Bitter Dispute Continues at Suffolk

While the New England Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association board of directors held a closed door meeting the night of Feb. 8, others were feeling the fallout from the ongoing and bitter dispute with the management of Suffolk Downs in Massachusetts over a contract for live racing in 2011.

“I spoke with a couple of the other riders today, and as a whole, everyone is very disappointed with the way things are going. We don’t know which way to turn or who to blame,” said David Amiss, who has ridden in New England for more than 20 years. “It’s a misfortune to see the continuing demise of racing in New England. We saw the same thing happen at Rockingham (in 2002) and now there’s no more racing there and no more circuit. This affects an awful lot of people. As for the riders, we’re all up in the air. Our lives are in limbo. In the next few weeks, we have to make a decision where we’re going to ride and it’s not that easy to just pick up your tack and move on. You have to have a plan and you have to have a destination. You can’t just show up somewhere. I need to support my family and I can’t do that if I don’t know where I can work.”

The NEHBPA and Suffolk are arguing over the purse structure, the number of live racing days, and the split of the simulcasting revenue. At this juncture, there is no thaw in the frosty negotiations.

But there is steam behind a rival group of horsemen, which feels it can do a better job of reaching agreement than the NEHBPA. Suffolk Down chief executive officer Chip Tuttle maintains that management is legally free to negotiate with groups other than the NEHBPA.