Letter: Minnesota Desperately Needs Racinos

There are a number of signs each year that indicate the spring season is close to blooming. Minnesota’s “snow birds” make their way back from the South, clocks spring forward and activities in horse barns across the state heat up in preparation for the upcoming racing season, just to name a few.

This year at Canterbury Park is both special and daunting for me because I will run my last crop of Minnesota two-year-olds. My years in this industry are far from over altogether, but like many of my peers, I have taken most of my horses out of state to breed and race in more profitable environments. Fourteen other states, including Iowa, Indiana and Pennsylvania, are beating out Minnesota’s equine industry—which once was a top contender—because they offer Racinos.

I would prefer to stay in Minnesota, but we will need to have Racinos. The reality is even if you have a successful racing operation you most probably will still lose money with the current purse structure. Passing Racino legislation makes a lot of business sense for Minnesota. Enhancing our purse structure will have a significant and positive impact by growing all faces of the state’s equine industry, including non-racing breeds, veterinarians, feed mills, farriers and fence builders. The race horses and show jumpers may be the centerfolds, but there are countless cross-industry jobs that are supported by the equine industry.

If we continue to let our equine industry disappear—and it will without Racinos—the devastating impact will be felt throughout the state, including the south metro. Every Thoroughbred breeding and racing farm that leaves our state equals many jobs that will be lost for our struggling local small businesses that are dependent upon a horse economy. We desperately need Racinos now!

This spring, our job as Minnesotans is to give this industry the boost it needs instead of letting it move away to other states.

Bonnie Baskin
President, Blue Heaven Farm, LLC
Edina, MN
bonnie.baskin@yahoo.com