted to the legislature and said that it was “unusual and unprecedented” because the state of Ohio would get 50 percent of the profits.

He lamented the loss of quality horses in Ohio, but said he couldn’t blame owners.

“Are you going to race for a ham sandwich in Ohio or major purses outside Ohio?” he asked.

Koester acknowledged that some in the Thoroughbred industry have been slow to embrace the slots plan because it doesn’t specify how the money will be allocated for horse racing.

“Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith,” said Koester, who has personally lobbied many elected officials on behalf of the commission plan.

Veteran StateRep. Louis Blessing emphasized that horse racing was not asking for a bailout, but would, in fact, be contributing to the state treasury if slots at tracks were approved.

Other elected officials who spoke at the rally were Rep. Dan Stewart of Columbus, Rep. Ray Pryor of Chillicothe, and Rep. Ray Pryor of Salem Township in southwest Ohio. --By Dean Hoffman

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