Playfair Puts In Request For 74-Day, 1997 Season

Encouraged by recently granted winter racing dates, officials at Playfair Race Course on Friday asked the state racing commission for a 74-day season in 1997.

The Spokane track was represented at a meeting in Auburn by former general manager Dan Hillyard, who applied for an extended season from July 9 through Nov. 30.

Approval appears contingent on resolving the issue of overlapping dates. Until last week, the racing commission had vetoed requests by Playfair for dates that would overlap with the major racing association in the state, Emerald Downs.

Emerald Downs, located in Auburn, applied for 148 days from March 27 through Nov. 9.

Playfair officials said they want the Auburn track to conform to dates previously awarded to its predecessor, Longacres. Longacres usually ran 100 days from April through September, which left exclusive statewide, early-fall simulcasting to Playfair.

The Central Washington Fair Board also applied for dates as Yakima Meadows Inc., seeking an opening in January.

Commission chair Barbara Shinpoch reportedly did not encourage the fair board - which has yet to be licensed - to look for dates that early in the year, according to the Valley Daily News of Kent, Wash.

Marie Connelly, general manager of Emerald Downs, said the Auburn track would open 60 days prior to its ‘97 meet. It wants to run four days a week through May 15 and five days after that until Sept. 11, when it wants to cut back to four days.

The commission was reported to be considering the appointment of a mediator to hear arguments over dates from competing racing associations.

Decisions may come as soon as the next commission meeting Nov. 26.

, DataTimes