New Board to Represent New England Horsemen

 

The New England horsemen who are attempting to lease the recently closed Suffolk Downs and bring back live racing next year will be represented by a new board of directors of their chapter of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association.

 

The national affiliate's elections took place before Suffolk Downs officials announced in mid-September that the recent meet, which ended Oct. 4, would be the last at the 79-year-old track and the clubhouse and grandstand would be closed permanently by year's end.

 

Chapter president Anthony Spadea, who was re-elected to another three-year term, will serve with five owners and five trainers. After the results were certified, the new board was seated.

 

The owners are Shirley Dullea, Randy Andrews, Paul Umbrello, Susan Clark, and Manfred Roos. Dullea, Clark and Roos were re-elected while Andrews and Umbrello are first-termers. 

 

The trainers are board newcomers Alan Lockhart, Jay Bernardini, George Saccardo, Kevin McCarthy, and Matthew Clarke.

 

"I am grateful to all of the candidates who stepped up and ran for office for their participation in the process, and I appreciate all of the volunteers who gave freely of their time to ensure we had a fair and representative election," said Spadea. "Every person involved did so with the best interests of the horsemen in mind. As we go forward at this precarious time for live racing in New England, we pledge to work together industriously to find the best possible outcomes for our horsemen and to secure our future. I am confident that every board member will give his or her finest effort."

 

Now that Suffolk did not apply for 2015 racing dates and no other operator stepped forward, the horsemen are the last hope. But structuring an economically viable lease deal acceptable to the track's ownership, which maintained it lost $60 million in the last seven years, is a tall order.

 

Nonetheless, the horsemen remain optimistic and ownership has promised to keep an open mind.

 

"We have an awful lot of work to do, and believe me, we're going to do everything we can. Our number one goal is to lease Suffolk Downs and run a meet here," Spadea said.

 

But all hope will be crushed if the referendum to repeal the Massachusetts expanded gambling law is successful on Nov. 4. The repeal is question number 3 on the statewide ballot on election day.

 

The legislation, which was passed in 2011 and authorized three casinos in separate geographical regions and one stand-alone slots parlor anywhere in the state, is a lifeline for the racing industry. It established the Race Horse Development Fund (RHDF), which is to be fueled by gaming revenue and licensing fees.

 

With the RHDF to be divided 75% to the Thoroughbred industry and 25% to Standardbred horsemen, about $100 million in future revenue is at stake and 80% of that money is dedicated to purses, with the remaining 16% going to breeders and 4% to welfare.

 

If the referendum passes, the monies from the RHDF will evaporate into thin air.

 

"So many good things can happen, but only as long as there is that revenue available," said Spadea.

 

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission drove a dagger through the heart of the state's Thoroughbred industry when it granted the single Boston area casino license to Wynn Resorts instead of to Suffolk's gaming partner Mohegan Sun and its plan to develop a world class casino at the track. But after the fact, the gaming commission, which absorbed considerable heat for its decision that put track employees, horsemen and industry stakeholders out of work, did leave the door ajar.

 

Commissioners decided to accept "placeholder" live racing dates applications by the Oct. 1 deadline.

 

That gave the horsemen, who met the deadline, more time to work on a plan to lease the track. Meanwhile, George Carney also submitted an application for a 60-day meet at his family's Brockton Fairgrounds, which has a four-furlong track and no turf course and last held a meet in 2001.

 

Completed and detailed applications are due by Nov. 15 and a $125,000 bond must be put up for each.

 

The track's final meet closed Oct. 4 with jockey David Amiss and trainer Jay Bernardini each winning first-time seasonal honors, and Frank Bertolino's Monarch Stable leading owner for the fourth straight year.

 

Amiss, a finalist for the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, visited the winner's circle 62 times and enjoyed a 21% win percentage. Bernardini, who was voted the region's outstanding trainer by the New England Turf Writers Association in 2012, notched 58 wins and was also second in the owners' standings with 11 scores. Monarch Stable horses had 21 victories.

 

While 9,153 fans showed up on closing day and pounded the mutuel windows, seasonal totals for on-track handle and all sources handle and attendance were not available.