http://www.drf.com/news/developer-walks-away-monmouth-park-lease-deal
MO,
One of Gov.Cristie\'s top guys,a land developer,kinda anti-racing subsidy, wants more condos,less racetracks.The numbers come up that throwing racing under the bus,subsidy wise,is better for the State\'s coffers.Terrible if NJ thoroughbred racing goes under,hope Cristie is just posturing.
Inference from a recent racing study indicates that the end of racing subsidies, from States/slots, will lead to several smaller racing venues failing very quickly.Seems the sentiment of many State Legislators is slanting more towards Cristies\' throw racing under the bus posture.This,esp true at the smaller racing venues where casino type gambling is bringing needed money to the States and only keeping racing on life support without any upside.Scenario very briefly looked at in NY by young rebel state senator but racing interest too strong upstate and it never gained traction.NYRA would probably go broke without slot money or financial assistance from the State.
Mike
New Jersey racing has been doomed for a long while; I will miss Monmouth! NY and PA being subsidized, and NJ losing theirs, coupled with no Atlantic City racing of any impact...what a shame!
Now they are running - 141 days...........
http://www.drf.com/news/monmouth-park-deal-calls-141-racing-days
go figure........
Virtually guarantees garbage quality racing at Monmouth! NJ racing on life support and will have to compete with monster purse structures, comparatively speaking,of NY and other east coast slot subsidized venues.
DRF:
\"Under the deal, horsemen at Monmouth will run for "generated purses" in 2012, meaning purse distribution will be determined solely by the revenue raised from betting. As a result, overnight purses at Monmouth over 141 days this year will likely average approximately $150,000 to $175,000 a day, a sharp decline from average overnight purses this year of approximately $400,000 during a 71-day meet\"
October, virtually every week? Jeez, that\'s sad.
Whither the stakes schedule? Can see a lot of those $60K stakes going by the boards, as well as marked cuts in purses in the \"name\" races.