Horse Racing “Unlikely to Return”

WAITSBURG - Dur­ing a call-in session with constituents on Monday, State Representatives Terry Nealey and Maureen Walsh expressed the opinion that horse racing is not likely to return to southeast Wash­ington. According to the two, there is no legislative support to provide the fund­ing that would be needed.

Cory Hewitt, manager of the Walla Walla Fair­grounds, echoed that opin­ion. She also said that there are no longer the horses and jockeys in the area to put on the races, even if money were available. "The jock­eys have gone elsewhere," she said.

Hewitt is also a former member of the Blue Moun­tain Racing Association, a group that included race organizers in Walla Walla, Tri-Cities, Waitsburg and Dayton. That organization has disbanded, she said.

"People are gambling differently," Hewitt added. She pointed out the intro­duction of the Washington Lottery several years ago, as well as expansion of Indian Casino gambling. She also said that in the last decade, liability costs for horse racing events have skyrock­eted.

Emerald Downs in Au­burn is the only horse rac­ing venue still operating in Washington. According to Hewitt, the amount of betting at Emerald Downs has declined significantly in recent year. Some of those revenues were used to support racing in eastern Washington.

The only horse racing venues in Washington, be­sides Emerald Downs, that have operated in recent years have been Kennewick, Walla Walla, Waitsburg and Dayton. Except for Ken­newick, those races have always been run in conjunc­tion with community events, not as private businesses.

According to the Wash­ington Horse Racing Com­mission website, racing in Yakima and Spokane ended in 1998, though Spokane re­opened for one year in 2000.