Hialeah Park Betting License Lifted : Racing: An emergency state order shuts down the historic track because it altered its schedule without approval.

The Florida Department of Business Regulation said it will suspend Hialeah Park’s pari-mutuel license because the historic track altered its racing schedule without state approval.

The department’s emergency order will at least temporarily shut down the track’s troubled meeting.

Hialeah Park owner John Brunetti and his attorney, Barry Richard, informed of the state’s plans Monday, promised to appeal the order to the 3rd District Court of Appeals in Miami.

If Hialeah can persuade the court to grant a stay, the track can continue running its abbreviated schedule until a full hearing.

“I never have expectations with an appellate court,” Richard said of Hialeah’s outlook.

Brunetti had planned to be closed today through Friday. Saturday was to be the first day Brunetti would test his revised three-day race schedule.

Under its original schedule, Hialeah was to be open today. By closing, the track would be in violation of its license, which requires that it run six days a week through May.

The state’s emergency order is based on the grounds that the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering no longer can adequately regulate pari-mutuel activity at Hialeah under the chaotic conditions.

Brunetti decided to abbreviate Hialeah’s schedule because the track has lost an estimated $68,000 per day since it opened Nov. 18.