1/12/04
FOR RELEASE: IMMEDIATE
CONTACT: TAMARA PETTIT
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
304-387-8335(OFFICE)304-479-8097(CELL)
CHESTER, WV - A
three-year contract between Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort and the Horseman’s Benevolent Protective Association
(HBPA) was signed Saturday evening. The agreement includes “an
effort to conduct 232 racing days in 2004,” but
acknowledges that “due to the cancellation of racing thus far, a maximum
of 228 racing days are anticipated in 2004.” Operating in the absence of
a contract since January 1, Mountaineer had assessed a rental fee of $8/per day/
per horse stabled at Mountaineer as well as required
horsemen to sign a waiver of liability and provide proof of Worker’s Comp
coverage for the horseman’s employees.
With
the signing of the agreement Mountaineer President & CEO
Ted Arneault and Mountaineer Racing Director Rose Mary Williams
are in the process of notifying horseman that all checks
received for the rental of those stalls would be returned.
According to a letter signed by Arneault, the checks collected
during this time had never been cashed. The letter states
the following: “As you know, during the period of time
between the expiration of the old HBPA agreement and the
execution of the new agreement, Mountaineer lost approximately
$175,000. However, the horsemen also lost an equal amount in the purse account.
The amounts can never be made up. The only way we can make up such loss is by
working together to create a better racing product, which we hope will generate
greater revenues.
“It
is within this spirit that Rose Mary and I have decided that
we will return all checks collected for rent in the past
two weeks.” The new contract guarantees that Mountaineer
will card ten races for eight months and no less than nine
races for the remainder of the year. The condition book will
provide bottom claiming not to exceed $4,000 from January
to June 30, 2004 with that amount to increase to $5,000 from
July 1, 2004 to December 1, 2005.
Under the
new agreement, the horsemen’s bookkeeper will become
a Mountaineer employee following a transition period. Mountaineer
and the HBPA will equally share the cost of a paddock blacksmith.
A three-year agreement was also penned on the simulcast of
Mountaineer races. “We look forward to working with
the HBPA to enhance racing awareness and
revenues in 2004,” said Williams. “In the past ten year, Mountaineer
has seen a phenomenal increase in the quality of our racing product due the influx
of video lottery revenue into the purse fund. I anticipate the next decade to
be even greater.”
“The
growth and development of Mountaineer in the past decade
has played an integral role in the economic development of
our area and of our State,” said Arneault. “During
that time, we have seen our racing product evolve into a
premier simulcast signal. Thoroughbred racing is an integral
part of our ability to market Mountaineer as a total destination
resort.”
“Horsemen
at Mountaineer will benefit from the addition of racing days
to our racing calendar,” said Chuck Bailey, HBPA president. “We
believe the new contract will benefit horseman and we forward
to working cooperatively with Mountaineer management to create
a better racing product.” Bailey expressed his appreciation
to Mountaineer management, especially Williams, for their
hard work in bringing the new contract to fruition.
Mountaineer
will begin the import simulcast of races tomorrow and live
racing will begin as regularly scheduled on January 19.
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