AUGUSTA – While the general consensus at Thursday’s Maine State Harness Racing Commission meeting was that Maine’s tight horse supply warrants some concern, it’s not enough to alter the remainder of the 2007 racing schedule.

“I am concerned with the supply of horses in the industry, but I’m going to agree with the other commissioners that the dates remain unchanged,” said MSHRC member James Tracy.

The vote to leave the schedule as is was unanimous as all five commission members agreed that the supply was adequate even for Maine’s three busiest months of racing.

Thursday afternoon’s hearing on the horse supply is something the commission does each year to make sure the supply is adequate for racing.

“I think the commission made the correct decision,” said Denise McNitt, Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association board secretary. “I think both Bangor and Scarborough have used their horse supplies very smartly and have been able to keep their cards full and provide good racing.”

Maine Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association president Diann Perkins agreed.

“I think it’s a good thing because I feel there are more horses who haven’t started yet and there are also many people out there who are just starting to race their horses,” Perkins said. “These are the people who have just one or two horses and are more family or recreational type of owners.”

Before the vote, MSHRC program manager Ralph Canney presented a summary comparison of horse fields at Bangor Raceway and Scarborough Downs for the last three seasons, as well as a study of the total number of horses raced in Maine from 1998 to the present.

In 1998, 1,399 horses raced at least once during the entire season. The total from each year afterward is less, but the 2006 total of 1,352 was the smallest difference (decrease) in that time period.

“The horse supply is tight, and has been the last four or five years,” Canney said. “The number of horses in the state of Maine has not increased a great deal.”

MSHRC executive director Henry Jackson concurred, but Jackson’s recommendation to the commission was to leave the dates and dashes as they were awarded last November.

“Bangor and Scarborough have managed their racing supply well so far without interference from my office and as facts and circumstances haven’t changed, I think we should let track management continue to do so,” said Jackson.

One change in the 2007 schedule was made as Northern Maine Fair officials notified the MSHRC they would not be able to operate the 10 extra race dates they requested. The dates had been granted on a conditional basis.

Despite the concern voiced at the meeting, there were also reasons for optimism.

“We have a bumper crop of 2-year-olds this year,” Perkins said. “I think we’ve gone from 121 to 181 2-year-olds from last year to this year. This year, we only have 113 3-year-olds so we’ll see an increase in the Sire Stakes program in the future.

“I’m thinking with the purses going up, there will be an overall increase in supply. The general trend of births for Sire Stakes horses is up already.”

McNitt agrees and adds that rather than shrink the racing schedule even in the event of a shortage, a better option is to tweak it.

“Is there a better alternative to racing four days a week? Maybe there is and maybe we should consider that next year,” she said. “We’ve increased the number of dashes [races] we have by 47 percent the last two years, but the majority of those races are held during the prime summer months.”

Those prime summer months are July, August and September – Maine’s traditional fair racing schedule.

“As far as our purposes, we’re trying to get this massive number of dates spread out more because it’s tough to keep your horse supply steady and it’s tough on our membership as far as making a living if you can’t race more often through the year,” McNitt explained. “Our goal is 10 months of racing where we don’t have too much at one time and not enough at others.”

In other MSHRC business, Brent Thayer of Hermon was fined $500 and given a 90-day suspension of his harness license because of a positive blood test for elevated blood gas (TCO2) in a horse (Vandaminator) he trained after a race at Scarborough May 28. He has already served 10 days of his suspension. Trainer Robert Marston was given the same penalty for a positive test in horse Golden Sunflower after a race on June 10.

Another trainer, Loyal Pratt, was handed a 30-day suspension with all days served and a $250 fine, which he has paid, for a positive test for Class IV drug Guaifenesin in a urine sample from horse Gold Ball May 6 at Scarborough.

Also Thursday, McNitt and other MHHA members testified about the need for a change in the wording of a commission rule on claiming races where mares are given 20 percent allowances over all other horses in a mixed-sex claims race. They say the change is necessary so horse owners won’t have horses claimed for less than they’re worth in Maine and then taken out of state, where they’d be worth more.

Another item which provoked much discussion was longtime Maine horsemen Bud Cianchette’s complaint about the quality of judging at Maine tracks, especially Scarborough. Cianchette talked about two incidents this year in which two of his drivers, as well as a horse, were injured due to reckless moves by another driver. He, McNitt and others complained about the lack of and/or the weakness of punishment. Commission chairman George McHale vowed the commission would look into the incidents, possible lax enforcement, and the possibility of beefing up penalties.