Fair board to reconsider live horse racing at Fair Meadows in 2013

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Fair board to reconsider live horse racing at Fair Meadows in 2013

BY KEVIN CANFIELD World Staff Writer
Monday, December 10, 2012
12/10/12 at 8:48 PM

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Notice of special meeting from the Fair board

Dec. 7: Fair board amends naming rights contract, affirms an end to horse racing at Fair Meadows

Dec. 6: Horsemen not optimistic that live racing will return to Fair Meadows; fair board to meet Thursday

Dec. 5: Creek Nation chief says tribe will no longer pay into state horsemen's purse fund

Dec. 4: Fair Board has questions to answer concerning racing decision

Dec. 4: Tulsa County fair board to take comments on deal with Creek Nation

Dec. 1: Fair board expected to revisit naming rights agreement with tribe

Nov. 21: Tulsa County officials defend decision to end Fair Meadows live horse racing

Nov. 20: Lawmaker wants Fair Meadows closure probed

Nov. 10: Racing's epilogue: Fair Meadows silence will be heard statewide

Nov. 3: Closing of Fair Meadows was news to Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission

Nov. 2: Deal ends live horse racing at Expo Square

Expo Square officials said Monday they are going to consider rescinding a controversial naming rights agreement with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation that included a provision to end live horse racing at Fair Meadows Racetrack.

The decision is based on the fact that Fair Meadows had signed agreements with the state’s two largest horsemen’s associations agreeing to hold live races in 2013 without the Tulsa County fair board’s consent or knowledge, according to a news release issued by Expo Square.

A special meeting of the fair board has been scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday to consider the continuation of live racing for 2013, and a new naming rights agreement with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

The fair board’s agenda calls for the board to consider rescinding its Nov. 1 and Dec. 6 votes on the naming rights agreement as well as Fair Meadows racing director’s letter to the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission relinquishing the racetrack’s license to hold live races.

The agenda also lists possible action on the naming rights agreement with the Creek Nation.

Creek Nation spokeswoman Neely Tsoodle said attorneys for the tribe are scheduled to brief Creek Nation Principal George Tiger on the situation later this afternoon.

County Commissioner and fair board Chairman Fred Perry said in the press release that the fair board was not aware of Expo Square’s contracts with the horsemen’s associations until the board was told during the public comment period of last week’s fair board meeting.

“When confronted with this new information, it was imperative to take aggressive and timely action,” Perry said. “I believe it is appropriate to follow the terms of the agreements regarding the 2013 race meeting, which is why I have requested a special meeting to address the issue.”

Contacted by telephone late Monday, Perry declined to comment on how the fair board could have been unaware of the agreements.

“I would just refer you to the press release,” Perry said.

Fair Meadows Racing Director Ron Shotts signed agreements with the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association and Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma in October agreeing to run live horse races at the racetrack in 2013. In the press release, Shotts insists that he did not inform fair board or its legal counsel of the agreements before the naming rights deal was voted on Nov. 1 and Dec. 6.

"I apologize to all parties for any inconvenience and take full responsibility for my actions," Shotts said. "The agreements, which I have executed for many years, were commonplace for receiving the annual racing licenses.

"I will work with the associations and my staff to conduct the 2013 race meet to the best of our ability."

Tino Rieger, executive director of the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission, said he was not sure whether Fair Meadows would be allowed to hold live races in 2013 because it has given up its license.

“If they were to come to us in January 2103, they would be a non-licensed racetrack, and I think at that point the commission would have to review the licensing process for the legal ramifications,” Rieger said.

Debbie Schauf, executive director of the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association, said she was pleased to see that things look like they are going to be done the right way instead of the wrong way.

“I really applaud their action, if it is sincere, to try to make things right,” Schauf said. “And I think this gives us a year to all work together to see if we can do something to make their races better and resolve the issues that we have,” Schauf said.

The naming rights agreement with the Creek Nation was originally approved without comment by the Tulsa County fair board on Nov. 1, drawing immediate criticism from horsemen across the state would claimed it would devastate their industry.

The Nov. 1 fair board agenda — nor a press release released after the fair board’s vote — made mention of the live horse racing provision of the agreement.

The horsemen have also criticized the fair board for not including horsemen in their discussions about ending live racing at Fair Meadows provision.

Last Thursday, the fair board voted on an amended naming rights agreement that clarified in which courts legal disputes between the parties could be heard.

The meeting drew about 75 people.

Without a license to hold live races, Fair Meadows would not have received the $2 million a year it was getting from the Creek, Osage and Cherokee tribes in lieu of having gaming machines.

The horsemen, meanwhile, have insisted that the tribes are legally obligated to continue paying into a fund that went to the horse racing purses statewide. The purse fund averaged $6.8 million a year between 2007 and 2011.

Creek Nation Principal Chief George Tiger has said previously that the tribe did not intend to continue paying into the horsemen's purse fund. The Osage and Cherokee tribes have indicated they would abide by the compact as long as they were required to by law.

Read the fair board agenda

Associated Images:

In this June 2011 file photo, Jesus Salazar (center, blue), races horses at Fair Meadows. CORY YOUNG/Tulsa World File