Ellis Park Shut Down

[Rich Goodall]

IT LOOKS RON GEARY CLOSED ELLIS TODAY-----BUMMER

[David-LV]

Here is the Story out of Kentucky.

Bad, Bad, News.

Ron is one of the good guys in the sport that gave it his all.

________
David
----------------------------------
RIP: George you were the greatest.

__________________________________________________ ___________________
__________________________________________________ ___________________

Ellis Park Closing

By Gregory A. Hall • ghall@courier-journal.com • July 2, 2008

Ellis Park owner Ron Geary said tonight he’s closing the Henderson, Ky., racetrack, which was scheduled to open its summer thoroughbred meeting on Friday.

Geary said he made the decision after a federal judge denied his request for an injunction against Kentucky horsemen that would have allowed him to offer the track’s races to national account wagering outlets.

“I don’t have any plans on opening it again as a racetrack,” Geary said in a telephone interview. “That’s for sure.”

About 400 horses are on the grounds in anticipation of the meet. How long the stable area would remain open was unclear.

“We’re going to try to handle it (the closing) with class,” Geary said.

A formal announcement at the track will take place Thursday morning.

The shutdown leaves Kentucky horsemen without a place to race in the state for much of the summer after Churchill Downs' spring-summer meet ends Sunday. River Downs in Cincinnati is the closest alternative.

Lisa Underwood, executive director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority, said Geary called her today to inform her that the track would not open for the meet. She said he did not address anything beyond that timeframe.

[David-LV]

Added Info on the closing.

_______
David
----------------------------------
RIP: George you were the greatest.
__________________________________________________ _________________
__________________________________________________ _________________

Text of Ellis Park's official statement on closure

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Leadership of Kentucky HBPA Forces Closure of Ellis Park Thoroughbred Racing

Henderson, Ky — A disagreement between two outside parties will close the 86-year-old Ellis Park due to a lack of available revenues. According to Ron Geary, owner of Ellis Park, “Ninety percent of our revenues come from off track, Internet and television broadcast wagering. The leadership of Kentucky HBPA (Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association) has an ongoing dispute with these ADWs (advanced deposit wagering companies) and Ellis Park is caught in the crossfire.”

The Kentucky HBPA sent a letter to Geary the evening of Thursday, June 26, 2008 stating it would block Ellis Park’s racing signal to all ADWs, which include two national television racing channels, HRTV and TVG. Geary had negotiated aggressively with the ADWs for 2008 coverage of the live meet and has more than tripled the potential commissions for Ellis Park and KHBPA— from $4 million in handle (wagers) to an estimated $15 million. Commissions are split between Ellis Park and the Kentucky HBPA purse fund. By blocking the signal, the income is lost.

“It’s shocking to think that the KHBPA would choose to close down Ellis Park rather than take advantage of the additional revenue already negotiated with the ADWs for 2008,” states Geary. “They know it and they don’t care. All the KHBPA is focused on is hurting the ADWs this year so they can negotiate a higher percentage next year. What they are doing is a scorched earth strategy with huge collateral damage to the Tri-State.”

Geary filed for a restraining order with the federal court in Owensboro against the Kentucky HBPA on Tuesday to prevent them from blocking Ellis Park’s racing signal. The federal judge ruled Wednesday that a restraining order couldn’t be issued, therefore, clearing the way for the KHBPA to block Ellis Park from participating with the ADWs, including HRTV and TVG.

“They cut off their own nose to spite their face,” retorts Geary. “Ellis Park was at a critical point. Since I purchased the track, I have invested millions and lost millions getting her back to her old glory. We were set to opened this Friday, the Fourth of July, and it was going to be a spectacular year. I love this track and I love horse racing. I am not, however, in the business to continue to spend millions of dollars per year keeping her going just to have the Kentucky HBPA pull the rug out from underneath us. It is a tragedy.”

Ellis Park is not alone. The Kentucky HBPA as well as affiliate HBPA organizations nationwide have blocked signals to ten tracks so far. Some are getting hit harder than others. For example, recent articles on bloodhorse.com cite that Calder Race Course’s handle is down 72 percent for the first 37 days of live racing. Churchill Downs was forced to cut purses 20 percent because the KHBPA also blocked its racing signal to ADWs. Each track has individual contracts with their state run HBPA and available ADWs. Ellis Park is the first to be forced to close.

The closure of Ellis Park has affected hundreds of families and the region as a whole. Ellis Park had an economic impact on the area to the tune of $60 million annually. They employed more than 500 workers during live racing and another 300 to 400 were expected to work on the backside of the track with the horses. In 2008, more than 1,000 horses were slated to be stabled at Ellis Park. More than 150,000 fans were expected to visit Ellis Park this summer.

“I am truly ashamed of the Kentucky HBPA leaders who orchestrated this ploy,” continues Geary. “They want more of a cut from the television and Internet wagering sites. I have been willing to work with them to negotiate an equitable long-term agreement with the ADWs on their behalf. I offered to give them anything above and beyond the signed contract I already have with ADWs for this year. Then I recommended a slower percentage increase than the jump they are demanding. It’s all fallen on deaf ears.”

Ellis Park’s opening day was set for this Friday, July 4, 2008. The office will remain open for the next several weeks to handle refunds of pre-paid reservations and sponsorships. Meetings will take place immediately with all employees and vendors to communicate the transition. Geary hasn’t released information regarding the future of the track and its property, which he owns.

Ellis Park has operated thoroughbred racing for 86 consecutive years. The track was nearly destroyed by floods in 1937 and by tornadoes in 2005. In 2006, Ron Geary purchased Ellis Park and implemented a long-term plan to return the track to profitability.

Ellis Park will hold a news conference under the grandstand on Thursday, July 3, 2008 at 10 a.m. CDT to answer any media questions. Enter the main gate and follow the signs. No media calls will be returned before the start of the news conference.

[OPM]

Well, I hate to say it but Calder is next once the Summit of Speed is over.
PRM will follow once the politicians pull the slot subsidy. Then there will be tracks in TX, OK to follow.
Bay Meadows is gone. Hollywood will not be here in 5 yrs.
Garden State Park and most of Atlantic City are gone.
We need Congressional intervention to take away the ability of horsemen to control the signal.
Do you know in NY, it's the State Racing and Wagering Board that controls the signal!!

I met Ron Geary in Vegas a couple of yrs ago, nice guy.
?

[km]

SHOCKER

Ron G. is really pissed. And we know him well enough that this is not a bluff. Entries had been drawn for Friday and Saturday already. Ellis Park website still showing blurbs for opening day. Several good tournaments were scheduled including one in August and lots of events on the calendar for the meet. Such a shame that so many people will be out of work and scrambling to find a place to run. Transportation is very expensive for horses right now.

During any strike or labor action, there is always a sizeable minority that disagree. I would guess there is large number of KY Horsemen ready to walk out on this for good and relocate from Kentucky. Most barns cannot hold out for very long financially, they need to race. Might be good news for Ohio tracks. I guess they could petition to keep Churchill open all summer, but would CD owners let them?

[Mall]

I think the Hoosier state is the one most likely to benefit, at least in the short term. The tracks are close by, the level of racing is about the same, they already have slots, and their purses are expected to start increasing significantly soon. Of course, the way this thing has been mishandled from the beginning, in the next day or two I wouldn't be surprised to read that the Indiana tracks are the next targets.

It's hard for me to blame Ron and Mark, after working as hard as they have and losing as much as they have, for taking a step I'm sure they believed had to be taken. One of the first things Ron did after purchasing Ellis was to buy a house in Henderson, so the locals would know his plan was to operate for the long haul. In fact, before this dispute got out of hand, they had been approached by investors who wanted them to buy and run other, much bigger tracks. The fact that they've gone from that point to closing up shop tells you all you need to know about this "business."

For the first time I can remember, KY now has a big gap on the live racing schedule, and while my guess is that OPM is probably right about Calder, one has to wonder about Turfway's long term prospects. My understanding is that the the main reason they've been willing to continue to operate the last five years or so, despite sustaining staggering financial losses, was the prospect of slots, which is now gone, at least in the short term. If Turfway's is the next target in this dispute, it's entirely possible that the only logical business decision will be to stop the bleeding, in which event the state would be left with approximatley 30 toal days of live racing at two short Kee meets, six days of live racing at KD, and the five and six horse fields which seem to have become the norm at CD's abbreviated spring and fall meets.

However, whether or not Turfway closes, I think today's news marks the date when it no longer makes sense to call racing KY's "signature" industry.

[MikeDee]

Sad to hear this but I wish more track owners would do the same thing.

If the horsemen won't negotiate in good faith, then shut the tracks down.

A lock out.....and have the horsemen and owners get all of their stock off of the premise.

Shut'em all down..the horsemen (and the owners that have jumped in bed with them) need some time off to think things over.

[ejt2112]

Ron Geary is my new hero.
Action like this is LONG overdue.

Ron Geary bought Ellis Park.
He invested MILLIONS in it since he bought it.
How much money have the horsemen invested in Ellis? Not a penny.
Yet because of the Interstate Horseracing Act they have the authority
to block the signal? Ridiculous.

I hope other racetrack companies see this and do the same.

The Calder situation is ridiculous. Slots have been approved.
Everyone should be happy. Purses should be on the rise. Yet the
horsemen stop the signal.

Presque Isle Downs is the saddest thing I've EVER seen.
The purse money is 50% higher than Arlington's and on par with Churchill's.
Yet the horsemen block the signal. Have you seen the handle figures at PID?
They handle less money in a day then they give out in purse money!!
How long is that gonna last?

I feel REALLY bad for the people who worked at Ellis Park.
They woke up this morning and found out they don't have a job.
That's tough and I don't wish it on anybody.

I hope they place the blame with the horsemen and not Ron Geary.

[Rich Goodall]

THE ELLIS PARK WEBSITE HAS POSTED THE NOTICE OF CLOSING AND THEIR SIDE OF THE STORY. THE SADDEST THING IS THAT IN A TANKING ECONOMY A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE JUST LOST THEIR JOBS. THE ''HORSEMEN'' HAVE SOME VALID GRIEVANCES BUT THEY USED A NUCLEAR BOMB UNNECESSARILY METHINKS THEY HAVE FLEXED THEIR MUSCLE AND MAY HAVE WON THE BATTLE, BUT THEY WILL ULTIMATELY LOSE THE WAR. IT IS TRUE THAT SOME TRACKS NEED TO CLOSE BUT THE MARKETPLACE WOULD HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THAT; WE DIDN'T NEED THE KHBPA PLAYING GOD TO ACCOMPLISH THE JOB. KENTUCKY RACING NOW HAS KEENELAND AND A GOOD WEEK IN EARLY MAY, THE REST OF THEIR THEIR RACING IS BECOMING IRRELEVANT. RON GEARY WAS A HORSEPLAYERS DREAM TRACK OWNER AND NOW ELLIS IS GONE,RON LOST A LOT BUT WE ALL LOST A LITTLE. P.S. I TYPE IN CAPS CUZ I CAN'T TYPE.

[km]

Very good thread and excellent points made.

The Kentucky version of the 'goose with the golden eggs' has been killed by the horsemen because they wanted 33% the golden eggs on demand.

They must be nuts to try and put a gun to the owner's head in this economy and with the fragile state of the sport. Huge blunder on the timing, they should have negotiated for a gradual increase.

33% of zero = zero.

[NC Tony]

So it's the Horsemen at fault and not the People Running Expressbet and Twinspires & Churchill Downs Inc? I thought this whole mess started with Twin Spires pulling signals and now it's just now totally out of hand.

Without Horsemen and owners (of horses) you don't have a show. Without a facility to run at you don't have a show.

Seems to me that Geary gets the worst of this right now as an innocent by stander. I feel bad for Ron but he has to do whats best for him right now.

If Calder left the face of this earth, I wouldn't care.

Sorry to say this but this industry does need some form of retraction to improve the product. We clearly do not need that many race tracks in this "Modern Era" of Living Room Downs to place a few bets.

NC Tony

[MikeDee]

I don't agree Tony. It is the horseman's' intention to eliminate ADW's from the racing scene. There will not be a "Modern Era" of Living Room Downs to place a few bets. The only way you will be able to bet is at a track.

I don't agree with the concept that less is more when it comes to eliminating race tracks.

With ELP closing western KE is shut out from any wagering on any track period. This hurts all the remaining tacks as simulcast money dries up from the areas of the country that loose their local track.

Like any other business it is never a good sign when your retail outlets are closing. At some point you will reach a tipping point where breeding farms will close because their is no market for their product.

Close enough tracks and horse racing will go the way of the horse and buggy.

[dehere]

This may not be as much of a "done deal" as earlier thought. The following comes from an article in the Courier-Press that was last updated on July 3rd at 1:52 pm.

UPDATE: Ellis Park meet could be salvaged
Horsemen ask HBPA to sign off on deal, then negotiate after meet

By Tim Ethridge (Contact)

Originally published 12:00 a.m., July 3, 2008
Updated 01:52 p.m., July 3, 2008

HENDERSON, Ky. — Ellis Park's live racing meet could still be salvaged, even after a press conference today in which owner Ron Geary said the track was closed and not for sale.

According to horse owner Lori Ritz, Geary agreed at a later meeting with trainers and owners to run the meet under the standing contract — calling for an even split of Advance Deposit Wagering monies — if the Kentucky Horsemen and Benevolent Protective Association agrees. Ritz, a former Ellis regular who shipped in from Oklahoma, said that the horsemen asked KHBPA director Marty Maline to poll the 10 members of the board of directors, and if six agree the meet could start as early as Wednesday.

What this may be is just another example of Ron Geary's forceful negotiating tactics. I would not want to be involved in a negotiating battle with this gentleman.

[NC Tony]

It is the horseman's' intention to eliminate ADW's from the racing scene. There will not be a . The only way you will be able to bet is at a track.

Mike Dee I guess you forget the days when there was no such thing as the AQU Inner and winter racing in NY. NY and So FLA co-shared the meet so to speak and the quality of racing was clearly better then than now. Many reasons for that. But none the less. Consolidation in this industry would be an improvement now. You can expand again if their were enough betting patrons to support it all. Betting from home I am sure, will attract more dollars especially with todays Gas prices, and if both Race Tracks and Horsemen don't quickly accept that they need some form of ADW, both are living in a fantasy world. There are only a few tracks remaining that are nice enough or seasonal enough or historic enough, to attract both the crowds and betting dollars.

You can have the rest of the minor leagues.of racing It's like watching a minor league baseball game. Yes the hot dogs and beer are a little cheaper,yes the pitchers are wilder and a little slower, but it's still baseball,just not the majors. If you like that racing, to each his own. Money can be made there if you know your local circuit well.

Mike you kind of made it sound like the Horsemen are working to help the racetrack owners if their intent is to bring the patrons and betting dollars back on track. The problem is that some track owners in some cases are ADW owners too and don't want to share. I really take no sides in this issue. Will be interesting to see how this one plays out. Racings future may depend upon it. Everyone wants their fair share of a diminishing pie.

Isn't it fascinating to see how Americans are finally accepting and re-learning the laws of Supply and Demand all over again in many industries, not just this one.

As for Ron Geary. I wish him nothing but the best. I know he is sincere in what he is trying to do. Good luck to Ron and Ellis Park if it opens. If their is one way we could help is betting on races from Ellis

NC Tony

[qhrick]

Geary should be considered nothing less than a hero to the bettors

I suggested a couple months ago that if I was a race track owner, I would simply close the doors if the horseman started telling me what I could do with my signal

But the THG has been bullying a number of tracks since, and no one has called their bluff

Now an owner with major cajones goes all in preflop

The horseman are now really under the gun

They either run under Geary's desired plan on perhaps not at all

I applaud Rons actions and truly wish him all the best. Hopefully, his strategy will be rewarded

He quite possibly has put the THG in a lose lose situation

[Donnie]

Wow. This is way sad. I have heard/read nothing but good things about Ron. Hoped to attend a contest or two at ELP.

O- we're not in trouble yet at PRM. A few weeks back they had a special meeting on a Saturday to discuss the state of racing at the casino. The decision: not to do anything right now and just let things be.

I hope Ron can find a way around this impasse. But when you are trying to deal with people who refuse to even come to the table, not much more can be done. For all his heart and soul that's been put into this track, I hope this has a happy ending. But this may be just the beginning of the end for a few of the tracks as we know them.

[OPM]

According to very reliable sources, Ron said even with all the ADW's in line, he was going to lose 3/4 to $1million this year. He said it was going to take a while to get this tracks profitable and he was willing to do this but he wasn't going to lose another $3-$5 million to put on a show when he can make $40 million with developemnt over the next 5 yrs.

In this economy, I really, really feel bad for all the employees and all the stable hands who will have a hard time finding ANY job in this economy in KY.

I place the blame squarely on the horseman's shoulders.
If they think ADW's are so profitable, why don't they open up their own. Oh wait, I think they tried that and it failed miserably.
Bottom line, ADW's are here to stay, all ADW should have access to the signals, the takeout should be around 5% total and this game will thrive.

[Rich]

Without Horsemen and owners (of horses) you don't have a show. Without a facility to run at you don't have a show.
NC Tony

Wrong with all due respect. Without us the bettors you don't have a show.

[tbrown]

Going back to the track is a ship that has sailed.
The horsemen who think we will flock back like sheep are idiots!
The thing home betting has taught many is just how crappy a day a tack really was.
I will never go to a track other than a few times a year for entertainment. This game has nothing to offer me the trade off of suffering at the hands of the woe-full dumps they call tracks.

The message from home players must be clear - no matter how it turns out, I will never, ever, bet Kentucky or Florida tracks again. Spit in my coffee I don't come back for your donuts.

I hope many of these stables go broke and find themselves out of the game for good. Serves them right.

Tony, the show horsemen put on is not the only show - there are ten screen theaters nowadays. No one needs horse racing, especially run by greedy people trying to cram it down our throats. But that attitude is one that will surely kill the game.

[dehere]

tbrown - Could you tell us how you really feel?

I hate to be the only one here but I really do think the horsemen have a point and that the real crux of the matter is not that the horsemen are being greedy but that there is simply insufficient revenue to enable everyone to earn what each thinks is a reasonable profit out of this thing.

Essentially horsemen want ADW's to share revenue more equitably. They were getting nowhere when they simply demanded more revenue so they decided to force the issue by using the leverage available to them. I can't fault them for that.

Nor can I fault Ron Geary for deciding it may be better to develop a shopping center than continue to run a race track as a massive money drain. He's using the leverage available to him to force the issue as well.

As for the ADW's - hmmm, well, try as hard as I might its really hard for me to think they hold the high ground in this triumverate of competing interests. Heck, they run a web site. Big deal. Does that entitle them to such a major share of the bucks that it forces either the horsemen or the tracks (or both) to suffer losses that prevent them from continuing in business?

Horsemen maintain that they need a greater share of ADW revenue - they say one-third - to be able to run a profitable operation. Race tracks also seem to feel the need for a greater share of revenue to be able to continue offering us the "pleasureable experience" they now provide - or at least to be able to card races in the first place. ADW's (or at least Twin Spires) maintains that if they gave up one third of the revenue to the horsemen they would no longer be profitable. Personally I say "prove it".

I also say that I do enjoy a day at the track. It ain't the beer as I don't drink all that much when handicapping. It sure ain't the food as I rarely eat when at the track either. As I guess most folks on the third floor of the clubhouse found out at the Belmont, it ain't the restrooms either. Still, spending the day at the track with buddies where the jockeys, if not the horses, might actually hear me yelling for them to "get up" when coming down the stretch, is, IMHO, fun.

We are fans in a dying sport and there simply isn't enough revenue to go around anymore. So, which part of the people that produce the "show" should lose? The horsemen, the tracks, the betters and the wagering arms are all a necessary part of the picture. I have a funny feeling that if Twin Spires went out of business another outfit (Premium Turf Club?) would come along to fill that void. Not so sure about whether the sport could as easily absorb a loss of one of the other three parts of this picture.

[DanG]

You know it’s a tough argument when you find yourself nodding in agreement with 90% of what is written.

Solid points all through this thread.

ar•bi•tra•tion–noun
1. The hearing and determining of a dispute or the settling of differences between parties by a person or persons chosen or agreed to by them: Rather than risk a long strike, the union and management agreed to arbitration. ~ Dictionary.com

Let’s form a three point commission before someone else forms a Bermuda triangle for all of us. :eek:

I say Massa represents the west coast, Crist the east and Mel in Kentucky. We lock them in a room until a governing body and uniform rules are formed. A 5 year contract is struck among all interested parties and the taxation / administrative guidelines must be followed without exception.

Heck; to maintain some semblance of our nations ‘states right, lets make three sets of rules by region. It sure beats are 39 variations now. :rolleyes:

Don’t fret track operators / owners / horsemen / breeders / vets / grooms and yes…elected officials…contrary to industry paranoia actual players don’t want to cut anyone off at the knees.

It’s our Independence Day…I can dream can’t I? :)

PS-IMO: I agree with Henry in that Geary is pulling a very effective power play here. This is a man who has a good heart, but can also be a bulldozer in a board room.

[NC Tony]

Henry

Well said.

Rich your point about needing the bettors is a given. You can bet at casino's,racino's,at your buddies house playing poker or where ever you choose.

All the parties involved have issues. No one group is totally in the rightright and no one group is totally wrong. They all need each other, and they better figure out how to split it up otherwise the Darwin theory will eventually apply.

I believe contraction is certainly in the cards. I hope that somewhere during this next decade or so, they build magnificent complex that are enjoyable to attend live racing, watch good quality racing and everyone around the nation can bet on it. (Did I hear Dubai?)

Anyway, I enjoy going to live racing too. It's not the beer, it's not the Nathans Hot dogs or the Carolina BBQ in Saratoga that brings us their it's the Atmosphere AND the quality of Racing.

However Living Rooms Downs, in this economy is where most of the betting dollars are coming from now and in the future. They all better figure it out before too much damage is done. Whether it is on your Blackberry or PDA or at your desktop/laptop, that is where it at in the future, so a facility better have something special to draw you to their facility.

NC Tony

[MVM]

All the parties involved have issues. No one group is totally in the rightright and no one group is totally wrong. They all need each other, and they better figure out how to split it up otherwise the Darwin theory will eventually apply.


Seems to me the root cause of the entire problem is that all parties involved are doing everything they can to prevent the natural selection process from ever happening.

The sheer volume of venues, dates, and races, and the overhead associated with each and every one of those facilitites and events makes competitive pricing of the end-product impossible.

The primary issue I have with the Horsemen's stance is that it is has it's roots in an incredibly parochial mentality. It is as much an effort to maintain a long obsolete status-quo as it is to insure equitable revenue sharing.

The silver lining (and there always is one) is that through these actions the horsmen have become (perhaps unwitting) catalysts for the very necessary and unavoidable culling process that will eventually make the industry as a whole a viable concern.

[ejt2112]

The latest on Ellis...

Kentucky HBPA scripts proposal for Ellis Park owner Ron Geary

Originally published 11:36 a.m., July 4, 2008
Updated 02:05 p.m., July 4, 2008

Horsemen hope to present a proposal to Ellis Park owner Ron Geary on Saturday that could lead to the track's re-opening.

Trainer John Hancock said that the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association 10-member board of directors had come up with a plan that, if Ellis horsemen agree, will be offered to Geary for approval. Geary, reached by cell phone shortly before 2 p.m. on Friday, said he anticipated a conversation with HBPA officials this afternoon but otherwise had no timetable.

Hancock could not say if the HBPA was negotiating the main point of contention, which is whether to allow Ellis Park to offer its races to Advance Deposit Wagering outlets such as TVG, TwinSpires.com and XpressBet.com (which are affiliated with television network HRTV), and youbet.com. In announcing on Thursday that Ellis would be closed, Geary cited the lack of approval to tap that betting resource as his major reason.

"We’re going to run through this with our people and then go to Ron Geary’s office (on Saturday) and lay it on his desk," said Hancock, who helped bring Geary and the HBPA's Marty Maline together on Thursday in a last-ditch attempt at salvaing Ellis' 86th race meet, which was to have started today. "If he signs it, we’re running. If he doesn’t, we're dead."

Hancock said the HBPA believed the offer "will work for everybody" while not affecting a federal lawsuit over tracks and their agreements with ADW outlets.

Ellis horsemen, for the most part, seemed resign to whatever might be their fate. They see themselves as pawns between the tracks, the ADW outlets (such as TVG, HRTV which is affiliated with TwinSpires.com and XpressBet.com, and youbet.com) and national horsemen's alliances. They'd prefer that the HBPA take its fight for a bigger percentage of ADW wagering to a bigger stage.

"Why tackle the calf?" said Jerry Joe Greenwell, a 63-year-old trainer from Waverly, Ky. "Go challenge the bull."

Trainer Lori Smock, who has 36 horses in one barn at Ellis, another 22 at Indiana Downs with hopes of vanning to Ellis after that track wraps up its meet on Tuesday, and 12 employees to pay, just wonders where she might go next.

"We could go to Presque Isle (in Pennsylvania) or River Downs (in Cincinnati), I guess, but we're at Ellis Park because we want to race at Ellis Park," said Smock, whose main owner is Mary George of Hulman family and Indianapolis Motor Speedway fame. "This week, we're just taking every day as it comes and hoping that something good happens."

[tbrown]

The argument that the need one third to be profitable is bogus.
They are now getting zero and if they are trying to get rid of ADWs, there will be only what comes from on-track.

How about they start paying one third of the expenses of running the race track? One third of all the salaries, one third of all the maintenance, one third of all the taxes, insurance, yadda yadda yadda. Truth is, when it comes to simulcasting local horsemen contribute ZERO and IMHO are entitles to ZERO. With simulcasting, the local show is not needed. The trakcs take all the risks, they should take all the revenues. When Arlington burned down, the horsemen moved to other tracks. The track owners were left to clean up and rebuild, then, after all the work was done, all the bills paid, guess who shows up with hands out?

[ejt2112]

tbrown - great point about Arlington.
How about when Arlington shut down for two years because of poor economic conditions.
Did anyone else step up and agree? No. Hawthorne stepped in grabbed all the dates and hoped Arlington would never come back even though it would have destroyed Illinois Racing as we know it. (They had 25,000+ at Arlington yesterday)

Thats exactly whats gonna happen if they don't reach a deal with Ellis today.
Mark my words. If Ellis stays closed - Turfway AND Churchill will be fighting each other to take over the dates. If that happens there really is no hope for this industry.

Churchill has been in the crosshairs of this ADW dispute from the beginning.
So far they have done the right thing. They haven't caved even though the Calder
meet and to some extent the Churchill meet has been ruined. If they cave now and take over the Ellis dates or Turfway steps in and does the same...

Ron Geary and Ellis are a pawn in a bigger game. Turfway and Churchill need to show a little backbone. Not think of themselves in the short term and decline the dated if Ellis stays closed.

[tomcat]

Why is this starting to sound like the unions and the automobile management?
People ended up buying foreign cars and now the American auto industry is going down the tubes.
Why do they think horse racing is the only game in town? There are other things to do. All my old racing buddies rarely come to the track any more. The last time went, I sat by myself in a very un-crowded simulcast. Last year few people went to the harness tracks either. More and more people have already given up and more are talking about it.

Hello.....anyone in the horse industry listening?