HORSE RACING : DEL MAR : Bill Allowing Bets Among L.A. Tracks Gets Initial OK

Another step toward inter-track wagering among four Los Angeles-area race tracks was taken Monday by a state assembly committee.

Currently, satellite wagering is allowed at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, Los Alamitos and Fairplex Park, but only on races at Del Mar.

A state senate bill, which passed the Assembly Governmental Organizational Committee by a 15-1 vote, would allow satellite wagering at one Los Angeles-area track on races run at another.

The bill would not affect Del Mar, which has offered satellite wagering on Los Angeles-area races since 1987.

Fearful that inter-county satellite wagering would cut into their live receipts, officials at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park have resisted inter-track wagering between the two tracks.

However, resistance has lessened because of declines in on-site attendance at both tracks.

Some segments of the quarter horse industry are fearful that their crowds will be lured away by satellite wagering on thoroughbreds. And the state’s tax rate is considerably lower for satellite wagering, stirring fears of reduced income for the state.

“Nobody knows exactly what is going to happen,” said Jerry McMetridge, a consultant to the Assembly Governmental Organizational Committee.

“Undoubtedly there is going to be a positive impact for the thoroughbred industry. But the situation is just a little bit different for the night industry (quarter horse and harness racing). What happens to people who bet on night races? Will they be betting their money during the day off of satellite signals? And no one knows how state taxes will be affected. Will the overall increase (in the satellite handle) be enough to compensate for a shrinking live handle?”

The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Ken Maddy (R-Fresno), is expected to be considered by the Assembly Ways and Means Committee next week. If approved, it then would come before the full assembly before going back to the senate.

If it passed, it could be on Gov. Pete Wilson’s desk by early September.

Because Maddy added an urgency amendment to the bill on Monday, inter-track wagering could begin the day after it is signed by the governor. All four tracks already are linked to satellites.

Horse racing notes

Joe Harper, president of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, isn’t so sure inter-track wagering would be a boon for Los Angeles-area tracks. This season, satellite wagering on Del Mar races has been offered at the Sycuan Indian Reservation in nearby El Cajon. “When you put a satellite in your own market, you don’t get any new fans,” he said. “What you have to hope for is greater frequency. It’s hard to say what has happened with us.”

Since inter-track wagering began in 1987, Del Mar has lost 20% of its live handle, but has more than made up for it with satellite revenue, Harper said. Harper, however, cautioned against using Del Mar’s experience to predict what might happen in the Los Angeles market. “We’re 100 miles away from the nearest track,” he said. . . . Another state senate bill involving the thoroughbred industry was tabled Monday for further study. It would allow satellite wagering at venues other than race tracks. (The Sycuan Indian Reservation is covered by federal law.)