The Big Dosconnect

With regards to televising racing, Jack Darling wrote a blog entry on Standardbred Canada where he has asked for people to pledge money to fund the television package the USTA has turned down.  While it would be nice to say the $75,000 was raised, it was nice to see people pledging money towards this package.  Amounts were large and small, but the fact is people pledged; thirty-nine so far and approximately $19,000.  I may add a lot of this was done by Ontario horsemen who are suffering from the loss of SARP.  Will they get to $75,000?  Who knows, but the fact is they are speaking with their pledges.

It seems to me there is a disconnect between the individual horsemen and their representatives.

I am looking forward to watching Cal Expo's races as TVG's Frank Mirahmadi will be calling his first harness races as a substitute.  Mirahmadi calls races at Oaklawn Park and on the Northern California Fair Circuit.  On TVG, he used to call races which TVG didn't have the rights to televise and he was spot on.  It should be interesting to see how he handles the trotters.

Tom Luchento has an Op-Ed piece in the Asbury Park Press.

Caesars is one of the casinos fighting a Meadowlands casino claiming it would poach their business.  Well, here they go proposing a casino just 20 miles away from Bergen County, NJ.  

In case anyone was think Monticello and Tioga Downs were slam dunk winners in the upcoming bidding for casino licenses in New York, think again.  Approximately 20 applications along with the necessary fees have been paid to get those licenses.