This afternoon, a conference call with representatives from all facets of the New Jersey racing and casino community failed to yield a resolution to the Freehold purse supplement issue.

Joe Corbo, from the New Jersey Casino Association, agreed to take a written request from Freehold's parent company, Pennwood (Penn National Gaming and Greenwood), back to his group, but gave little encouragement that the casinos would agree to the payment of $1.6 million to Freehold's purse account without Pennwood signing off on the purse supplement agreement.

Joel Sterns of Sterns & Weinroth, moderator of the 90-minute conference call and counsel to the SBOANJ, warned Freehold's representatives that they were looking at the demise of the track if they did not accept the agreement.

"The SBOANJ is prepared to pull authorization for simulcasting signals at Freehold and will be notifying Freehold that its deadline will now be Thursday, November 13, 2008," said SBOANJ president Tom Luchento.

Participating in the conference call were Sterns; Corbo and Joe Fusco from the New Jersey Casino Authority; Dennis Robinson and Mark Stefanacci from the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority; Chris McErlean and Karin Ashford from Penn National; Donald Codey from Freehold Raceway; Frank McDonnell from Philadelphia Park; Phil Norcross from Parker, McCay, and Tom Luchento and Leo McNamara of the SBOANJ.

(SBOANJ)