CAMPUS AND AREA
University Daily Kansan, March 20, 1984
Page 8
Racing
legalize pari-mutuel in the next general election
Testimony began yesterday in the House Federal and State Affairs Committee, one of two House committees considering the pari-mulet resolution
Several state legislators have taken a firm stance against pari-mutuel because they are worried that Kansans will squander money at the tracks and that gambling may bring organized crime to Kansas.
"It doesn't serve any good social purpose," said State Sen. Charlie Angell, R-Plains, one of the Legislature's most outspoken critics of pari-mutuel. "It takes advantage of a weakness that some people have."
Other legislators like State Rep. Lee jamm, R-Pratt, think the state could get tougher on police.
"A GOOD EXAMPLE of what could happen with pari-mutuel is what has happened with the little innocent child. We are having trouble controlling it."
For Gogoboom and other Kansas horsemen, there are still races to be won if they continue to haul their horses out of state to run for the big money.
But that prize money is often substantially offset by the expense of hauling their horses to other states to be boarded, trained and groomed.
1 'imagine that we spend at least $30,000 a year taking our horses out of the field.'
Actually, the spacing is more like it.
`$30,000 a year taking our horses out of the field.`
Let's re-examine the image.
The first line has `$30,000 a year`.
The second line has `taking our horses out of the field`.
Okay, I'm ready to transcribe.
1 'imagine that we spend at least $30,000 a year taking our horses out of the field.'
That $80,000 includes the cost of transporting and caring for the horses, various entry fees, and the cost of food and lodging when he is on the road
"A hotel room costs at least $20-$25 a day," he said. "In California it's more like $35."
HOGOOMOBOW OPERATION is big, but the costs of taking horses out of
state are equally painful for horsemen who operate on a smaller scale.
Dave Toltec races six quarter horses he trains on his ranch northwest of Topeka.
Tolle is the secretary-treasurer of Kansans for Pari-Mutuel and serves on the group's board of directors. In yesterday's committee hearing, he testified in favor of the pari-mutuel bill.
Karen Tolle, who helps manage the couple's racing ventures, estimated that last year she and her husband had six races in training and racing their horses out of state.
Dave Tolle said he and his wife spent about 20 weekends on the road between April and November following their horses to New Mexico, Nebraska and Colorado, used to race in Colorado before the only track in the state closed in 1982.
Gordon Crone, who races seven quarter horses and lives in Lakin in western Kansas, said he only raced out of the stadium due to a chance to race for small pursues in Kansas
Lakin estimated that transporting a horse on the highway costs about 40 cents a mile. In addition, he said he bought two motorcycles each weekend for personal expenses.
"I COULD SAVE about 30 percent a year if we had wiid-mutuel tracks in Kansas," he said. "If we had one in Wichita, I would have to hawk my horses now, and I stands now, the nearest track to me is about 500 miles away in New Mexico."
Although Toll's horses race mainly outside Kansas, they also run at Eureka Downs, about 35 miles east of El Dorado. Eureka Downs is the only operating horse-racing track in Kansas. Horses are allowed to race at Eureka, but spectators cannot legally bet on the results. As a result, the race
For this reason, Tolle said Kansas horsemen can still turn a profit over the large transportation costs by taking their horses out of state.
purses at Eureka are small compared with those at pari-mutuel tracks in other states.
the low range of the purses at pari-mutuel tracks is between $5,000 and $6,500," he said, "and they go up depending on the class of horses."
Tolle said that any race track, pari-mutuel or not, must skim money off the top of the purse. This money covers the track's operating expenses.
"EUREKA HAS the same personnel as the out-of-state tracks." Tola sland. "They have to pay them just like they stock in Oklahoma and Nebraska."
Consequently, when money for operating costs are subtracted from the pursue at a part-mutual track, the pursue is typically reduced as it often is at Kureke.
"When you race at Eureka, you usually are looking at a $350 or $40 purse with maybe $100 extra donated by local businesses." Tolle said. "The winner gets 50 percent of that, or about $25. I can't feed one of these animals and transport it around the country on that."
Tolle said that racing horses in Kansas was not profitable enough to mount a team.
Many Kansas horse owners have realized this and have moved to other stables where pari-mutual is legal to be used in racing operations profitable, Tolle said.
"What we are calling a business ends up being more like an expensive hobby."
"A large contingent of Kansas horsemen live out of state for part of the year," he said. "But a lot of people I know have moved out permanently."
Constitution. If the Legislature approves the measure by a two-thirds vote, it would be placed before voters in the next general election.
continued from p. 1
Nebraska
Tim Schmad, director of public relations at AK-SAR-BN race track in Omaha, the success of horse races on the streets in the size and quality of the race tracks.
The best horsemen race their horses where they can win the largest purses, Schmad said, and the largest purses are usually at the largest tracks.
Horse race in Kansas probably will start at county fairgrounds on small tracks, he said, and the tracks will have trouble attracting the best horses.
"HORSES WILL EAT every day, no matter where they're running," he said. "Horsesmen have to run where they can win the money."
Schmad said tracks based the size of purses on attendance and the amount of money bet. In Nebraska, 5 cents of every dollar bet goes into purse money. AK-SAR-BEN's average daily attendance last season was 13,655, betting an average of about $1.6 million a day. AK-SAR-BEN last year awarded more than $8 million in purses, which ranged from $4,500 to $150,000.
Another problem with county fair tracks is their size. Schmid said. Most county fair tracks are 5/8 mile, and many horsemen prefer mile tracks.
"I Kansas spends a couple of million dollars and builds a super plant, it will be able to attract the good stables," he said. "It's a county fair route, it may have trouble."
"THERE ARE SHARPER turns in 5/8 tracks," he said, "and less straight running. Some jockeys and horsemen refuse to run on them."
New tracks often cannot consistently draw a crowd large enough to offer lollipops.
Three horses vie for first place as they near the finish line in a race at AK-SAR-BEN in Omaha, Neb. AK-SAR-BEN officials are concerned about competition from states that have recently legalized pari-mutuel betting. Kansas legislators are considering a resolution that would place the issue on the next general-election ballot.
AK-SAR-BEN, a mile-long track, is the largest racing complex in the Midwest, comparable in size to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., home of the Kentucky Derby, and Arlington Park in Chicago.
But AK-SAR-BEN usually has higher attendance and higher earnings than those tracks, Schmid said. Total attendance for 85 days of racing in 1983 was the number of million and the mutual handle, the amount bond, was more than $137 million.
Schmad said that a racing season in Kansas could affect AK-SAR-BEN's attendance if the season ran concurrently with AK-SAR-BEN's May-to-August schedule, especially if the track were built near Kansas City, Mo.
Schmad estimated that AK-SAR BEN drew 5,000 fans from the Kansas
City area every weekend. About one-half of AK-SAR BEN's daily attendance comes from over 50 miles from Omaha, he said.
Schmad said the main benefit of pari-mutuel betting was the money brought into the city and state. Last year, Nebraska collected $7 million in pari-mutuel taxes, and Omaha restaurants, hotels and shopping centers earned about $27 million from the business attracted by the track
The state also benefits from AK-SAR-BEN's civic, educational and agricultural donations, Schmid said. The state requires that AK-SAR-BEN, a non-profit organization, donate its profits after operating expenses are deducted. Last year AK-SAR-BEN donated more than $1 million.
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N. ZR 106
March 23,1984
March 23, 1984
Burge Union      Party Room
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Music by        Roy Valasquez
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Tickets on sale in front of Union and Wescoe
Round 'em up and head 'em out to the Lawrence Opera House Fri., March 23rd, 7-12 p.m.
Rodeo
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