The future of racing at Pompano Park and possibly harness racing in the state of Florida will be decided in the very near future as the deadline approaches for the track to decide on racing dates for the next fiscal year. While government officials could move the date, requests need to be submitted by the end of February for dates between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022. Meetings are ongoing between Caesars Entertainment officials and the Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association, according to FSBOA board member Joe Pennacchio. "We have been and continue to negotiate with them to come up with a long-term solution for harness racing in Florida," said Pennacchio, who added that the negotiations were not hostile and very business-like. "We are dealing with Caesars, and Joe Morris is their Senior Vice President of all their horse racing facilities. He's a great guy and a pleasure to deal with. I'm hoping something good will come out of this for the horsemen and women in Florida so they can continue to race. "My goal is that there is harness racing in Florida in the future, either at Pompano or somewhere else." There are certainly many facets to the situation in Florida. If a deal is reached between the FSBOA and Caesars to race off the grounds of Pompano Park, the pari-mutuel license would need to be transferred since the state is not going to issue a second Standardbred license. Likely, the license would also need to be approved in a different county, which would need further government approval. There is also a pending joint lawsuit with the Standardbred and Thoroughbred groups joining forces to fight an application to approve year-round Jai alai at Pompano Park. The lawsuit has been in the 4th district court of appeals in West Palm Beach since April of 2020 according to Pennacchio. Currently Caesars owns a license to offer Jai alai or Quarter Horse racing from June 1 to October 1 each year and in theory it could apply for a Quarter Horse meet for 2021/2022 in an attempt to end harness racing. Sources have told DRF that a deal on the table involves Caesars agreeing to one more season of racing, transferring of the racing license to FSBOA and cash in exchange for the group leaving Pompano and other considerations. "I'm cautiously optimistic. I'd say it is a fairly good shot," said Pennacchio about the continuation of harness racing in Florida, while refusing to comment on the specifics of the negotiations. Almost a year ago, the owner and amateur driver was less hopeful about the future. "Only because things have changed there," added Pennacchio of the reason to be optimistic. "It's no longer Isle of Capri, it's Caesars, who is the biggest gaming company in the world with the addition of William Hill. It is a different negotiation and discussion. They respect the fact that we have raced here for over 50 years. The previous group tried to get rid of us every year. This is two sides who want to go forward, not necessarily hand in hand, but each side is committed to doing it in a way that is mutually beneficial to both parties. It's not easy for them and they have been incredibly respectful of harness racing in Florida." Assuming the horsemen and women who compete at Pompano Park are displaced due to an agreement with Caesars, Pennacchio and the FSBOA will need to find them a new home. "We've been working on it for a substantial amount of time," said Pennacchio. "Nothing is going to happen overnight. The FSBOA has been working for a year or longer on the what-if possibilities and possible locations." The black cloud of an uncertain future at Pompano Park has coincided with a renaissance for handle at the Florida track. Once at the bottom of the sea in North American wagering totals, the track has risen to the stars, even setting an all-time single-night handle record of $1.6 million on February 15. As of February 24, Pompano has broken the million-dollar mark an amazing 16 times in 2021. That places it in rarified air among harness tracks with The Meadowlands, Woodbine Mohawk Park and Northfield Park as facilities which hit the million-dollar ceiling daily. Through the first 38 days of the year total handle stands at $35.4 million, a 153% gain over the same period from 2020 ($13.98 million). For the meet, which started November 3, 2020, handle sits at over $53 million, a 128% gain year-over-year versus 2019-2020. There are certainly many reasons for the increased handle. One is the shutdown of racing in Canada for nearly two months that led to decreased competition. Pennacchio threw much of the credit for the surging handle to Caesars Director of Racing and Pompano track announcer Gabe Prewitt. "I can't speak more highly of Gabe Prewitt and the job he has done. He's a miracle worker. What he has been able to do is unbelievable. It's not like he is doing it one time on a big card. He's doing it day-in and day-out," said Pennacchio. While the handle numbers have been impressive, with much of it coming from off-track locations, it only pays for a few races of purse money on any given card. The cold hard fact is that the true value of Pompano Park comes in the 230 acres of prime Broward County real estate where the track sits. The redevelopment of the property is the motivating factor to end a 57-year run of racing in Pompano Beach. The run of Pompano Park as the home of winter harness racing seems to have hit the top of the stretch, but the track has been on the brink of closing for nearly a decade and has somehow survived. While fans of the historic track may not know for sure whether the race is over at the end of business on Friday, there will certainly be some clarity to the situation. With any luck, there will also be hope for the future of Standardbred racing in the Sunshine state.