Thanks for the article about the possibility of Hialeah not running a proper race meet in 2017 (Hialeah May Join Mickey Mouse Circuit, 10/7/16). I have been a fan of Hialeah since I first visited the track many years ago. I was sorry to see the end of high quality Thoroughbred racing at the track due to the ongoing dispute of the three tracks in South Florida. When racing resumed with Quarter Horses, I tried to support them by betting via simulcast. I also hoped to plan a trip to see the live racing at the track. But this article just shows where racing may be going due to the lack of promotion by the track owners. Most tracks that have casinos seem only to care about the casino operations. Little is done to promote gambling on the horses and most don't even advertise they have racing. I have been in many casino/racetracks where if you enter the casino, you would not even know they have racing. This is where state regulators need to provide more oversight. If you get a casino license due to racing and the premise is to improve the state breeding and keep open spaces through horse farms, then you should be required to promote a real live racing product. If you don't make a good faith effort you should either be made to sell the facility to another operator or lose your gaming license. But I guess Florida officials have been more concerned with the tax revenue they receive rather than the long term goals they sold to the citizens when they legalized casino operations at racetracks. If this sham racing is allowed I feel we should be prepared for other states to follow. And the day may come when we have little racing to enjoy other than a few big meets that can generate enough revenue on horse racing to survive.
Thank you,
John Chambers
Lansdowne, PA
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