AUGUSTA – The Maine State Harness Racing Commission demonstrated its own approach to slimmed down government this week when it issued race dates in less than a day of hearings.

Issuing race dates is a process that in the past has taken as long as two months to complete, but the four-member commission approved 248 days of live racing for the 1997 season, 13 more than in ’96, in two half-day public sessions.

The commission also issued full-card simulcasting licenses to six Maine off-track betting parlors and Scarborough Downs.

The MSHRC reviewed applications, heard testimony and awarded race dates to Maine’s nine racing agricultural fairs, two commercial race meets, one extended meet and one non-parimutuel fair on Tuesday at the Augusta Civic Center. It also approved Scarborough’s simulcasting license.

On Wednesday morning, commissioners reviewed applications from Maine’s six off-track wagering parlors and after comments from licensees, approved unlimited full-card simulcasting for 1997.

Henry Jackson, racing liason between the fairs, the racing commission and the Maine Sire Stakes, told commissioners that all the racing entities had met the state’s criteria for licensing. By mid-morning, commission chairman Richard Crabtree adjourned the meeting.

But part of the date-hearing process for the racing commission involves problem solving and equitable solutions. This year before the date-hearing process began, Scarborough Downs submitted an amended date application with the MSHRC, requesting 21 additional race days, plus Tuesday and Thursday racing during prime tourist months.

Scarborough’s additional dates would put the commercial track operating against three autumn agricultural fairs, Farmington, Cumberland and Fryeburg. For the past four years, Scarborough has voluntarily shut down while the three fair tracks were operating, primarily because of lack of horses.

In its revised date application, Scarborough Downs also requested Tuesday racing, placing them on a collision course with Bangor Raceway. One of the reasons the Bangor racing operation had switched from Wednesday racing to Tuesday, was to avoid this situation and hopefully enhance more betting, according to Fred Nichols, general manager of Bangor Historic Track, Bangor Raceway’s lessees.

In the end, commissioners voted not to give Scarborough competing dates against the three agricultural fairs and also voted not to allow any Tuesday racing during June and July during Bangor Raceway’s extended commercial meet.

However, Scarborough’s mutuels director, Ed Kane, pointed out that if all of Maine’s racing fairs decided to simulcast its races, based on his projections and stipend revenues, it would mean a loss to Scarborough Downs of between $250,000 and $300,000 in OTB stipend revenues. That was a hit that Scarborough could not afford to take, Kane said.

Scarborough would not race the three fair weeks if it had some assurances that the fairs involved would not simulcast against them, according to Dana Childs, Scarborough’s attorney. Each fair that signs up for simulcasting dilutes the OTB simulcasting pool which up to now has been shared between Scarborough Downs and Bangor Raceway. This year, Farmington Fair is included.

Farmington Fair was the only fair in the 1996 season to experiment with simulcasting. The move proved to be successful and Farmington has indicated they will simulcast again in 1997. No other agricultural fair has committed to simulcasting next season.

Some fair representatives voiced concern to the MSHRC about awarding additional race days to Scarborough Downs because of the severe horse shortage experienced last summer. They believe the number of races at Scarborough should be curtailed sharply. Last summer’s horse shortage forced fair tracks to race numerous double dashes in order to comply with the state-mandated rule of holding eight races.

The horse shortage existed all summer and double dashes were the norm for Topsham just to survive, said Marc Ponziani, the fair’s spokesman.

“If you want to get the public mad at you, just race horses too often. That kind of racing was totally absurd,” he said.

Racing ends at Scarborough Downs on Dec. 1 and Scarborough will kick off the 1997 racing season beginning March 1.

1997 Harness racing dates

Bangor Raceway: May 31; June 1, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 24, 27, 28, 29; July 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18, 19, 20

County Raceway: June 13, 20, 27; July 4, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29

Scarborough Downs: March 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30; April 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 18, 19, 20, 23, 25, 26, 27, 30; May 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, 18, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31; June 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28; July 2, 3 (double dash) 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31; Aug. 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 17 20, 22, 23, 24, 27, 29, 30, 31; Sept. 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12; Oct. 8, 10, 11, 12, 15, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 31; Nov. 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30

Skowhegan extended meet: July 25, 26, 27, 30; Aug. 1, 2

Topsham Fair: Aug. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Northern Maine Fair: Aug. 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9

Skowhegan State Fair: Aug. 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16

Union Fair: Aug. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23

Windsor Fair: Aug. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31; Sept. 1

Blue Hill: Aug. 30; Sept. 1

Farmington Fair: Sept. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

Cumberland Fair: Sept. 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

Fryeburg Fair: Sept. 30, Oct. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5