Playfair Has Shot At Winter Meet

A simmering disagreement in Yakima turned into a surprise announcement that could lead to a break for struggling horsemen of the Inland Northwest.

The racing association that operates Yakima Meadows on Friday withdrew its request for a winter season. The decision not to operate from Nov. 22 through March 23 in Yakima was announced by Kenneth Vanderweele, vice-president of Apple Tree Turf Associates.

Playfair general manager Kim Rich said the Spokane track is prepared to fill the void by operating three days a week through late fall, winter and early spring.

A request for those dates was submitted Friday by former Playfair GM Dan Hillyard.

Hillyard, in a letter Friday, asked state racing commission chair Barbara Shinpoch to convene an emergency meeting “at the earliest possible time to consider Playfair’s request for winter racing dates.”

Hillyard also asked the commission to “reconsider” the license application by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe.

Rejected by the commission, the Muckleshoots have gone to the state court of appeals. On Nov. 12 the appellate court will hear arguments on the Tribe’s motion for discretionary review - the next step in the Muckleshoot legal fight to assume operations here.

While the Tribe goes to court, Playfair officials - speaking through Hillyard - asked for race dates relinquished Friday by Vanderweele.

Hillyard also asked the commission to OK installation of a safety rail, part of a $150,000 project that can start immediately and be completed in 30 days, in time to run a fall/winter/spring meet here, Rich said.

The Spokane track has never operated so late in the year, but horsemen and track officials agree a winter meet with statewide simulcasting is more acceptable than no meet.

Vanderweele writes in his letter to racing commission chair Shinpoch that he’s “currently seeking other operators/licensees who would be willing to undertake racing activities at Yakima, either for a portion of the ‘96-97 winter meet or for the ‘97-98 winter meet.”

Just as horsemen organized a 1989 season here after Playfair owner Jack Pring decided to get out of track operations, horsemen have in the past taken over in trying to revive the winter meet in Yakima.

The horsemen’s bargaining arm, the Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, ran Yakima after the last time it went under, a Daily Racing Form source in Seattle said.

Officials of the HBPA and the management of Emerald Downs were meeting Friday.

Spokane attorney Martin Gales, who represents Playfair horsemen, said he expects Emerald Downs to ask for the Yakima dates, too.

“People who only run at Yakima are now screwed,” Gales said. “Probably only half of the horsemen there commute to Emerald. The other half were sold down the river. Knowing how they feel, we want to do what we can for them - pool horses, share dates - we’re not sure what.

“We’re certainly not out of the woods yet ourselves.”

If Friday’s development left the door open for another operator to rescue the fading chances of a meet in Yakima, or for Emerald to scoop up the remaining dates, it also opens opportunity for Spokane interests, Gales said.

Gales, who represents the Organization to Preserve Horse Racing in the Northwest (OPHRN), said a Superior Court judge referred to this contingency in her ruling of Oct. 4.

Gales quoted Judge Paula Casey of Thurston County as saying that if for some reason Yakima can’t operate during November and December “it’s a professional courtesy that Yakima notify the Spokane track so Spokane can take advantage of yearend racing.”

Vanderweele, in his letter to the commission, says the Yakima racing association is “unable to secure the necessary approvals to remove the contingencies which were listed in its request for racing dates.”

An industry insider says the wording refers to a dispute between Vandwerweele and the head of the Central Washington Fair Board, which owns the Yakima facility.

“In addition,” Vanderweele continues, “it is impossible at this time to adequately prepare the (Yakima) track for safe, continuous horse racing.”

On Thursday, before the announcement, the racing commission rescheduled its dates-request meeting from Oct. 29 to Nov. 15, citing a scheduling conflict.

Inland Northwest horse interests are hopeful.

Jim Seabeck of Spokane is one of three voting members of the racing commission with Shinpoch of Renton and Bob Plut of Seattle. Seabeck’s vote has been consistently over-ridden by Plut and Shinpoch in issues regarding Playfair.

“This should open the door for Playfair,” Seabeck said. “We need racing here.”

“How could they not let us race at this point?” Playfair GM Rich said.

, DataTimes