What happens when the corporate welfare you’ve been receiving for some 20 years is no longer enough? We may be finding out in West Virginia where that state’s two Thoroughbred tracks, citing a lack of adequate purse money, are dropping end-of-year race-dates – 21 combined between Mountaineer and Charles Town. In a rich explanation relayed by Blood-Horse, officials say the insufficient purse money is a result of “legislative grabs” of the tracks’ Video Lottery Terminal revenue.
Just to be clear, VLT revenue that’s funneled into purses is a subsidy from the state; subsidies, by definition, are gifts. So if the state is grabbing, it’s only grabbing back what should never have been the horse people’s in the first place. Here’s hoping that West Virginia continues to grab until Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort and Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races drop the racing parts of their names.
More great news. Fewer racing dates at Mountaineer and Charles Town, where countless racehorses make one last stop before their final breakdown and/or disappearing into the slaughter pipeline. Pity the horses that find themselves there…
Amen, Joy! Mountaineer was the “final” stop for Deputy Broad, whose owner/trainer, Danny R. Bird, sold Deputy to the contract kill buyer, Fred Bauer. Of course, Ms.. Williams, Racing Director at Mountaineer, covered for Bird and refused to enforce Mountaineer’s “no horse to slaughter” policy. Finally, let’s not forget that Mountaineer has been the “home” for the Baird family. Where have many of the Baird horses gone? Anyone with minimal intelligence should know. Yep, great news that these “hell hole” tracks are providing fewer racing dates for the horsemen.