[Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]
- From: Terry Bjork via Derby
- Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2022 08:31:46 -0700 (PDT)
- Subject:
[Derby] Oregon racing - how the mighty have fallen
Remember just a few short years ago during the dawn of ADWs when there were hub hosting wars, and the Oregon Racing Commission was leading the race to the bottom on hub fees so as to attract ever more ADW operators and enrich Oregon live racing with all the free solid gold doubloons that would be raining from heaven?
Well, shortly thereafter Oregon's flagship track Portland Meadows closed down. Now a warehouse district or something. But that could be blamed on Frank Stronach, couldn't it.
Then Gtant's Pass Downs was to become the "headquarters of Oregon racing". And it kind of was, as an extended fair meet, for a couple years.
Then there were huge plans for a massive expansion of the Grant's Pass Downs facility, with Historic Horse Racing approved by the Racing Commission, and a hotel and attractions, and much improved horse racing. If not world class then at least tri-county area class.
But wait! The state AG opined HHR machines require no skill (who knew?) and thus the new facility would be nothing more than a casino which is illegal in Oregon except for on reservations. Under pressure from the governor the Racing Commission had to vote no on HHR.
So now all the fancy facility plans have ground to a halt, people already hired will have to be laid off, and the 2022 meet at Grant's Pass Downs which was to begin in early May has been canceled. Leaving what ... Tillamook? Prineville? ... as the headquarters of Oregon racing. And horsemen scrambling.
All those low low hub fees that allowed national ADWs to prosper and suck the simulcast handle out of the tracks and OTBs of live racing states including Oregon sure have paid off for Oregon's live racing program.
But hey look on the bright side: 1) All the usual horse racing haters are ecstatic.2) And good news for those Internet pundits who have always claimed there's too much racing anyhow and small tracks should be closed to force all the horsemen and horses to fill races at bigger tracks: No doubt at all you will see your cure for racing's ills realized when all the displaced blue blood racing stock from Grant's Pass appears at Santa Anita to help fill races there. No doubt at all.
https://www.opb.org/article/2022/02/18/horse-racing-machines-get-a-reluctant-denial-from-oregon-racing-commission/ https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/grants-pass-downs-cancels-2022-meet/ -- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. https://www.avg.com _______________________________________________ Derby mailing list Posting: Derby at lists.derbylist.com Sub/Unsub: http://lists.derbylist.com/listinfo.cgi/derby-derbylist.com