Harness: Why can’t the Harness Racing industry work together?

The longest 10 years of my life; that is how I described the last six months to a friend of mine that lives in a state with far fewer restrictions and with far more freedoms than New York City has had over the COVID-19 period. The time has felt like an eternity. Case in point, Kobe Bryant died seven months ago and it feels like a decade. But it is more than that. I feel like a much different person than I was six months ago, certainly than I was six years ago.

This period of time, one which none of us will ever forget, has left us with feelings covering the entire spectrum of emotions at one time or another. Personally, I have come to really focus on what matters in life. I focus on what I have, not what I don't. I look at my children and try every day to do better for them. I want them to look back on this time and think that despite everything going on in the world, for them it wasn't so bad. That's my job as a parent.

It has been difficult for all of us, especially for those of us in the New York/New Jersey area. Many of us, myself included, have lost family members to COVID-19. Many of us, myself included, have friends who are struggling right now because of the impact it has had on the businesses they own, or companies they work for. Hopefully those struggles have inspired us to step up and help in any way we can.

In the sport of harness racing, we have also seen challenging times. Racetracks in New York are struggling mightily because casinos in the state have been shuttered. That changes on September 9, but make no mistake, operating at 25% capacity is no day at the beach. The challenges remain. Funding a purse account with 25% occupancy in a casino is no easy task.

In Pennsylvania, we have seen layoffs at racetracks and casinos. There is great concern over what the budget will look like in the years to come regarding the Race Horse Development Fund. Prior to the pandemic, the governor proposed an 80 percent reduction of that subsidy to the racetracks. Months later, in the midst of a pandemic, it's hard to be optimistic that will change.

New Jersey will face a challenge also. The Governor, who has been a staunch supporter of racing, left the $20 Million in appropriations for the racing industry out of his proposed budget. When you consider that $20 Million equates to .06% of the total state-wide budget, one can hope that appropriation for racing will return, but right now it is probably a coin flip.

Years ago, along with many other employees, stakeholders and lifelong fans of harness racing, I talked about a need for having to put something aside for a rainy day. I referred to all of the casino subsidies harness racing was receiving as a checking account which was continuously replenished and all the funds spent on purses. Basically the industry was living paycheck to paycheck, which was crazy given how large that paycheck was. Harness racing had no savings account and certainly no 401k plan for the future. That really could have come in handy now, because in case you haven't noticed, it's raining.

A common response to the criticism about how all this money was simply put into purses was, "this is what the law says we have to do with the money." As if harness racing interests and lobbyists were not a part of drafting of those laws.

I never could have imagined that a global pandemic would have put harness racing in this position. Like others, I thought eventually these purse subsidies would diminish in order to save the jobs of essential workers, fill gaps in state-pension obligations, etc. But, here we are.

It's too late to do anything about the mistakes of the last 15 years and I honestly don't know what harness racing will look like a year from now, but if there is any chance of harness racing prospering in the future, changes need to be made.

I am shocked that I still see bickering in the harness racing media. One industry stakeholder says something and days later another writes an open letter to counter what he said. When I see that, it tells me somehow, despite all that we have been through as a society, despite all the hardships those within this industry have faced, people still do not get it. I don't know if it's ego, if it's stubbornness or if it stems from genuine dislike between certain individuals; but it has to stop now.

Allow me to use myself as an example. I grew up around racing. I worked very hard in my twenties, traveling up and down the east coast to announce races for $200 a day, just to try and get my foot in the door. I eventually was placed into some very prominent roles and wanted to enact change. Unfortunately, I went about it the wrong way. I was immature and grew angry when I encountered roadblocks and at times I did not behave the way someone in my position should have. Thankfully, I have learned from my mistakes, have grown as a person and now take a far more even-tempered approach. I ask that others in the industry acknowledge their mistakes and start on the path to making the necessary changes that will lead to the viability of the industry.

Look at the world around us. All across the globe industries are coming together to enact change, to support one another, whether it be social injustice or support of industries struggling during this pandemic. Companies that are in competition with another have worked together, realizing there is no rivalry without the industry thriving as a whole. Harness racing must do the same thing. I can only hope they do and that it is not too late.