The Florida Thoroughbred Farm Managers annual awards dinner will be held tonight, featuring perhaps the most important round-table discussion the organization has tackled in decades. The issue of "de-coupling" will bring together leaders of the pari-mutuel industry at Jumbolair Aviation Estates, home of Marion County's most photographed couple, John Travolta and Kelly Preston.

    Perhaps a better word for de-coupling would be separating, since the separation of South Florida's pari-mutuel entities from their respective casinos is the issue at hand. Currently, the statute enabling the VLT parlors at Gulfstream Park, Calder Casino, Hollywood dogs, Flagler dogs, Miami Jai Alai, Hialeah Park, Pompano Park and Dania Jai Alai (closed for renovations), revolves around each facility holding a certain number of live performances per year in order to retain its casino license. A de-coupling statute would allow facilities to continue operating their casinos without running live performances.

    It's no secret that various dog and jai alai operators would like nothing better than to close down the live product since both sports have been in decline for years, especially jai alai. The thought of two amateurs "competing" behind a curtain at Ocala Jai Alai brings pangs of sadness to aficionados who loved the game when it was at its height in the 70's and 80's. Derby Lane dog track in St. Petersburg seems to be holding well and often posts handles of upwards of $300,000 on weekends and holidays. 

    The bigwigs from many organizations are expected tonight, and one would hope Frank Stronach is one of them. His revealing his intentions for Gulfstream Park will be the major point of discussion, since the absence of racing at his track would be a major blow to the state's thoroughbred interests, which reach far beyond the track itself. 

    Mr. Stronach is not getting any younger, and there are varying opinions about whether there is anyone in his family who would want to continue operation of Gulfstream. Closing Gulfstream would leave Tampa Bay Downs as the only thoroughbred track in the state and its anybody's guess what owner Stella Thayer's position is - she would undoubtedly call for a casino in Oldsmar if she was the only game in town. 

    Of course, in the event that Mr. Stronach opted to shut down racing at Gulfstream, there's always John Brunetti sitting in the wings ready to reopen the gates at Hialeah, which now has had to settle for a two-month quarter horse season at the fabled flamingo track. Hialeah's casino was the last to open in South Florida, but it has been enormously successful in comparison to the others, continually out-performing several of them. Both Stronach and Brunetti are long-time owners and breeders, which should play a major role in any decision to shut down racing.  

    Tonight's meeting promises to be spirited, to say the least, and breeders and owners who have been kept pretty much in the dark about anyone's intentions should be getting some long-awaited and well-deserved answers.  

     

     

   

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