BILL ANALYSIS Ó
Bill No: AB
897
SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION
Senator Roderick D. Wright, Chair
2011-2012 Regular Session
Staff Analysis
AB 897 Author: Hall
As Introduced: February 17, 2011
Hearing Date: June 28, 2011
Consultant: Art Terzakis
SUBJECT
Horse Racing: quarter horse racing
DESCRIPTION
AB 897 authorizes the California Horse Racing Board to
permit a licensed California quarter horse racing
association that is conducting a live racing meeting to
accept wagers on the full card of races conducted by
another racing association on the date that other
association conducts the Texas Classic Futurity and
Remington Park Futurity.
EXISTING LAW
Existing law grants the California Horse Racing Board
(CHRB) the authority to regulate the various forms of horse
racing authorized in this state.
Existing law authorizes a licensed quarter horse racing
association that is conducting a live racing meeting in
this state to accept wagers on races conducted by the
racing association that conducts the American Quarter Horse
Racing Challenge, if the races are conducted on the same
day as the American Quarter Horse Racing Challenge.
Existing law permits a harness or Quarter Horse association
conducting a race meeting to accept wagers on the results
of out-of-state, out-of-country, and sometimes other
harness or Quarter Horse races, if specified conditions are
met, including that the association conducts at least seven
AB 897 (Hall) continued
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live races and imports not more than eight races on live
racing days, as specified.
Existing law authorizes the inclusion of wagers in the
pari-mutuel pools of the out-of-state association that
conducts the races on which the wagers are placed.
BACKGROUND
Purpose of AB 897 : The author's office notes that over the
years existing law has been amended to allow specific
notable races to be imported outside of an eight-race per
day limit, as defined in current law. This has been done
for scheduling, promotional and financial reasons.
Additionally, the author's office points out that there has
been a general decline in the number of people attending
and wagering at live horse tracks in California due to a
number of factors, including increased competition from
other forms of gaming, unwillingness of customers to travel
a significant distance to racetracks and the availability
of off-track wagering. This decline in attendance at live
horse racing events has prompted racetracks to rely on
revenues from in-state and out-of-state satellite wagering
and account wagering.
This measure would allow a quarter horse racing association
in California to import all of the races conducted on Texas
Classic Futurity and Remington Park Futurity day,
irrespective of the eight race day limit. The Texas
Classic Futurity, run at Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie,
carries a total purse (including two consolation races) of
$1 million. The Texas Classic Futurity is the richest race
in Texas and third richest Quarter Horse race in the world,
only behind the All American Futurity and Los Alamitos
Million.
The author's office believes this measure will give
California's quarter horse racing industry a marketing tool
to increase on-track and off-track attendance on this
specific day and provide the industry with a mechanism to
increase track commissions, purses, and breeder's awards.
PRIOR/RELATED LEGISLATION
AB 562 (Hall) 2011-12 Session. Would add the Wood Memorial
to the group of stake races in Horse Racing Law which are
AB 897 (Hall) continued
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exempt from the 32-race per day limit on imported races, as
defined. (Pending in this Committee)
AB 707 (Garrick) 2011-12 Session. Would increase from 32
to 60, the limitation on the total number of out-of-state
Thoroughbred races that may be imported per day by a
Thoroughbred association or fair that is conducting a live
race meet with approval by the CHRB. (Pending in this
Committee)
AB 2201 (Coto) Chapter 253, Statutes of 2010. Authorized
the CHRB to permit a California harness racing association
to accept wagers on the full card of races conducted by
another racing association on the date of the "Cane Pace."
AB 2790 (Committee on Governmental Organization) Chapter
141, Statutes of 2010. Added the Arlington Million to the
group of specific stake races which are exempt from the
32-race per day limit on imported races.
AB 3074 (Committee on Governmental Organization) Chapter
510, Statutes of 2008. Among other things, increased from
23 to 32, the limitation on the total number of
out-of-state thoroughbred races that may be imported per
day by a thoroughbred association or fair that is
conducting a live race meet. Also, allowed a harness
racing association in California to import all of the races
conducted on Kentucky Futurity day.
AB 2048 (Silva) Chapter 439, Statutes of 2008. Among
other things, allowed harness and quarter horse racing
associations and fairs to offer wagering on eight harness
or quarter horse races broadcast by satellite on each day
live races are run.
SB 1183 (Margett) Chapter 232, Statutes of 2004.
Authorized a harness association to import the full cards
of races held by the association hosting the Breeder's
Crown Stakes, the Meadowlands Pace, the Hambletonian, or
the North American Cup on the days that those races are
being run.
SUPPORT: As of June 24, 2011:
Los Alamitos Racetrack
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OPPOSE: None on file as of June 24, 2011.
FISCAL COMMITTEE: Senate Appropriations Committee
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