Flatter: Let’s get cynical about Gulfstream, Emerald Downs

There is an ancient rule in journalism, itself an ancient and unfortunately dying practice.

“If your mother says she loves you, check it out.”

It is a saying that gives voice to fact checking and double-checking. It also stokes skepticism and cynicism. It is as good a reason as any why we aging writers get as crusty as our collective wardrobes.

This whole business we have endured with threatened track closings on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts has pushed all these buttons.

Tens of thousands of words already have been written about how the Stronach Group has lured the Florida legislature into the scheme to divorce its slot-machine business from racing at Gulfstream Park. The blowback was stoked in January by a spoon-fed news release from 1/ST that said horsemen supported the breakup, a claim that did not make it out of the first turn.

“If your racetrack says decoupling is good, check it out.”

My own cynicism has gotten out of control. It is so bad, I rolled my eyes Friday morning when The New York Times Spelling Bee’s panagram words were decouple and decoupled. Yeah, keep telling me that that newspaper does not have an anti-racing agenda.

Decoupling is supposed to hit roadblocks in the Florida Senate. That is what has been said by former Kentucky Senate floor leader Damon Thayer, racing’s best legislative friend and a guiding prod for the opposition. The rubber meets the road soon enough. Thayer will be in Tallahassee on Tuesday for the bill’s first Senate committee hearing.

At the last House meeting that took up the proposal, 15 people spoke against decoupling. None spoke in favor of it. It still passed easily. So when it comes to Tuesday, which is April Fool’s Day, I am hopeful. And I am skeptical.

“If a learned lawmaker says decoupling will die in the Florida Senate, check it out.”

How about the West Coast? No, not Santa Anita. Not yet. Go north by northwest. Take a crop duster and head for Emerald Downs, where it was reported this week by the Seattle Times that the track might close after this year. That is because the owners from the Muckleshoot Tribe cannot afford the bill they expect to get in 2026 from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.

This is all about how HISA fees are calculated. The newspaper story said a change in the formula for next year will save Churchill Downs 48% and the New York Racing Association 58%, but it also will jack up Emerald Downs’ fees by 89%.

The Washington state legislature was asked to lend a helping hand and more than a few dollars, but those proposals died in committee hearings.

It was pointed out that Churchill Downs and NYRA took legal action prodding HISA to lower their fees lest they refuse to run some of the most popular races in the country. They said the fee structure improperly penalized them for their big-money races. By eliminating purse totals from next year’s fee structure, Churchill and NYRA get breaks, but tracks like Emerald Downs feel like they are getting screwed.

The whole time I read the story, though, I kept thinking about why it appeared now, about a month before the racing season begins at Emerald Downs. It looked to my skeptical, cynical eye like a call to action on behalf of the Muckleshoot Tribe.

It is no secret that I am no fan of HISA. My throwaway line now is that its repeated exercises in injustice are worse than the alternative of no justice. But since the Seattle Times story lacked any quotes from HISA, the otherwise good reporting suddenly had a shaky foundation. It is not unheard of for HISA to ignore a request for comment, but I still longed to hear its side of the story.

“If a racetrack operator blames the federal government for financial trouble, check it out.”

One thing decoupling at Gulfstream Park and federal fees at Emerald Downs have in common is they are controversies screaming for negotiation.

I know for a fact that Thayer and the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative have been doing a lot of talking behind the scenes in Florida. On that there lies hope for true compromise, something better than the five years’ notice that has been baked into the most recent version of the decoupling bill. Seriously, guaranteeing only five more years of racing is no assurance at all. For anyone whose livelihood depends on racing, it carries the stench of a Jay Leno retirement announcement.

On the other side of the country, Emerald Downs simply could drop out of HISA. There would be a huge plunge in the handle. Bean counters calculating the loss of host fees against out-of-state payouts would have to decide if such a boycott was worth it. Maybe a Zoom call with conscientious objectors in Texas would be a good place to start comparing notes.

The dust is far from settled on either of these stories. The same goes for the spin. Note to self. Even if we are sympathetic with those doing the spinning, that does not mean we should avoid asking pointed questions.

“If the people I support say something I agree with, check it out.”

This week’s column is dedicated to the memory of the late San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Bryce Miller, 56, who died from bladder cancer last week. Miller is the subject of a tribute on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod.