Purse cuts not option for NJSEA

The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) is optimistic about negotiations regarding a new threeyear purse supplement from casinos for New Jersey racetracks.

The NJSEAannounced on Feb. 14 at a meeting of its Board of Commissioners that in light of ongoing negotiations it would maintain its current purse structures at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford and Monmouth Park in Oceanport.

Gov. Jon Corzine had promised as early as last summer to help New Jersey's horse industry with its fiscal crisis as the $80 million worth of subsidies that the casino industry had provided to the racing industry to keep video lottery terminals and slot machines out of their venues had run out. Freehold Raceway in Freehold and the state's own tracks would be forced to lower purse levels without a new supplement.

Horse industry officials have said lowering the purse levels would further threaten the state's $3.5 billion horse industry, which is already cracking under the pressures of competition from in-state casinos and the lottery and out-of-state racetracks with casinos on all of New Jersey's borders.

"The horseracing industry is a vital part of the fabric of New Jersey," NJSEA Chairman Carl Goldberg said. "And of course the NJSEA racetracks, the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park, are essential to the vitality of that important industry."

Goldberg said the NJSEA is "very optimistic" an agreement between the state and the Atlantic City casinos would soon be reached to continue the supplement program.

"Therefore we will maintain our current overnight purse structure with the authority providing the necessary funding while the new three-year purse supplement program negotiations are completed," Goldberg said.

The current Meadowlands racetrack standardbred meet is running live racing Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. and Sunday afternoons at 1:10 p.m.