Beck shows horse racing more support Legislators continue to lobby for VLTs at tracks State Sen. Jennifer Beck and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande have reaffirmed their support of New Jersey's horse racing industry and of finding a permanent solution to funding purse money last week. The legislators met with the board of directors of the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey (SBOANJ) on May 13, according to the SBOANJ. Beck and Casagrande are both Republicans who represent District 12, which includes many of Monmouth County's horse farm communities such as Millstone Township. They told SBOANJ's board that they would continue to champion efforts to bring slots and other forms of gaming to the racetracks. "I'mfighting for the horse racing industry," Beck said. New Jersey's casino industry decided in March to subsidize the state's horse racing industry with $90 million over the next three years. In exchange, the state agreed not to allow video lottery terminals (VLTs) at the racetracks during that time. Beck said that once the new contract for the purse subsidy is signed, the state has to find a long-termsolution to sustain its horse racing industry. "We can't go through this every three years," she said. "We can't let a $1 billion industry leave our state." Casagrande said the challenge is to get the message out as to why the horse industry is so important to New Jersey. "We cannot sustain racingwithout VLTs or other solutions," she said.