After a hardy debate on March 6, the IHHA Board of Directors approved a contract proposal offered to them by the sister tracks of Balmoral and Maywood Parks. “This fight has been about us getting to race for our $5.35 million,” said IHHA President Dave McCaffrey. The new contract allows racing to resume on Friday, March 14 and continue through June 31, 2015, with a 10% purse cut immediately, and another 15% decrease to begin Jan. 29, 2015.  There will be no racing on March 19 and 26, and any future Wednesday cancellations in April and through the end of 2014 would have to be approved by the IHHA Board. There will be approximately 56 races per week in 2014, except during State Fair weeks at Springfield and DuQuoin. “2014 will be much healthier for the horsemen than 2015, but it gives the horsemen time to plan for their future,” McCaffrey stressed. [DRF HARNESS: LIKE us on Facebook and get timely updates on the latest harness news] There will be 24 dark days in 2015, beginning Jan. 4 through Jan. 28, with the 15% purse cut to begin Jan. 29, 2015, meaning that purses will be 25% lower than 2013 levels. Wednesday racing will be eliminated in 2015, with 44 races weekly: Thursday and Friday at Maywood, and Saturday and Sunday at Balmoral, through June 30. “The tracks have agreed to pay $2.5 million into our purse account, which is equivalent to 30% of recapture,” McCaffrey said. “Those purse structures will keep us at a healthy level until June 30, 2015. If we end up having a negative $2.5 million balance, which is unlikely, then the tracks have the option to reduce the purses by five percent a month.” The new contract also stipulates that the IHHA take a $1,200 cut in daily operating expenses, reducing it from the current level of $6,200 per day to $5,000 per day.  It also approves the Betzotic (ADW) contract for this same time period and gives the track dark host and simulcast status for all of 2014 and 2015.  The racetracks will continue to take 70% of recapture monies, leaving the bottom level purses at $2,700 in 2014. “Recapture continues to eat up almost 40% of what we generate and that percentage only grows when our handle declines,” McCaffrey acknowledged.  “This process has been very frustrating and dreadfully agonizing.  This gives us a clear picture of what our business is going to look like for the next 16 months and horsemen should understand that the clock on the life of Illinois harness racing is ticking.” If any positive events (i.e. VLT approval at racetracks) come to fruition in the next three legislative sessions, then all of the numbers going forward from July 1, 2015 would have to be renegotiated, McCaffrey added. “We’ve come a long way in these negotiations,” he revealed. “The first condition sheet that came out after the ADW bill was passed saw purses cut by 31%, so a 10% reduction is a huge victory for us.” The $2.5 million that the tracks are adding to the purse account will be repaid to them via future simulcast dollars. [DRF HARNESS: Sign Up for the FREE DRF Harness Newsletter Today!]