KY & Ohio Horse Racing News.. It’s Called Progress Michigan.

KY Downs to Launch Instant Racing Sept. 1

Instant Racing, known as “historical racing” is a pari-mutuel system that allows players to wager on previously run horse races in a video lottery terminal-like format.

WXYZ Detroit Full Of Holes Reporting Concerning Pinnacle Race Course.

Talk about SHODDY REPORTING.

This station has been on some rampage concerning executive director Robert Ficano for months now. Last week on July 27th Mary Conway’s entire story was how Bob Ficano threw away $35 Million on Pinnacle Race Course.

I addressed that unfair attack in a blog.

And all I’m addressing is stories they are doing on Pinnacle and nothing else. But again on Wednesday’s 6:00PM news cast they managed to again drag Pinnacle into another one of their stories over the hiring of another Wayne County official for the airport. Video in the backdrop of Pinnacle with our horsemen and horses.

Heather Catallo did this story.

How in the hell do you take a story about an individual you don’t feel has the experience for the position they’ve been hired to do at the airport and somehow within that story bring up the race track again.

Same rant on both of these stories within 10 days of each other. Pinnacle failed to produce the number of jobs expected.

Look WXYZ if you want the heads of Ficano and any other appointee for a position within Wayne County that’s one thing, but if you want to start talking a bunch of untrue bunk about Pinnacle’s failure to do this or that. Then damn it let’s talk about why Pinnacle was unable to fulfill these job expectations fairly and with truth.

You want to talk Horse Racing Industry let’s get down to it.

Michigan And Jerry Campbell Letting Bob Ficano Take The Heat For Pinnacle Race Course

And it is all BULLSHIT.

WXYZ VIDEO: Wayne County Exec. Ficano responds to audit critical of Pinnacle deal

Detroit Free Press

Audit says Wayne County blew $35.2 million on investment plan

Both the Newspaper and flip side on WXYZ are making Bob Ficano out some devious schemer when he’s anything but. Let’s get something straight here on both of these news media outlets including the Free Press quoting some off the wall right-wing source ( Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Michigan Capitol Confidential ) that Michael LaFaive of the Mackinac Center is apart of. I addressed these group long ago when nothing but bashings of this Race Track were constantly being bombarded on.

Yet The Michigan Capitol Confidential eventually came out with was a very accurate article WHY Pinnacle never had a chance from the beginning.

‘Schizophrenic’ State Planning.

Excerpt:

The state of Michigan and Wayne County showered millions upon millions of tax dollars on the Pinnacle Race Course in Huron Township in 2008. The track was seen as the start of a tourist attraction that would draw fans from surrounding states and Canada, create thousands of jobs and generate millions in state revenue.

Yet state legislators and state government roadblocks were damaging the very project they were pumping millions of dollars of incentives into, leading to what one expert called a “schizophrenic behavior.”

Michigan Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association Have Lost Their Minds.

In 2010 the HBPA voted to give all their money to Pinnacle Race Course. Almost a Million dollars to fund their own meet. I know Jerry and Lisa Campbell were happy about that vote.

To finish their extremely long meet of 41 ( they had to buy back 39 days after the MGCB knocked the Thoroughbreds to just 3 ) days the money literally came from their purses. Hell they even forked out $33,000 to pay Pinnacle’s water bill to Huron Township.

Then they questioned the legalities of it all.

Well now in 2011 after Jerry Campbell not willing to tell anybody of his intentions for 2011 when it was already May. One of the MIHBPA board members had a brilliant idea!!!

Lets send off a letter to the MGCB withdrawing our support of PRC. They never ever had to give one of support so why they decided to send one withdrawing support is beyond me. Nevertheless it resulted in the MGCB telling Campbell either shit or get off the pot.

He got off the pot alright and after wiping his ass with his conditional license he threw it back into the MGCB’s face and in essence the MIHBPA’s as well.

Enter Brilliant Idea Number 2!!!

OHIO Racetrack VLTs Next?

OH Casinos Move Forward; Racetrack VLTs Next?

By Tom LaMarra – BloodHorse
Updated: Monday, June 13, 2011 8:20 PM
Posted: Monday, June 13, 2011 2:28 PM

Ohio Gov. John Kasich has reached an agreement that will resume construction on casinos in Cincinnati and Cleveland—and according to published reports permit video lottery terminals at the state’s seven racetracks.

Pinnacle Race Course does not owe Huron Twp. as much as previously thought.

HURON TWP.: Township Treasurer says Pinnacle owes less than what was originally thought