BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 897
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Date of Hearing: April 13, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION
Isadore Hall, Chair
AB 897 (Hall) - As Introduced: February 17, 2011
SUBJECT : Horse racing: quarter horse racing.
SUMMARY : Allows a quarter horse racing association to offer
wagering on specific live races that are run in another state on
a designated day. Specifically, this bill :
1) Permits the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) to authorize
a licensed 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 day that other
association conducts the Texas Classic Futurity and Remington
Park Futurity, as specified.
EXISTING LAW :
1) Provides that CHRB regulate the various forms of horse racing
authorized in this state.
2) 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.
3) 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 live races and imports not
more than eight races on live racing days, as specified.
4) 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.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown.
COMMENTS :
AB 897
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Purpose of the bill : Over the past several years, there has
been a noticeable decline in the number of people attending and
participating in live horse racing events in California. The
declining 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 to compensate for losses
at their live horse racing events.
Current law however restricts the number of non-California
quarter horse races that can be
imported via satellite to eight races per day by a quarter horse
racing association.
AB 897 will 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.
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. AB 897 will also provide the
industry with a mechanism to increase track commissions, purses,
and breeder's awards.
Background : In the late 1990's, California racetracks began
importing additional races from out-of-state locations to
provide California's horse racing patrons with the opportunity
to wager on quality races offered by racetracks throughout the
country. Since the introduction of this practice (which,
incidentally is authorized in many other states that likewise
allow pari-mutuel wagering on horse races), wagering on these
out-of-state races has been well received by the betting patron,
as evidenced by modest increases in overall wagering activity.
This has also helped the industry offset a continued reduction
in on-track wagering activity.
AB 897
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Quarter Horse racing in California is held exclusively at Los
Alamitos racetrack. Unlike Thoroughbreds, which make up most
professional racing and often race longer distances, Quarter
Horses are bred to sprint short distances ranging from 220 to
870 yards. The Los Alamitos meet operates all year long with
the 2011 meet running rom January 1, 2011 until December 18,
2011.
Prior legislation : AB 2201 (Coto), Chapter 253, Statutes of
2010. Authorized 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 3074 (Governmental Organization Committee), Chapter 510,
Statutes of 2008. Allows 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.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Los Alamitos Racecourse
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Eric Johnson / G. O. / (916) 319-2531
AB 897
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