BEDFORD DOWNS In testimony, group bucks for a longer racetrack

Some big guns in the casino business have joined the New Castle-area team.
HARRISBURG (AP) -- A group seeking Pennsylvania's last remaining harness-racing license argued Monday that the mile-long oval it wants to build -- which would be three-eighths of a mile longer than the one proposed by its competitor -- will make horses safer and races more evenhanded.
That testimony came during a hearing by the state Harness Racing Commission on Bedford Downs, the centerpiece of a proposed mixed-used development on 550 acres three miles east of the Ohio border near New Castle.
Bedford Downs Management Corp. and Centaur Inc. of Indianapolis are vying for the last license, and whichever group receives it will be considered the odds-on favorite to also obtain one of 14 slot-machine gambling licenses approved by the Legislature in July. A hearing for Centaur to discuss its plans for Valley View Downs in Beaver County will take place next month.
Included in project
Bedford Downs president Carmen Shick said his Lawrence County project calls for construction of a hotel, condos, shops and even a water park that could eventually cost more than $500 million.
"Bedford's concept is better, Bedford's location is better, Bedford's facility is better and its team is better," Bedford Downs attorney Frank Salpietro said at the commission hearing at a suburban Harrisburg hotel.
Salpietro said a marketing study concluded that the state's share of gambling income would be $30 million to $35 million higher at New Castle vs. Valley View's location 30 miles to the south. Bedford Downs hopes to draw large numbers of Ohioans.
Architect Todd C. Gralla described the design of Bedford Downs' grandstand, which includes a glassed-in paddock area, a cigar bar and direct access to the casino area where they hope to install 3,000 to 5,000 slot machines.
But track length was the focus of testimony by many witnesses, including horsemen and harness racing experts who are consultants to or investors in the project. They told the commission mile-long tracks help prevent lameness among horses and reduce the advantage that shorter tracks give to those with starting positions along the rail.
"I just think if a person is on the outside, he's not going to win as often" on a short track, said Robert Bork, a Houston horse-racing executive serving as a management consultant to the Bedford Downs project.
But Valley View Downs spokesman Rick Kelly said five-eighths-mile tracks like the one Centaur wants to build are standard in harness racing.
"The vast majority of harness tracks are five-eighths," he said. "Horsemen are familiar with them, and many people prefer them."
Teaming up
Bedford Downs revealed Monday that its team has been joined by Isle of Capri Casinos Inc., which owns 15 casinos in five states as well as a harness-racing track in Pompano Beach, Fla. An Isle of Capri spokeswoman was not immediately able Monday to confirm its role.
Valley View's hearing begins Nov. 9, after which the commission will determine who will get the license. The ruling is expected to take several months.