Suffolk's weekend cards in limbo as legislature fails to extend racing law

Simulcasting operations were suspended in Massachusetts on Wednesday after the state legislature failed to pass a bill extending the state’s expiring racing law, but racing officials were hopeful that the legislature would act on Thursday afternoon to address the problem.

The state’s House of Representatives had passed the bill extending the law earlier in the session, but the Senate failed to take up the bill during the closing hours of the formal session on July 31 as it dealt with a backlog of legislation. Both houses of the legislature are due back for an informal session at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

Chip Tuttle, the chief operating officer of Suffolk Downs, which has live racing scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, said he was hopeful the legislature would approve the bill on Thursday, allowing Suffolk to restart simulcasting for the afternoon signals and hold its two live racing days this weekend.

“Right now I am telling horsemen to plan on running,” Tuttle said. “We will know more this afternoon.”

This story will be updated throughout the day.