PA. HARNESS RACING On the final lap: Lawrence, Beaver counties await word on last license

One critic says the law appears to favor some racetrack owners over others.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The three-horse race for Pennsylvania's last harness racing license -- and the 3,000 slot machines that will almost certainly accompany it under the state's new gambling bill -- is heading into the home stretch.
Industry observers say the two leading candidates are Indianapolis-based gambling company Centaur Inc., which wants to build its $340 million Valley View Downs near Pa. Route 51 in Beaver County, and Ambrosia Enterprises -- a 70-year-old Lawrence County mining and development company -- which has a $65 million plan to build Bedford Downs near U.S. Route 422 on a reclaimed strip mine. Also seeking the license is Vorum Stables LLC of Washington County.
The harness commission grants only the racing license. But under the state's new slot machine law, seven horse racing tracks -- four now open, two already licensed but not built, and the soon-to-be-licensed harness track -- will be eligible for slots licenses.
Looking ahead
The final harness license will likely be awarded early next year, said Anton Leppler, the harness commission's executive secretary. But the new slots law virtually assures that the seven licensed racetracks will have an inside track when the Gaming Control Board starts issuing $50 million slot machine licenses, probably by mid-2006.
Slot machine and casino plans are "not part of the consideration the harness racing commission makes," Leppler said.
While that may be the letter of the law, it's not the reality, observers say.
Michael Geer, president of the antigambling Pennsylvania Family Institute, said the slot machine law appears to be crafted to favor some racetrack owners over others, with the result that it has influenced the racetrack licensing process.
Charles Betters, a Pittsburgh developer who wanted to build a thoroughbred racetrack and casino on that city's South Side, sued last month, alleging that the slots law unconstitutionally singled out his project for elimination.
Among other provisions Betters cited was one requiring at least 20 miles between slots parlors. The Meadows, a harness racing track in Houston, Washington County, is too close to Betters' site for both racetracks to get a slots license.
Forced to withdraw
Geer said other geographic limits forced Philadelphia businessman Manuel Stamatakis' group, Philadelphia Trotters & amp; Pacers Inc., to withdraw their application last week for a harness track near the city's old naval shipyard.
But attorney Jeffrey Ernico disagrees that the 20-mile limit will automatically torpedo the $20 million plan by his client, Vorum Stables, to build a racing complex in Canton Township, Washington County.
Vorum will present its racetrack plan to the commission next month.
On Oct. 25, Ambrosia faces a public hearing on its Bedford Downs plan when it can be questioned by other license applicants and harness track owners before a hearing officer in Harrisburg, Leppler said. Centaur's Valley View Downs hearing will be Nov. 9, and one for Vorum's plan hasn't been scheduled.
State records show that Centaur has spent tens of thousands of dollars lobbying the state Senate for the slots bill, and Centaur's attorneys, investors and affiliates donated more than $40,000 to House Minority Whip Mike Veon, D-Beaver, who is publicly pushing their project.
"I'm not naive. We couldn't compete with Centaur's contributions, nor would I ever want to," said Carmen Shick, president and chief executive officer of Bedford Downs Management. "But if the projects are judged on their merits, then I believe Bedford Downs will be a reality."