On Monday, March 4, the Illinois Harness Horsemen's Association provided an update on contract negotiations between itself, the operators of Balmoral and Maywood Park and the Illinois Racing Board.

The IHHA has stated that the length of the contract being negotiated continues to be the sticking point.

The update from horsemen association president Dave McCaffrey also states that the IHHA “happily welcomes the IRB mandate of mediation.”

The contents of the update from the IHHA appears below.

Discussions between all parties (IHHA, May/Blmp, and IRB) took place today with no agreement. The length of the contract continues to be a major sticking point.

On a separate note, I want to comment on mediation; I hope to clear up some possible misconceptions. First and foremost, mediation has been mandated by the IRB. This was a result of negotiations that endlessly unfold like the movie ‘Groundhog Day.’ Almost daily, potential deals progress and then inevitably blow up. After witnessing these events for the umpteenth time over the weekend, the IRB mandated mediation.

The IHHA happily welcomes the IRB mandate of mediation. Perhaps, with professional help, a deal can actually make it to the finish line and a deal can be made.

The IHHA proposal to race through the mediation process has been met with a thud. With $5.5 million in our purse account, there is absolutely no reason in the world that we shouldn't be racing for 2013 purses, IF NOT MORE, during the process.

In the meantime, we'll keep trying to make a deal that ensures horse people of racing for their money, preferably in 2014.

In a related note, McCaffrey has been cited as saying that he believes there is a 50-50 chance that a gaming expansion bill that could bring slot machines to racetracks in the state could be passed this year.