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Dog track may be shut out on Preakness wagers

Legal dispute in Miami is making chances to broadcast Preakness at greyhound track a risky bet

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All bets are off in Southwest Florida for the second leg of the Triple Crown.

As of Monday, the Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Track in Bonita Springs cannot simulcast the Preakness Stakes from Maryland — featuring Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown — because of a dispute at the horse track in Miami.

“This is the first time this has happened since we started simulcasting,” said Larry Baldwin, the dog track’s general manager. “It is a day-to-day thing. If they settle this today, then we can go ahead and simulcast it.”

Without the ability to simulcast the race, bets cannot be placed on the Preakness at the Bonita Springs track.

The dispute in Miami not only effects Naples-Fort Myers, but every simulcasting venue in Florida, where $4.6 million was bet on the second leg of the Triple Crown in 2007.

“If we are not able to simulcast it, that certainly would affect our business for that day,” Baldwin said.

The center of the problem is at the Calder Race Course in Miami, which has been in conflict with the Florida Horseman’s Benevolent & Protective Association since the venue opened April 21 and cannot simulcast its races outside of Florida.

Since dog and horse tracks in Miami-Dade County are allowed to have slot machines at their facilities, Florida Horseman’s wants a portion of the slot proceeds to go into the purses awarded to the winners of each horse race at the track. Calder chooses not to have slots in 2008 and saw it as unnecessary to include a clause concerning slot revenue in its deal with Florida Horseman’s.

“Right now, it is in the Horseman’s hands,” Calder spokeswoman Michele Blanco said.

Officials from Florida Horseman’s in Miami did not return calls for comment.

As a result of the dispute with Florida Horseman’s and not being able to simulcast its races out of Florida, several groups in other states have decided not to let Calder simulcast its races. Those other states include Maryland, Kentucky, Ohio and Delaware.

Churchill Downs, Inc. — which owns Calder — filed an antitrust lawsuit against Florida Horseman’s and the Thoroughbred Horseman’s Association as a result of the dispute. Florida Horseman’s is not allowed to interact with other state’s horseman’s associations and keep them from simulcasting races to Calder.

“We hope it gets resolved fairly soon,” Blanco said. “It is early in the week.”

The Naples-Fort Myers track — along with every other Florida simulcasting venue — could simulcast the Preakness without the dispute at Calder being resolved. The Maryland group simply would have to agree to send its races, or just the one race, to Florida.

Even though the dispute has been ongoing since April 21, it did not effect the simulcasting of the Kentucky Derby at Naples-Fort Myers or other venues in Florida except Calder.

The Kentucky Derby simulcasting signal was sent to the horse track Tampa Bay Downs, which was then dispersed to the other Florida venues. Since Tampa closed down, Calder is the only signal location left.

The Naples-Fort Myers track in Bonita was packed the day of the Kentucky Derby with the crowds not only betting on the race but buying concessions and gambling on dog races, other races and in the poker room.

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good i hope it puts them out of business

#1 Posted by nap68 on May 13, 2008 at 12:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Nap68...Do you want the place out of business?

This will be resolved before Saturday, when Big Brown wins the second leg of the Triple Crown.

#2 Posted by volochine on May 13, 2008 at 12:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Why give more free publicity to that ugly, heartless business/industry?

#3 Posted by Bramble on May 13, 2008 at 4:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)

IF they shut down the entire industry of dog and horse racing, should they kill all the dogs since they aren't really 'cute'. And what of the horses then?

#4 Posted by RockfordGrad on May 13, 2008 at 10:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)

i agree nap68, let them go out of business

#5 Posted by amused on May 13, 2008 at 12:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

If they go out of business, our taxes will go up! I say work it out gentlemen.

#6 Posted by Midwesterner on May 13, 2008 at 12:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)



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