Wonderland waits as Raynham Park bids for 2010 dates

REVERE – Employees, patrons and management at Wonderland Greyhound Park must wait and wonder as Raynham Park petitions the State Racing Commission for 2010 racing dates – with or without live greyhound races.But the group that successfully pushed a dog racing-ban ballot question in 2008 is stepping up its rhetoric.In addition to asserting that Raynham Park’s application for 312 dog racing dates in 2010 is incomplete, GREY2K USA says passage of that law represents “the last statutory word on greyhound racing in this state” and should prevent the commission from granting race dates next year.In a Sept. 30 letter to the commission from Friedman & Atherton LLP, dog track operators in Raynham said their application was intended to “preserve the rights” of the track to run greyhound racing “depending upon the outcome of certain pending and/or future litigation and legislation.”Raynham’s application also seeks approval to allow wagering on simulcast races “independent of live racing, based upon the outcome of pending and/or future legislation.”Circumventing the ballot law, which calls for the ban to take effect on Jan. 1, 2010, is of special interest to the supporters of racing at Wonderland as well. Those supporters assert that nearly 1,200 people will lose their jobs once the ban takes effect and send long-time track workers to unemployment lines. They say it will also impact 20 kennel operators, many located in surrounding communities, including Lynn and Saugus.On the political front, Wonderland enjoys some powerful supporters at the State House but a lukewarm backing in the city. House Speaker Robert DeLeo, a Winthrop Democrat who represents the ward containing the oval, insists that slot machines at the state’s race tracks are to be the foundation of any expanded gambling proposals. But Revere Mayor Tom Ambrosino said last week that the parcel Wonderland sits on would be tagged for future development, not gambling.A pro-dog racing industry group is seeking a judicial inquiry in Lynn District Court into allegations that proponents of the dog ban ballot referendum committed election fraud. Protection of Working Animals and Handlers (POWAAH) is asking for a judicial inquest into whether Question 3 supporters violated election laws prohibiting campaigns from knowingly publishing false information and offering inducements to voters.In a memo to the racing commission obtained by the State House News Service, Christine Dorchak, representing the anti-racing group, said the Raynham Park has failed to include in its race date application a required fee and financial disclosure statements. Dorchak said that while the effective date of the racing ban is prospective, “the Commission may not use a technical reading to thwart legislative intent.” Dorchak added, “It is the clearly established will of the people, standing in the shoes of their lawmakers, that controls your actions at this time.”Raynham is also engaged in a court fight challenging campaign tactics of racing ban proponents and track backers are also preparing a second suit alleging that the law amounts to an unconstitutional taking of property without compensation. The track is also in the thick of the debate over authorizing racetrack slot machines and casinos.Material from the State House News Service was used in this report.