Rockingham won't hold harness meet

Rockingham Park in New Hampshire will not hold a live harness racing meet this year, the track announced on Wednesday, citing the state legislature's decision last year to rescind funding for the New Hampshire Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission.

In a release, the track's general manager, Ed Callahan, said that efforts to convince the legislature to restore funding for the commission had failed. Callahan also said that the track will continue to offer full-card simulcasts of horse and dog races and will continue to offer bingo and other legal gambling games as track officials lobby for legislation that would allow Rockingham and other state facilities to install slot machines.

Last year, Rockingham Park held a 50-day live harness meet. The track has not held a Thoroughbred meet since 2002, although the track did hold three live Thoroughbred races in 2004 on the last day of its harness meet.