Friday, January 15, 2016
As the new year begins, the most important area of concern for Florida's pari-mutuel operators and the owners and breeders of thoroughbreds in the state is the issue of de-coupling. The subject that has several industries in a constant buzz was addressed in spades Saturday evening during a round-table discussion as part of the festivities at the annual Awards Dinner of the Florida Thoroughbred Farm Managers' Assn. at Jumbolair Aviation Estates.
A large crowd attended the affair, and was treated to a responsible overview of the situation by a panel of industry leaders who pointed out the critical ramifications and harm that would result if the South Florida pari-mutuels were allowed to discontinue their live product and remain open only for casino and poker play.
Among the featured speakers were George Russell, President of the FTBOA; Tom Ventura, President of OBS; Bill White, President of the Florida HBPA; George Birkhold, Treasurer of the Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Assn., and Ron Smith, newly-elected President of the Florida Quarter Horse Assn. Aside from explaining the ins and outs of de-coupling from every angle, the group implored every attendee to contact someone in Tallahassee to voice their objection to de-coupling, and to tell their friends to do the same.
(One interesting moment came when a well-dressed gentleman not at the dais stood up and added to the discussion as if he was somebody important. But he never told the audience who he was, I assume because he felt he was important enough that everybody knew him by sight. I never saw him before in my life and I asked many others, and they didn't know him, either. Turns out it was Rep. Dennis Baxley of Ocala. Then I understood).
It's no secret that a cessation of racing at Gulfstream Park would cripple the thoroughbred industry in Florida, including all the related businesses which derive the bulk of their income from it. So, the main question is, "What will Frank Stronach do if de-coupling passes the legislature?"
Nobody seemed to have the answer to that question, but to a man the issue of the Gulfstream owner's age keeps popping up. The FTBOA reports that it, the FHBPA and Gulfstream have "forged a solid collaborative alliance to oppose or alter" the de-coupling plans. So somebody must have gotten an opinion from Hallandale Beach. We just haven't been informed what it is.
It's hard to imagine Stronach ending racing at Gulfstream, no matter what happens in Tallahassee. He has farms everywhere, mares, stallions, and five or six other racetracks around the country. What his heirs might do is another question that needs to be answered. Currently, Gulfstream is having a sensational meeting at the same time that tracks up north struggle to fill their cards, and have to cancel racing too often for customers to get a continuous feel for the game.
On Saturday, Gulfstream's handle was a rousing $12,161,483, while Aqueduct, usually the nation's leader, checked in at $8.3 million. The next day, while Gulfstream was doing $6,584,614 worth of business, Aqueduct ran its first seven races in a blanket of fog and race-caller John Imbriale was unable to distinguish the horses at various points. Then NYRA mercifully called off the last two races. Even on Wednesday, a notoriously slow gambling day due to limited opportunities across the country, Gulfstream still handled $5,634,030.
As for de-coupling in certain instances, I don't think anybody but the employees would lose any sleep if Dania Jai Alai and Miami Jai Alai were able to close down their live product. Jai Alai has become a dinosaur in both places. Dania has been shuttered for a year or more for renovations, and we haven't heard a peep about it. However, in return for this gesture, the legislation should be clear that both places have to pay a fee of some kind to the racetracks. Maybe the state's legislators could help make up for the frontons' payments by lowering the casino takeout from 35% to 32 or 33%. (Just a joke).
FTBOA propaganda keeps telling us that there are facilities that want to discontinue live performances, but never mentions which ones. If the FTBOA knows this information as fact, it is its duty to inform the membership. That's the way it used to be in the days of Charlie Frentz and Ket Barber, before the veil of secrecy invaded the organization.
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