No Horsemen's Deal in Ohio

Ohio’s three Thoroughbred racetracks have mapped out their live racing schedules for 2011, but two of them still have no agreement with horsemen on racing dates.

The Ohio State Racing Commission approved the dates earlier this year, but in the cases of River Downs and Thistledown, it noted the tracks don’t have the required “two-party agreement” with the Ohio Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. Both tracks have requested fewer dates than required by state statute.

Beulah Park was approved for 122 programs, which meets the statutory requirement. River Downs, at 81 days, and Thistledown, at 122 days, fall short of their minimums, which are tied to the number of live racing dates held when full-card simulcasts became legal in the mid-1990s.

Absent a deal with horsemen, the tracks won’t be able to import full-card simulcasts in 2012.