Here’s an article about cutting horse racing in Kingman, Ariz.

Thank Dog some of AZ politicos have some sense to not keep on financing horse racing at the fairgrounds. Now if they just had more sense, they wouldn’t keep on financing greyhound racing either.

According to the Arizona audit of the Department of Racing, greyhound racing is 85 percent financed by the General Fund. With all the cuts and reductions for families and children, you would think that maybe if the AZ Dept of Racing cannot fund itself, then what’s the point? Where’s the good business model?

It’s not like dog racing isn’t making any money. It is.

In 2009, Tucson Greyhound Park made $9+ million from simulcast activity and $4+ million from live racing at the track. The state of Arizona makes no money off  this pari-mutuel income which is why the Ariz. Department of Racing is primarily financed by other state agencies.

It doesn’t seem like the horse racing people like the dog racing people much. Who can blame them? Maybe it’s because the horse racing people don’t like the fact that the dog racing people receive hardship tax credits. Can’t fault the horse racing people for that?

Here’s another factoid which can be found in the ADOR audit report. In 2009, 6 percent of the dog breeders were awarded $223,112 for 612 winning greyhounds.I hope those hounds were treated like kings and queens but I doubt it

Now with only one live dog race track in Tucson, let’s hope the AZ Dept of Racing doesn’t keep encouraging and rewarding the breeding of greyhounds like in the past but you never know because old ideas are hard to break. Makes no sense, no common sense in a bankrupt state.

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