Bill to permit dog racing in the works

LEWISTON – The owner of a harness racing track once said “Dogs eat horses,” summing up the fear of racing purists who feel a greyhound track could kill harness racing in Maine.

The fear has been validated now that a bill is in the works to change Maine law and allow betting on dogs at the Lewiston Raceway, a track that stopped holding harness races last year.

Rep. Roger Pouliot, D-Lewiston, said businessmen hope to convert the raceway into a dog track similar to one in Seabrook, N.H.

“It’s not too far from going before the Legislature,” Pouliot said. “This could bring people from all over to Lewiston. It’s nice entertainment.”

Horse racing fans and owners, however, have a different view.

Phillip Tarr, director of the Maine Harness Racing Commission, said talk of bringing greyhound racing to Maine has become louder recently. “There’s not any doubt about it, people are discussing dogs,” he said.

“My gut feeling is it would be damaging to the harness racing industry,” Tarr said.

Tarr said dog racing could attract bettors who avoid horse racing, which he said has a tarnished image. “We’ve got to restore our image and credibility,” Tarr said of horse racing.

“Greyhound racing is a lot cheaper to operate,” said John Furgal, director of the New Hampshire Pari-Mutuel Commission. “The animals are a lot smaller, they eat a few cans of food.”

Greyhound racing also gave New Hampshire $6.4 million last year.

“There’s no example of a state where both have managed to live together,” said Katherine Rolston, marketing director for Scarborough Downs, whose boss Joe Ricci said greyhounds eat horses “both figuratively and literally.”

Both types of racing coexist in New Hampshire, which has three dog tracks – in Seabrook, Belmont and Hinsdale – and a horse racing track in Rockingham. The director of New Hampshire’s commission that regulates racing said greyhound racing is less prestigious, but more profitable.

Furgal said some people “will cross over and bet on cockroaches,” but greyhound racing might not steal bettors because “there is a greyhound group and there is a harness crowd.”

Rolston disagreed. “There are only so many betting dollars,” she said.

Maine would lose millions of dollars in horse racing revenue and related job losses of horse racing went under, Rolston said.

But Pouliot said the proposed greyhound track could add more than 100 jobs to the Lewiston economy. Businessmen have been secretive about the project and say comment would be premature.

Rep. Vivian St. Onge, D-Greene, whose district includes the track, said she heard rumors about the project three weeks ago, but as of yet “there’s nothing concrete available.”

The owners of the raceway, Charles and James Day, couldn’t be reached by telephone Tuesday.

Lucien Gosselin, Lewiston city administrator, said few details have been set on track conversion idea, which arose when a group of businessmen interested in improving Lewiston began brainstorming.

“Whether it will get off the ground, I don’t know,” Gosselin said.