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Calder Purse Contract Expires Despite Repeated Attempts by Florida Horsemen To Resolve the “Open Access” Issue of the Dates Crisis

May 2, 2013
 
 
For More Information, Please Contact:  Kent Stirling at (305) 625-4591—office or cell– (305) 216-1790
 
Following a year-long series of events that have directly violated its standing purse contract with the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (FHBPA), Calder Casino and Race Course (Calder) management has rejected a proposal by the FHBPA to resolve the issue of offering “open access” between Calder and Gulfstream when the tracks are scheduled to race head to head in July 2013.  “Open access,” as that term has been discussed and understood by Calder and the FHBPA, would allow horsemen to ship their horses back and forth between Calder and Gulfstream.
 
The Calder purse contract initially expired on December 31, 2012.  However, since the track conducted no live racing during January, February or March, 2013, a simulcast agreement/purse contract was not critical for those months.
 
Serious contract negotiations restarted in March and, in a show of good faith, the FHBPA even extended the expired contract through April, 2013, so as to address several difficult issues, the largest of which was the guarantee of “open access” when summer came.
 
In the end, the FHBPA’s efforts were to no avail and the contract finally expired on April 30, 2013.  And, with that, the FHBPA’s consent for simulcasting Calder races was revoked.
 
Live racing resumes at Calder on Thursday, May 2, 2013 at 12:50 p.m.
 
As the Florida chapter of the National HBPA, the FHBPA works to protect the safety of its members, their stable personnel and their horses, and works with racetrack management to ensure proper accountability, and responsible and humane conditions for those competitors, among other varied and statutory responsibilities.  Maintaining the independence of horsemens’ organizations serves to assure the wagering public of continued integrity in the horse racing product.
 
Background
 
For over 40 years, Calder Race Course—now Calder Casino and Race Course—has never charged a fee (rent) to its trainers for stalls, nor did it ever charge grooms and hotwalkers rent for their bare-bones-style dorm rooms.  Last year, that all changed as Calder management opted to charge room rent to workers and then, in December, charge trainers top dollar to rent stalls.  Notably, the December stall rent charge occurred even though the very same purse contract that expired on December 31, 2012 clearly prohibited stall rent, as had all previous contracts.
 
Now, Calder and Gulfstream Park are scheduled to run head-to-head this July, this impending dates war figures to take a significant toll on the horsemen and Florida horse racing industry, in general.
 
“The horsemen did not create the dates dispute,” explained FHBPA President Phil Combest, “but they are caught in the middle of it.  And with Calder only running three days a week after June 30, there aren’t enough opportunities to race without open access between the two tracks.”
 
Upon the expiration of the initial extension of the old contract through April, Calder asked the FHBPA for yet another 30-day extension.  In a fair-minded attempt to resolve the problem, the FHBPA Board of Directors held an emergency meeting on April 29, 2013 and invited Calder officials Austin Miller and John Marshall to address the full Board.  This was followed by two hours of discussion by the Board, which resulted in a unanimous resolution that granted Calder the requested 30-day contract extension . . . BUT ONLY on the “express condition that the horsemen are granted perpetual Open Access (as that term has been discussed and understood by Calder and the FHBPA) to the Calder grounds.”
 
On Wednesday, May 1, Calder management formally rejected the offer.  As a result, the existing purse contract has now officially expired and with it, the FHBPA’s simulcasting consent is revoked.