The Daily Racing Form, horse racing's premier international publication, reported today that an unusual regulatory petition is stirring confusion among Florida horsemen and breeders who do not know whether the request to the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering indicates an attempt by “GPTARP,” as it is known, to conduct an end-run around legal requirements for a binding agreement with the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (FHBPA).
“GPTARP,” the acronym for “Gulfstream Park Thoroughbred Aftercare Retirement Program,” is the new name for Gulfstream’s decades-old Quarter Horse permit, which was converted this past February 2013 into a Thoroughbred permit.
Last year, “GPTARP,” a non-profit entity, also sought to be declared as the lowest pari-mutuel revenue generator for a certain time period, so as to secure a “Summer Jai Alai” permit that would then, in turn, allow it to re-apply for another Quarter Horse permit. The State of Florida turned down the request, which was based on a phony “race” staged on April 8, 2012, featuring two Gretna “Pari-Mutuel Barrel Racing” women dressed up as jockeys and mounted on aged horses of questionable breeding that were bedecked in Western-style saddles. The horses, one of which had been entered the same day as the “race,” were started at the drop of a flag. Shockingly, wagering was offered on the event, which had not even been sanctioned by the American Quarter Horse Association as being a legitimate Quarter Horse race. To round out GPTARP’s “meet,” a Thoroughbred race at Gulfstream on December 31, 2011 had been run under the GPTARP permit (likely unbeknownst to the entries’ connections). It is predicated on these two “races” that GPTARP’s 2,000 slot machines would be installed, if allowed.
Also a remaining question is whether the GPTARP permit is domiciled in Miami-Dade or Broward. The case is mired in administrative litigation. Certainly, the actual location of GPTARP’s address given in the March 7, 2013 petition is troubling, with its “corporate offices” located on or off Gulfstream’s property, depending upon the source consulted. According to the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser, the address does not exist.
But Tim Ritvo, general manager of Gulfstream Park, said horsemen have no reason to fear the plans of GPTARP. He said that under a contract the track reached with horsemen earlier this year “they are guaranteed a share of any revenue from slot machines if we exercise the permit.” The contract runs for at least 25 years, Ritvo said.
Record crowds, increased handle, growing purses, jobs, businesses and positive economic impact throughout Florida were the clear result of legitimate horse racing held at Gulfstream Park, Hialeah Park and Calder Race Course this year. Florida’s horse breeding industry also produced the 2013 winner of the world’s richest race—the $10 Million Dubai World Cup.
“The record crowd of 20,382 surpassed the previous attendance record in Gulfstream's facility of 18,224 set last year on Florida Derby Day," stated a spokeman for the racetrack. "Total handle that day of $24.66 million eclipsed last year’s record of $24.61 million. Total on-track handle was $4.36 million—up 7.1 per cent from last year.”
“It’s clear, hard evidence that, with proper management, Florida horse racing is stronger than ever,” said Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association Executive Director Kent Stirling. “Now is the time to fully understand that the scope of racing’s economic impact reaches far beyond the racetrack itself—from the thousands of small businesses that support racetrack operations, to Florida’s world-class agri-business breeding industry, tourism, real estate and many other positively impacted industries.”
As Florida’s Legislature works this year to illuminate gambling’s gray areas, however, a simple, yet insidious loophole remains: With no definition of “horse race” on Florida’s law books, counties have rushed to hold slot referendums in the wake of “pari-mutuel barrel racing.”
Designed to exploit Florida’s requirement for slot machine licensees to hold live racing, “pari-mutuel barrel racing” led copycat to “races” being held with as few as two horses ridden by house-owned riders—instead of the thousands of independent competitors that would normally come to Florida for legitimate competition—thereby squelching the jobs, business and economic impact they otherwise create. Meanwhile, the offending pari-mutuel permit holders quickly capitalized on the attendant bonus profits of 365-day card rooms and their permits’ slot machine potential.
Emboldened, some pari-mutuels have started to define a “horse race” anyway they want, resulting in further decimation of legitimate Florida horse racing, the 104,000 annual jobs it creates and its resulting $2.2 billion statewide economic impact.
If there's one thing that's clear after last fall's elections, it's the fact that Florida residents are looking for more ways to legitimately gamble with their hard earned money! Recent actions by the state of Florida attempting to curtail the activities of so-called "penny palaces" are only the first of many steps to try and reign in the wild west mentality held by some members of the gaming industry. It will be interesting to see what the ultimate landscape of Florida gaming is in the near future? Are we going to become more like Monte Carlo, Las Vegas, or some seedy OTB parlor? Anyone want to bet on it?
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