The state of Minnesota’s government shutdown, which began at midnight Thursday evening, is threatening to postpone or end the 2011 race meet at Running Aces
. It already has temporarily shutdown the 50-table card room casino at Running Aces that contributes significantly to the purse pool.
Democratic Governor Mark Dayton and the Republican-controlled Minnesota House of Representatives and Senate failed after months of wrangling to produce a compromise budget by the July 1 deadline and thus many “non-essential” state agencies and tens of thousands of state employees have been laid off, including the administration, veterinary and judging staffs of the Minnesota Racing Commission, which are needed to conduct a race program.
Running Aces and its Minnesota thoroughbred counterpart Canterbury Park are arguing today before a “Special Master” who has been appointed by a District Court judge that the tracks should be allowed to reopen immediately and that the Minnesota Racing Commission should receive the same consideration as certain other state agencies that have been allowed to continue operations because they are self-sufficient, such as state universities and the state zoo.
The tracks argue that the licensing fees they pay for their card room casinos, coupled with the licensing fees all employees and racing participants pay for their annual MRC licenses, covers much of the cost of the commission’s operation. Additionally, any commission expenses not covered by licensing fees are statutorily reimbursed by the two tracks.
Thus attorneys for the two tracks are arguing that the tracks are not part of the budget impasse that exists as any money budgeted for Minnesota Racing Commission operations is totally independently funded and the state only makes revenues through racing and card room taxes while all expenses are reimbursed, a month at a time and in advance.
Running Aces, which has completed just 18 or 51 scheduled programs for 2011, did not have a program scheduled for Friday night but has already drawn race programs for Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the coming week. Decisions will be reached on a daily basis on the status of those programs until the situation gets clarification. State law requires Running Aces to race 50 programs annually in order to operate the card room casino.
“The horsemen here at Running Aces enjoy the facility, the racing and the atmosphere. None of them want to see the program aborted in the middle of the meet. All have agreed to stay up to one full week in hopes a settlement can be reached and we can get back to what we do,” said Director of Racing Gregg Keidel. “If the Governor and state legislators can’t agree on a new two-year budget, or the two tracks can’t get court relief to continue operations with a week, however, I fear that the entire racing season could be in jeopardy. We can’t ask our loyal participants, who could be making money at other tracks in other states, to wait this out forever.”
(Running Aces)