Size of track varies in 3 proposals

The license applicants face public hearings by next month.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Three groups vying for the state's last harness-racing license say they have the inside track, in part, because of the size of track each hopes to build.
But horse owners aren't concerned so much with furlongs as they are with money, said an expert with the U.S. Trotting Association, the sport's regulating body.
"A half-mile, five-eighths, a mile, or a track down at the parking lot of the Piggly Wiggly, they like to race where the money is," quipped John Pawlak, spokesman for the Columbus, Ohio-based USTA.
The license applicants face public hearings by next month at which competitors and affected parties, such as horse owners, can weigh in.
The harness commission grants only a racing license, but whoever gets it is expected to also win the right to install up to 3,000 slot machines under a new state law.
Only two of the three applicants -- Ambrosia Enterprises and Centaur Inc. -- say they're focused on slots, too.
Size of track matters
But representatives of all three say track size is a key reason horse owners do -- and the Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission should -- support their projects.
Carmen Shick has plans for a one-mile track as part of Ambrosia Enterprises' $65 million proposal. The family-run mining and development firm wants to build Bedford Downs in Edinburg in Lawrence County.
"Not only is the one-mile track friendlier to the racehorse due to the longer straightaways and [more gradual] turning radiuses, it would give us the potential to host The Hambletonian here, and other major harness races," Shick said. "We're trying to attract world-class racing."
The Hambletonian -- harness racing's Kentucky Derby -- is run at Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey. Its organizers stipulate that it be run on a one-mile track.
On the other end of the spectrum are Daniel Vorum and wife Elizabeth Eelkema, whose $20 million plans includes the half-mile oval track already in place on their 69-acre harness-racing farm in Canton Township, Washington County.
"Our application [for the license] is the only one with an existing track facility, already constructed," said Vorum's attorney, Jeffery Ernico.
Pawlak said a half-mile track -- the shortest used in harness racing -- wouldn't necessarily hurt their bid. One of the richest harness races in the country, the $500,000-plus Little Brown Jug, is run on a half-mile track in Ohio, he said.
"A half-mile track is sure good for fans who want to be close to the action because the start, the midpoint and the finish of the race all occur at the same place," Pawlak said.
But sharper turns are harder on horses and give those with inside post positions an unfair advantage that is minimized on longer tracks, Pawlak said. That's why the "compromise" five-eighths-mile loop is common, used at more than 30 U.S. tracks.
What's wanted in Beaver County
That's what Centaur Inc. wants to build as part of its $340 million Valley View Downs racing and entertainment complex in Beaver County.
"We've called the horsemen and talked to them, and harness horsemen tend to prefer the five-eighths-mile track," said Rick Kelly, a Centaur spokesman.
Because all three licensees want to build tracks in western Pennsylvania, officials and horse owners at a nearby Washington County harness track, The Meadows, can weigh in on racing schedules and agreements with horse owners who want to race animals at both facilities.
The harness commission's public hearing on Ambrosia's proposal is Oct. 25, Centaur's is Nov. 9, and Vorum's is Nov. 17, with the license likely to be issued early next year.
All three say they have the backing of horse owners at The Meadows.
"The Meadows Standardbred Owners Association officially has no position preferring one track proposal over the other," said Elmer Schweninger, the group's executive director. Schweninger's group already has agreements over purses and other details with all three applicants.
One thing that isn't a major factor is track length, Schweninger said.
"The tactics will vary ... the drivers may drive the horses different on different-length tracks, but as far as an industry preference, you will find those who feel the five-eighths is the way to go and others who feel one mile is the way to go," Schweninger said.
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