Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Freeze on USTA Wages

March 22, 2010

The annual meeting of the United States Trotting Association's Board of Directors came to a close Monday, with the board passing a harness racing budget that reflected an average 5 percent increase in fees to counter the Association's struggle with tough economic times.

The association concurrently took a sharp pencil to expenditures, by recommending cuts of at least $200,000, including an immediate freeze on employee wages. The overall budget anticipated $8.8 million in revenues and $8.7 million in expenses: figures are down from 2009.

Earlier in the meeting, Darryl Kaplan, Standardbred Canada's manager of industry communications, gave an engaging presentation about the many wagering and racing initiatives being undertaken in his country. Kaplan called upon owners and trainers to sacrifice a percentage of purse money that could then be spent for product research and market development. He compared racing to casinos, lotteries and other industries that had made such an investment, noting that racing had done nearly nothing.

"We're in a crisis, of course," Kaplan said, adding that states and provinces with slot money aren't spending with an eye on improving the business, and as a result wagering continues to decline. "Strangely, the few Canadian tracks who don't have slots -- but who have taken time to fight for market share by promoting -- have actually seen small increases in business.

"Racing has to fight to grow racing. The slot machine operators aren't fighting to grow racing."

A number of rule and by-law changes were approved by the board: Language was added to the rules ensuring hobbled trotters will be noted on charts and in past performances, and wording was added to permit the micro-chipping of horses -- if the USTA should authorize the procedure in the future.

Also approved were a requirement to have all parties sign a lease before submitting a copy to the USTA, and "Pleasure Horse" registration status has been created for horses who leave the Standardbred industry to compete in other equine disciplines.

The board let stand by-law provisions which permit both track and membership directors to live in a district other than the one they represent, but a newly passed amendment will restrict any individual from seeking a seat representing more than one district at a time.

The complete text of the new rules and by-laws will appear in the May issue of Hoof Beats, and on the USTA Web Newsroom, as will a complete schedule of dues and fees, including the dates on which they become effective.