No Races For Waitsburg, Dayton and Walla Walla

WAITSBURG - There will be no pari mutual horseracing this year in Waitsburg, Dayton and Walla Walla.

The Washington State Horseracing Commission decided Thursday to give only six days of racing to the Class C "Bush" circuit and they all went to Sun Downs in Kennewick.

The decision, which came as a disappointment to many in the region's horseracing community, does not necessarily spell the end of nearly a century of racing in the Touchet Valley. But changes will have to be made in state law and in the way racing is funded to pave the way for any continuation next year.

Neither does it necessarily mean the end of the Days of Real Sport or Dayton Days, which could continue with different activities, but those events face a steep price tag for liability insurance with or without races.

Days of Real Sport organizers are meeting at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the McGregor Co. to explore alternatives. The board of Dayton Days meets at 6:30 pm. On Thursday at the General Store.

A representative from the state commission said it wasn't an easy decision.

"Nobody feels worse than the Commissioners themselves, but they had no choice," said Doug Moore, the commission's deputy secretary. "They want to keep horseracing alive, but they're kind of hamstrung this year."

Moore said the commission's fund balance, which has taken a serious hit from the bad economy and the growing popularity of other forms of gambling, only allowed for the six days of Class C racing.

The commission decided to provide those days to the Tri Cities Horseracing Association in Kennewick because of that facility's significant recent investment in its track, including a new rail and barn estimated at $150,000 with state grants, he said.

Terry Jacoy, who attended the Commissioners' meeting Thursday, said he was saddened by the decision but hopes it's just a one-year hiatus for horseracing.

Melissa Hansen, Dayton Days race manager and treasurer, was equally disappointed.

"It's going to be hard for us," she said. "The Tri Cities has so many other things to offset that loss that we don't. I'm very disappointed."

Senator Mike Hewitt (R-Walla Walla), has introduced legislation in Olympia that would lift a requirement for tracks to run at least five consecutive years to qualify for the commission's race dates so the one-year interruption will not disqualify them for resuming racing next year.

Much of the money that subsidizes the Class C tracks comes from Emerald Downs, whose handle was down last year. Income from betting on horse racing has taken a backseat to other types of wagering such as the state lottery, casino gambling and others.

In 1988, 78 cents out of every legally gambled dollar was spent on horseracing. Last year, it was less than a cent, Moore said.

"The whole mess is because of the handle," he said. "It's an unfortunate sign of the times."

Moore said the commissioners are deeply sympathetic with the plight of the horseracing community in the Touchet Valley and Walla Walla. They are hoping owners, trainers, jockeys and others will take advantage of the six days in Kennwick, then hang on this year while new ways of underwriting the cost of Class C racing are explored.

Hopefully, the economy will pick up and Emerald Downs' efforts to bring larger crowds to races there will pay off, he said.