Yesterday in Tallahassee, a House committee approved a bill which would decouple greyhound racing, quarter horse, and standardbred racing while still requiring the thoroughbreds to race at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs. If decoupling comes to Florida's harness racing industry, there is little doubt what will happen one the current contract with the FSBOA expires.
While the Senate committee has delayed action due to amendments, harness racing participants in Florida shouldn't get hopeful as one of the amendments would in addition to the above, allow for the decoupling of thoroughbred racing and jai-lai (remember that?).
Unless racing can rally legislators, a questionable prospect at this time, they better hope to run out the clock on the legislative session which concludes March 11 and even then, it would only seemingly delay the inevitable.
As for those states where the coupling of racinos and racing are not guaranteed in state constitutions, racing interests of all breeds ought to be getting nervous.
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