Pari-Mutel Barrel Racing Moves Ahead; New Zealand Trotting Cup Preview

Hard to believe, the State of Florida's Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, has issued a quarter-horse permit to the group in Gretna, Florida to run a 40 day meet of pari-mutuel barrel racing.  This meet is supposed to start December 1, 2011.  I would like to know how this can be done?  Where in the rules of Florida does it allow for pari-mutuel barrel racing?  It doesn't.  In fact, Florida's rules are very vague when it comes to racing; apparently leaving it up to the tracks or breed registries to come up with the rules.  Hence, as long as the AQHA has rules regarding barrel racing, those are sufficient.

The running of a meet will allow the Gretna group to offer a card room, but that is not where it stops.  Apparently, Gadsen County has scheduled a referendum during the GOP primary to allow slot machines in the county.  When this referendum expected to passing, after their second meet, they will be allowed to install slot machines at their facility.

Of course, you would be right to question who is going to bet on barrel racing, but the point is they don't care about that; they have formed their own horsemen's group who will not be demanding large purses.  As for medication rules, the AQHA has no medication rules when it comes to barrel racing; as far as they are concerned the horses can be loaded up on any drugs you an find. 

This was not the attention when parimutuel racing came into being.  As long as they don't offer simulcasting of their racing they will not run afoul of Federal laws regarding interstate gambling which allows horse racing as an exception to the ban.

Why they may not be able to stop the Gretna plans, Florida's legislature needs to more clearly define what constitutes as horse racing to make sure no one else attempts to abuse the Florida Statute.


The New Zealand Trotting Cup is scheduled for next Tuesday, and the favorites have not been treaten kindly.  Smoken Up. the probably favorite has drawn post 16 which puts him in the second tier (ten in the first row).  As Auckland Reactor and Monkey King are not good starters when it comes from the standing start, they will start behind and outside the second tier in posts 17 and 18 for the 3,200 meter (roughly 2 mile event).  Here is the starting file for the race:

Race 10, 5.15pm, $600,000, FFA Pace, 3200 metres standing start

1	19440	Power Of Tara (1)	fr	Stephen McNally
2	73902	Rangataua Ray (2)	fr	Robbie Holmes
3	46X74	Choise Achiever (3)	fr	Anthony Butt
4	X2608	Mach Banner (4)	fr	John Dunn
5	X6260	Gomeo Romeo (5)	fr	David Butcher
6	45036	Pure Power (6)	fr	Todd Macfarlane
7	70394	Highview Tommy (7)	fr	Blair Orange
8	44305	Bettor’s Strike (8)	fr	Mark Jones
9	6X173	Pembrook Benny (9)	fr	Tony Herlihy
10	X1715	Terror To Love (10 )	fr	Jim Curtin
11	28705	Second Wind (11 )	fr	Gavin Smith
12	X6017	Vi Et Animo (12 )	fr	Natalie Rasmussen
13	23140	Devil Dodger (13 )	fr	Brent Mangos
14	3X221	Smiling Shard (14 )	fr	Dexter Dunn
15	25888	Mr Chrome (15 )	fr	Terry Chmiel
16	11112	Smoken Up (16 )	fr	Lance Justice
17	X1500	Monkey King (Ur)	fr	Ricky May
18	0X161	Auckland Reactor (Ur)	fr	Mark Purdon

Emergencies: Mach Banner (4), Pure Power (6), Mr Chrome (15)..

Now with three horses likely scratched (either regular starters or the emergencies), Smoken Up is likelt to move over to post 13 or 14.  Auckjland Reactor seemsto ahve run into some problems and is reported at 90-95% so it remains to be seens if Auckland Reactor is a go for the race.One thing to be sure, the race promises to be an interesting affair.


Fancy yourself a good bowler and want to help standadrbreds at the same time? The SRF is sponsoring a strikes for stadardbreds function in New Jeresy.  Information may be found by clicking on this link.,