Following yesterday’s announcement that Penn National Gaming would request to move its Raceway Park harness racing license to Austintown, OH and its Beulah Park thoroughbred racing license to north of Dayton, OH, pending VLT approval, Brock Milstein of Northfield Park and Lou Carlo of Lebanon Raceway shared their opinions

of the proposal.

In a letter addressed to William Koester, chairman of the Ohio State Racing Commission, Milstein said that Northfield Park “question[s] the legality of the proposals as they have been reported to the press.”

Milstein also expressed concern that “Given the wide ranging and obvious difficulties that are plaguing all Ohio race tracks, including severe declines in handle and shortages of horses, I strongly believe that adding another track or relocating an existing track will only exacerbate our already significant problems as an industry.” But if the Penn National proposal is seriously considered by the racing commission, Northfield Park would “very much desire to be part of the process,” believing that they “are the only party that could realistically turn an otherwise inherently dilutive and destructive situation into a positive for the industry.”

Meanwhile, Lou Carlo of Lebanon Trotting Club at Lebanon Raceway told the commissioners and representatives of Penn National that Lebanon would “strongly oppose any movement into the territory we operate in.”

Despite assurances from Penn National President and CEO Tim Willmot that the relocations “will be a benefit to the state of Ohio and racing industry in Ohio,” Carlo said that Lebanon, which also is interested in a move toward Dayton if VLTs are approved, would be in competition with the proposed Penn National racino.

The Ohio State Racing Commission took no action on Penn National’s request, which is moot if VLTs fail to be approved in the state.

(Harness Tracks of America)

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