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Pennsylvania Harness Racing License Decision Delayed

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania – As reported the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "Because Lawrence County racetrack developer Carmen Shick has changed his major financial backer, the state Harness Racing Commission will need a few more weeks before deciding whether he or a competitor gets the state's final harness racing license.

"The three-member panel probably won't decide until late spring whether to award the state's fourth harness license to Shick, president of Ambrosia Enterprises of New Castle, or to Centaur Inc. of Indianapolis, which wants to build a new track along Route 51 in Beaver County, not far from Route 60.

"The competition for the license is especially intense because horse racing isn't the only thing at stake. The winner of the track license will also be entitled, under the state's new slot machine law, to build a casino with up to 5,000 slot machines.

"The commission was supposed to hold its final hearing on the license application last week, when Shick and Jeffrey Smith, president of Centaur Racing, were to make one last pitch as to why each thought they had the better proposal.

"…Before the hearing, Shick notified the state panel that he was ending his association with a major financial backer, Mississippi-based Isle of Capri, a nationally known casino company. Isle's place in Shick's financing plans will be taken by another casino financier, Innovation Capital Holding LLC of El Segundo, California…"

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