Racing Returns To Hialeah Park?
Out of curiosity I will be going to a horse show at Tropical Park on Friday and visiting Hialeah Park to watch some quarter horse racing on May 31, 2017.
I don't know what to expect. The track owner seems absolutely determined to "comply" with the law that allowed him to reopen, get a casino and card room by having quarter horse racing. The races have been around for several years but the parimutual handle has been skimpy by throughbred standards and the track owner says he is losing money and has lost millions of dollars by having quarter horse racing. The slot machines and card room have been profitable enough for the Track Owner to spend money to purchase license to expand into jai alai and poker in Florida City.
It looks like there will be a lot of match races. races. Two horses, running head to head. I can only imagine that the purses for these races will be even skimpier than the amount bet on the race. They may even be non betting races.
The State of Florida has a history in races like this. Gretna Racing was the first of several Florida operations to secure a pari-mutuel license by staging a series of unconventional races. It began with barrel racing, which Florida's Division of Pari-Mutuel Racing ultimately ruled did not constitute legitimate horse races, then transitioned to contests where two horses “competed” against one another for a short distance at the drop of a flag. The races were deemed to have fulfilled the requirements of Florida law, according to an administrative law judge's ruling and the "race track" was allowed to operate a card room and simulcast racing venue.
Sadly quarter horse racing does not have stellar history in parimutual betting. Match racing, most of which is unregulated, un-taxed, and done on the down low is tolerated by horse owners.
Buyer beware. I have participated in the industry as partners with others that wanted to "own" a race horse. I know what it is like to go to the winner's circle, cash a bet, scrub buckets and have breakfast with other owners, trainers and the help on the backside at Hialeah Park.
The FQHRA and the Track Owner never really seemed to negotiate. The Track Owner threw in with all the other track owners and they have pushed decoupling racing from their slot machine revenue. The FQHRA only argument was " without contracting with FQHRA we will close down your casino.
Two (winning) arguments from which there will be less economic activity at Hialeah Park, less tax revenue for the State of Florida, and another step backwards for horse racing which needs horses to fill cards whose fields are getting smaller because the number of horses being bred and raced is getting smaller.
The people who voted to allow the expansion of slot machines at parimutal facilities did so thinking that it would help maintain horse racing, dog racing and jai alai.
The political view is: another voluntary tax and the industry will eventually die like the circus.
I don't know what to expect. The track owner seems absolutely determined to "comply" with the law that allowed him to reopen, get a casino and card room by having quarter horse racing. The races have been around for several years but the parimutual handle has been skimpy by throughbred standards and the track owner says he is losing money and has lost millions of dollars by having quarter horse racing. The slot machines and card room have been profitable enough for the Track Owner to spend money to purchase license to expand into jai alai and poker in Florida City.
It looks like there will be a lot of match races. races. Two horses, running head to head. I can only imagine that the purses for these races will be even skimpier than the amount bet on the race. They may even be non betting races.
The State of Florida has a history in races like this. Gretna Racing was the first of several Florida operations to secure a pari-mutuel license by staging a series of unconventional races. It began with barrel racing, which Florida's Division of Pari-Mutuel Racing ultimately ruled did not constitute legitimate horse races, then transitioned to contests where two horses “competed” against one another for a short distance at the drop of a flag. The races were deemed to have fulfilled the requirements of Florida law, according to an administrative law judge's ruling and the "race track" was allowed to operate a card room and simulcast racing venue.
Sadly quarter horse racing does not have stellar history in parimutual betting. Match racing, most of which is unregulated, un-taxed, and done on the down low is tolerated by horse owners.
Buyer beware. I have participated in the industry as partners with others that wanted to "own" a race horse. I know what it is like to go to the winner's circle, cash a bet, scrub buckets and have breakfast with other owners, trainers and the help on the backside at Hialeah Park.
The FQHRA and the Track Owner never really seemed to negotiate. The Track Owner threw in with all the other track owners and they have pushed decoupling racing from their slot machine revenue. The FQHRA only argument was " without contracting with FQHRA we will close down your casino.
Two (winning) arguments from which there will be less economic activity at Hialeah Park, less tax revenue for the State of Florida, and another step backwards for horse racing which needs horses to fill cards whose fields are getting smaller because the number of horses being bred and raced is getting smaller.
The people who voted to allow the expansion of slot machines at parimutal facilities did so thinking that it would help maintain horse racing, dog racing and jai alai.
The political view is: another voluntary tax and the industry will eventually die like the circus.
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