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) Magna Entertainment Corp. Announces Withdrawal from Empire Racing Associates, LLC
AURORA, ON, Oct. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Magna Entertainment Corp. ("MEC" or "the Company") (NASDAQ: MECA; TSX: MEC.A) today announced that it has given formal notice to Empire Racing Associates, LLC ("Empire Racing") of its withdrawal as a member of Empire Racing.MEC joined the coalition of entities that formed Empire Racing because it believes that thoroughbred horse racing in New York is an integral part of an important industry both in New York and throughout the country. With the other members of Empire Racing, MEC developed what it thought was a highly competitive franchise bid offering the right balance of horse racing renewal, economic development and financial participation by the State. Unfortunately, Empire Racing's bid has been rebuffed at two important stages in the process and the process has progressed in a manner which MEC does not see leading to a successful outcome for Empire Racing. More>>
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) Aussie horse-racing fans make do with camels
Australian fans starved of horse racing because of an outbreak of equine influenza received bizarre relief when camels took to the track in Sydney.The strictly no-betting, amateur-jockey race meet took place on Friday night at Harold Park Paceway, which is among tracks where racing has been suspended during the disease outbreak.Equine influenza was first detected in Australia in August and spread widely among horse populations in New South Wales and Queensland states. Horse movements were stopped and racing was halted, but has resumed on a limited basis. The cost of the outbreak has been estimated at as much as Aus$1-billion.John Dumesny, the chief executive of Harold Park, said the camel meet gave a morale boost to track workers who had been hit hard by the disease outbreak. "They've had no work for six weeks, and it's given them a lift and the gloom has sort of gone," he said.Several thousand people attended Friday night's races, with the same six camels running in seven races. More>> - (
) Camel race in Sydney
A boy reacts as a racing camel approaches him before a camel race at Harold Park Paceway in Sydney October 12, 2007. The races were held in a bid to alleviate the loss of millions of dollars in the horse racing industry due to an indefinite ban imposed by city officials because of Australia's first outbreak of equine flu in August. [Agencies] . More>> - (
) Horse Racing Allocations to Seniors Dwindle With Attendance
Ohio horse racing wagering has directly supported the state senior care PASSPORT program for 10 years. But as wagering has fallen at horse race tracks - in part due to competition from other gambling entertainment options in surrounding states - so has the contribution to the state's senior care program providing funding to help older Ohioans retain independence.. More>>
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) AN OUT-OF-STATE BUSINESSMAN WANTS TO BRING HORSE RACING BACK TO THE WESTERN MONTANA FAIRGROUNDS
A California company wants to lease, and eventually buy the racetrack property at Missoula's Western Montana Fairgrounds.
Last year, Oneida Capital bought the only racehorse track in Wyoming, Wyoming Downs. Horse racing has been a tradition of the Western Montana Fair for over 100 years, but this year's race meet was cancelled. The fair board couldn't find affordable jockey medical insurance. Then the fair board itself was done away with. Now Eric Spector, the president of Oneida, wants to resurrect horse racing in Missoula, but county commissioners aren't thrilled with the proposal.
The Missoula County Commissioners told us there won't be any horse racing at the fair next year and that they are not currently in negotiations with Oneida, although they are aware of the company's interest in buying the racetrack. More>> - (
) Personnel shakeups hit racing franchise contenders
While three racing companies jockeyed for position Wednesday in a bid for the state's horse racing franchise, notable names dropped out of the race.Officials from Excelsior Racing Associates raised eyebrows at a Senate racing committee hearing when they revealed that casino gambling developer Richard Fields had left the group. Fields wanted to devote his time and energy to the Suffolk Downs racetrack in Massachusetts, said Excelsior development leader Richard Bronson.
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