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BANGOR – Everyone knows the race is about to begin when the 1976 Cadillac pulls onto the dirt track. Horsemen in colorful racing garb and their steeds quickly line up behind the starter vehicle before they begin their dash around Bangor Raceway.
The Cadillac passes the start line and then rumbles off to the side while the horses rush past in a swirl of color and dust.
The classic car tells the story of harness racing: It’s still running long after its heyday. And, like harness racing, it probably won’t see any upgrades until slot machines are installed in Bangor.
Harness-racing officials say slot machines will provide a shot in the arm for the financially troubled sport, boosting attendance and purses for horsemen.
But slot machines were not ready before the season ended July 24, and they probably won’t be in place for at least 18 months.
“It’s kind of an illusion,” said Don Marean, who runs a horse-breeding farm in Hollis. “We’re excited. We’re making bigger investments. But nothing has happened.”
There was plenty of grumbling as the season drew to a close about delays in getting slot machines installed.
But there’s optimism, too. Many see light at the end of the tunnel for the 111-year-old racetrack that has struggled for years as state regulators make progress establishing rules and regulations.
“If we have to wait 18 months, it’s probably worth the wait. But I wish we didn’t have to wait,” said David Crochere, a horse trainer from Litchfield, who stood outside a stall as a horse awaited its race.
For now, little has changed.
Barnyard smells waft through the summer air as trainers tend to their horses, draped in blankets. Drivers in racing outfits and helmets shoot the breeze while waiting to head onto the track. The Cadillac Fleetwood with racing stalls mounted on the roof stands ready.
Occasionally, there’s a loud “bang!” as a nervous horse kicks the back of its stall. No one looks up.
A hundred yards away, people file into the stands, perusing their race programs and placing bets.
Penn National Gaming has big plans for the small track, where it hopes to install up to 1,500 slot machines and spend $125 million for a new building and to spruce up the property.
A plan filed with the city shows a modern building adjacent to the track, where the parking lot is located.
Penn National hopes to receive its state license by Sept. 30. After that, there is more work to be done before patrons drop their first coins into the slots, said spokesman Eric Schippers.
Bangor’s track attendance – about 800 per night last year – holds its own with other small tracks. But the money spent on gambling – $33.62 per person – ranks among the nation’s lowest.
Industry officials say slot-machine revenue will have a trickle-down effect by boosting purses, which at $1,800 per race last year at Bangor Raceway were among the nation’s lowest. The bigger purses will attract better horses and out-of-state drivers. Breeders will upgrade their operations.
Slot machines have had a dramatic effect on purses at other small tracks across the country, said Stan Bergstein, vice president of the Harness Tracks of America Inc., based in Tucson, Ariz.
Winning drivers get $15,000 to $20,000 a night in Bangor, compared to $120,000 to $130,000 for horsemen at small tracks like Harrington Raceway and Dover Downs in Delaware that have slots, Bergstein said.
“I can understand why the horsemen [in Bangor] are disappointed. That’s like winning the lottery but having to wait a year to get it,” he said.
Horsemen aren’t the only ones eagerly anticipating slots.
Julie Merchant of Brewer was enjoying a breezy summer evening, watching the horses and placing bets from her seat on the finish line at the Bangor Raceway. But she said she’d rather be playing the slots.
She and her husband visit casinos in Canada, Michigan, Connecticut and other places a half-dozen times a year. She’s frustrated by what she perceives as the state government dragging its feet after voters approved slots last November.
“I’d much rather put my money in this community. That’s what gets me. The people voted it in, and they’re dragging their feet,” she said. “It’s a shame because the people voted for it, and the government’s holding us back.”
Gerald “Butch” Mackenzie Jr., president of the Maine Harness Horseman’s Association, is also frustrated by wrangling in Augusta that he said threatens the profitability of the racetrack casino, or “racino.”
He said state residents wanted to bolster the harness-racing industry when they voted to allow slot machines in Bangor. Instead, various agencies came looking for handouts from Penn National, he said.
“This is to help harness racing, not the other entities. The people voted for it because they wanted to help us,” he said.
But Kim Ireland, who stood along a wooden fence watching a race while waiting for his own turn, said the state was right to take its time in sorting out regulations and establishing law enforcement oversight.
“You’ve got to do it right the first time. We have to impress the people. Things have to be done right,” said Ireland, of Gardiner. “Everything has to be done on the up and up.”
Fred Nichols, manager of the racetrack, envisions a longer race season from March to November and an enclosed grandstand. But that won’t come until after the slot machines are in place.
“There is an expectation out there that once you get the license you can flip a switch and the slots will be running,” Schippers said. “This is going to be a marathon, not a sprint.”
On the Net: Penn National www.pennnational.com and Harness Tracks of America Inc. http:///www.harnesstracks.com/
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