Good news for standardbred horsemen in Iowa. In a rebuke to Prairie Meadows management, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission has implemented their own racing schedule for Prairie Meadows in 2010. While the specific dates have not yet been determined (deferred to January), standardbreds will get racing days at Prairie Meadows.
No doubt, standardbred interests are happy, but when a member of the Prairie Meadows board says "They don’t come or they leave early. And when it comes to standardbreds they don’t come at all", there is a real problem. While the horsemen have received a reprieve, they should not rest comfortably. Sooner or later, if things don't improve, the IRGC will finally see things Prairie Meadows' way.
Horsemen should work with track management in an attempt get more interest in the standardbred meet. Get an Adrenaline-type festival organized there to get people out to the track early in the meet; get the harness signal accepted at more venues, even if horsemen need to offer a sweetheart deal on their share of the revenue to make it work for importing tracks; get some of the national personalities to make an appearance; if they can't get some of the top horses to make an appearance then make an effort to get some races which may attract the second tier horses Otherwise, in 2011, harness horsemen can be on the outside looking in.
2 comments:
I don't blame PM's management one bit on this one Pacingguy. The board member was right. PM's in it's present condition of racing and the support it receives from the Iowian's gives our sport a black eye. The odds change only after the few dollars that come in from simulcasting. This is a sad commentary. Some horses have no money on them after the influx. These races should be run on a fair circuit whenever they do race. They would probably get more people to watch.
Not sure what the horsemen can do to light a fire under it's citizens rear ends to get them interested other than to have a tractor pull after the races?
It a shame because it looks like a nice track?
I don't blame Prairie Meadow's board either. Quite honestly, they were still willing to provide purse money to the fairs to keep the harness racing at the fairs.
The whole point is, the horsemen have been granted a one year reprieve. If they continue the way they have been going, 2010 may be the last last year of standardbred racing. Let's see what the horsemen are going to do. They should give up part of their purse account to help fund new events (Hello Adrenaline) to stimulate interest; give up part of their share of the simulcast signal commission to make it so affordable to get carried to help try to get the meet more successful.
And let's see if some of the industry's best try to support the meet in Iowa. Get some of the best drivers to show up there and have some stables send their 'B; horses to race in the overnights. Yes, it will not be profitable, but the sport can't afford to disappear from another state; it needs to expand if at all possible.
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