Vernon brings in a mil

According to reports, first-week revenues at Vernon Downs’ newly-opened 777-machine video gaming parlor were more than $1 million. From that $1 million, about $82,500 will go to the purse account, although the horsemen’s contract with Vernon calls for the first $250,000 of the money that would go to the purses to be given back to the racetrack.

Over the next two years the horsemen will return a total of $700,000 to the racetrack which has already been deposited into the purse account. It won’t be until January when revenues generated from the video gaming machines will go to the purse account.

"We're basically racing on a credit card now," Rick Papa, president of the Harness Horse Association of Central New York, told the Syracuse Post-Standard.

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