AUGUSTA – The Maine State Harness Racing Commission has tightened the racing schedule for next season somewhat and assigned 1993 live harness racing dates on what it termed “a more realistic racing schedule for Maine.”

The primary concerns expressed most often by Maine’s extended meet and agricultural fair harness tracks was not the number of race dates they could obtain, but rather how good a show each track could present and how they might operate profitable race meets in 1993.

At the public hearing on Monday, the MSHRC dealt only with assigning live race dates for next season. There were no simulcast dates issued. The commission approved a total of 275 live racing dates as compared to 384 live racing days in 1992.

The commission granted live race dates in ’93 to nine parimutuel racing fairs, two non-parimutuel racing fairs and four extended-race meets. The commission also requested Scarborough Downs submit a more complete simulcasting plan for the days it intends to present full-card simulcasting in January and February.

Scarborough’s revised application for simulcasts must be returned to the commission office by Dec. 2. In its original application, Scarborough had requested daytime simulcasts of thoroughbred, dog, and harness racing. The commission limited the simulcasting to only thoroughbred and harness racing.

In 1992, The MSHRC granted a total of 429 racing dates, 384 live races and 45 simulcasts, according to a report given by Ralph Canney, state steward. Of that amount, Scarborough Downs was allocated 243 racing days and has raced 158 live days (through Sunday, Nov. 29). Scarborough applied for 275 live racing dates for next season and was granted 153 days. Bangor Raceway applied for 36 summer dates and 16 fall dates. The commission granted the summer dates, but denied Bangor the fall dates.

The total requested days for 1993 by Maine’s racing entities is 413 days according to Canney, including three non-parimutuel days for Blue Hill and Springfield Fair. The racing commission’s staff said that after studying the economy, the estimated number of horses available and other factors, they were recommending 274 days of live racing next year.

For Scarborough Downs, the racing commission staff recommended that live racing begin on March 12, with two harness simulcasts, plus full-card simulcasts of thoroughbred and harness simulcasts on a four-day weekly schedule, Canney said.

In October, Scarborough’s schedule would present racing four days each week and close on Nov. 28. Canney said the recommendations were based on several factors – a decline in the handle, another drop this year over 1991, a short horse supply, and a low purse structure.

As part of a bill passed at the end of the last legislative session, the commission has the authority to allow full-card simulcasting for the first eight weeks of the year. In addition, any licensed Maine track with transmitting equipment may, upon approval by the commission and the Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association, program a maximum of four simulcasts per live racing card. During the 1992 season, only Scarborough Downs and Bangor Raceway offered simulcasts in conjunction with their live racing programs.

Owen Butler, representing Bangor Raceway, pointed out to the commission that it was clearly stated in the city’s race-date application that “Bangor Raceway reserves the right not to race on any days of the meet that it is not deemed in the best financial interest of Bangor Raceway.” He asked the commission if it would demand that Bangor race its assigned 36 days. “If Bangor opts opts to race only three days in any week, is the city `locked in’ to the dates assigned by the commission,” Butler asked?

Phil Tarr, commission chairman, said, “The commission has licensed Bangor to race 36 days. I don’t think, however, the commission will hold Bangor responsible to race all the dates if, in fact, it would cause undue harm to the city of Bangor.”

However, Butler was reminded that Bangor Raceway was host for two weeks to the 2- and 3-year-old Maine Sire Stakes which are programmed toward the end of Bangor’s extended meet.

In what was considered one of the more quiet date allocation hearings, Commissioner John Cox of Bangor made a motion to adopt race dates recommended by the commission staff and award them to all fairs and Bangor Raceway. The motion was adopted and by the end of the session, commissioners had also completed the final date allocations for Scarborough Downs.

The MSHRC will meet at the Bangor Civic Center at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 3. The commission will meet with representatives of United Tote Co., the owners of the parimutuel equipment that is used at all Maine fairs and Bangor Raceway, but not at Scarborough Downs. The commission is seeking an agreement to have United Tote handle all off-track wagering in Maine. Any agreement must have legislative approval.

The commission will also hold its regular meeting at the Bangor Civic Center at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16, to handle a regular agenda and discuss the new rule book.

The following live harness race dates were allocated by the Maine State Harness Racing Commission for the 1993 racing season. They include two non-parimutuel racing fairs:

SCARBOROUGH DOWNS March 12 13 14 17 19 20 21 24 26 27 28 31 April 2 3 4 7 9 10 11 14 16 17 18 21 23 24 25 28 30 May 1 2 5 7 8 9 12 14 15 16 19 21 22 23 26 28 29 30 31 June 1 2 3 4 5 6 9 10 11 12 13 16 17 18 19 20 23 24 25 26 27 30 July 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 23 24 25 27 28 29 31

Aug. 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 Sept. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Oct. 11 13 15 16 17 20 22 23 24 27 29 30 31 Nov. 3 4 5 6 7 10 11 12 13 17 19 20 21 27 28. BANGOR RACEWAY May 29 30 31 June 4 5 6 11 12 13 16 18 19 20 23 25 26 27 30 July 2 3 4 7 9 10 11 14 16 17 18 21 23 24 25 28 29 30 SPRINGFIELD FAIR May 29 COUNTY RACEWAY June 11 18 25 July 2 9 16 23 30 SKOWHEGAN RACEWAY July 31 Aug. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 TOPSHAM FAIR Aug. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 NORTHERN MAINE FAIR Aug. 6 9 10 11 12 12 14 SKOWHEGAN FAIR Aug. 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 UNION FAIR Aug. 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 WINDSOR FAIR Aug. 29 30 31 Sept. 1 2 3 4 5 6 BLUE HILL FAIR Sept. 4 6 FARMINGTON FAIR Sept. 11 12 18 19 21 22 23 24 25 CUMBERLAND FAIR Sept. 26 27 29 30 Oct. 1 2 3 (double dashes on 9/29 and 10/2) FRYEBURG FAIR Oct. 5 6 7 8 9 10