Although Running Aces Harness Park has now been completely shut down for one full week due to a State of Minnesota budget impasse between the Governor and the Legislature, the track has joined thoroughbred counterpart Canterbury Park in a ‘motion for reconsideration’
court filing in hopes that the 2011 racing season can still be saved.
Horsemen at both tracks have held mass meetings and bonded together to stay in Minnesota as long as possible trying to save the season, but the window is closing and the entire racing industry is hopeful that Judge Kathleen Gearin will rule in their favour and allow the self-sustaining Minnesota Racing Commission to resume operations, which in turn would allow racing to begin again.
Running Aces has over 600 employees on layoff while Canterbury has over 1,000. Running Aces is losing over $100,000 per day in revenues because the card room casino is also regulated by the MRC and thus is closed. The harness track has over $30,000 in fixed daily costs even while closed, including the expense of keeping the racetrack open for the horsemen to continue training while the racing is suspended.
A 10-race program has been drawn at Running Aces for Saturday night and another program will be drawn Friday morning for Sunday. All trainers who entered were alerted that if either or both of the weekend cards are postponed, they will carry over to Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.
(Running Aces)
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