by Tom LaMarra, USTA web newsroom correspondent

Lexington, KY — As the Kentucky harness racing season gets underway, it appears 2008 will be a year of the status quo. That’s not good, but given the alternative, it’s not bad, either.

The season begins April 10 at Players Bluegrass Downs in Paducah. Live harness racing moves to Thunder Ridge Raceway near Prestonsburg in late May, and The Red Mile in late July.

Legislation to authorize a constitutional amendment on casino gambling in Kentucky died during the current legislative session. And though racetracks wouldn’t have benefited this year even if had received legislative approval and ultimately an affirmative vote by the public in November, the wait just got longer.

The meets will go on. Pre-meet qualifiers at Bluegrass Downs have attracted quite a few horses even though the purse schedule calls for a bottom of $1,000 and a top of $2,000. Thunder Ridge will race spring/summer dates this year and return to evening racing.

The Red Mile, the state’s flagship harness track, figures to have a successful two-week Grand Circuit meet in terms of quality. It’s the late summer/early fall portion of the meet that has track chief executive officer Joe Costa concerned.

“If you don’t have purses supplemented by slot machines, you can’t compete for horses,” Costa said of The Red Mile’s non-stakes offerings. “I’m expecting that, based on our purse structure, it will be extremely difficult for The Red Mile to attract horses.”

The same was expected this time last year, but circumstances brought about a different result. The Meadows in western Pennsylvania shut down in August for preliminary construction on a slots casino, and some horsemen made The Red Mile their home.

The Red Mile ended up with so many horses it carded some 15-18 race programs to accommodate them on a three-nights-per-week schedule. The track also raced Sunday and Monday nights, which are dark days in neighboring Indiana.

Costa said this year could be quite different. The Meadows will be open in August, and horsemen are trying to make inroads at Indiana tracks in advance of slots revenue that will kick in next year.

“We were fortunate The Meadows shut down,” Costa said. “Not only were we able to get tremendous volume, we attracted some of the greatest drivers. Having Dave Palone here every night was a testament to that. But the only way we increase our (horse) population is if there is devastation somewhere else.

“That was an absolute aberration last year. But if I could figure out how to live from aberration to aberration, I would do it.”

The Red Mile will again race Thursday, Sunday, and Monday nights with first post at 6:30 p.m. (EDT) beginning July 27. The Grand Circuit session, with all afternoon racing, kicks off Sept. 23.

Last year, The Red Mile held its first “super night” of Kentucky Sire Stakes events. This year, each of the eight finals will go for $300,000, and racing officials in the state last year pledged to better promote the evening of racing, which wasn’t well-attended in 2007.

Indeed, promotion of harness racing in Kentucky is practically nonexistent. State officials said they hope the Kentucky Sire Stakes finals do something to generate interest in the sport.

The stakes program at The Red Mile is heavily funded by horsemen via various stakes payments. Still, Costa said the track owners contribute about $1 million to support the stakes program.

“It’s very frustrating for an executive to run an institution that on no level can compete (with gaming), and then go to board members and encourage them to compete,” Costa said. “The guys have been willing to hang there and be hopeful, but optimism is tough.

“I expect a very tough year the first part of the meet, but the Grand Circuit is still the Grand Circuit. It’s a two-week event at which we get to express the Lexington experience in a convention-like environment.”

Though it’s not a lot of money, the three Kentucky harness tracks would, under a $19-billion two-year state budget approved earlier in April, not have to pay daily assessments to the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority on live racing days. If the line item isn’t vetoed by Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, The Red Mile stands to keep about $60,000.

There is some controversy over the plan, because the KHRA is severely under-funded and is facing cuts in staff. Costa acknowledged the need for funds for KHRA operations, but also noted the impact even $60,000 could have on a small track.

“For us, $60,000 is like $600,000 for Churchill Downs,” he said. “It’s even greater than that if we can encourage Bluegrass Downs and Thunder Ridge (to stay in business). The business model is in a downward spiral. This is not about getting rich — it’s about being able to compete.”