Speakers: Nebraska horse racing needs bigger purses, track in Lincoln

Nearly two dozen people spoke before a legislative committee gathering testimony on Nebraska's horse racing industry on Thursday in Grand Island.

About 100 people turned out for the interim study session, which was headed by state Sens. Vickie McDonald, Ray Aguilar, Russ Karpisek and Annette Dubas. The hearing was held in the Bosselman Conference Center at the Heartland Events Center.

"This is an absolutely fantastic turnout," McDonald said before testimony began.

She said the General Affairs Committee members wanted to hear from the horse racing community about the industry in general.

The majority of the speakers either had ties to or benefited from the presence of live horse racing at Fonner Park.

One of the speakers, Jesse Compton of Shelby, drew applause for his statements to the committee. Like many of the people gathered in the room on Thursday, Compton grew up around horse racing. He worked his way up from the stables to being a horse owner and said money he earned helped put him through college.

"It takes a commitment to do what we do," he said.

Compton, and many other speakers, told the committee that horse racing has a huge impact on the community. Horse owners, trainers, riders and equipment suppliers travel around the state, and to other states, to race. They spend money in the various towns, he said, and they sometimes win purses to get some of their investment back.

However, because the purses at Nebraska's tracks are smaller than those offered in bordering states, many owners are taking their animals to out-of-state tracks, he said.

"We are all connected, and when one of us leaves, it might not be enough to keep us going," he said.

To help keep Nebraska horse owners and riders in Nebraska, and to draw others from surrounding states, Compton suggested that the racing facilities at State Fair Park in Lincoln be rebuilt after the State Fair moves to Grand Island.

He said a mile track would be a recruiting tool and could help make purses larger. He added that many of the states around Nebraska have casino gambling at their racetracks, and that helps increase revenues as well.

Local horse owner June O'Neill said casino/racetrack combinations are hurting Nebraska because horse owners are traveling to other states for those bigger purses.

"We need to be realistic," she said. "Those dollars are marching out of state."

At least three speakers gave testimony against the idea of casino racetracks. They pointed to the downfalls associated with excessive gambling -- increased crime, alcohol consumption, wrecked marriages and failed businesses.

Gene Dominick, one of the men who spoke against casinos, said he would like to see the Legislature come up with an initiative for the horse racing industry to save itself without "bailing them out."

Kelly Martinez, a trainer who's married to a jockey, said the problems associated with gambling can't be blamed on the horse racing industry.

"Problems are there every day, and we need to deal with them, but people have choices," she said. "We're all here, and we need help. It would be sad to see people leave. Nobody really wants to leave."

Many of the speakers pointed to the jobs tied to racing, such as the horse owners, trainers, farriers, riders, breeders, agriculture producers, handlers, racetrack workers, farmhands, hotel owners and restaurant workers.

Gene McCloud, owner of the Super 8, and Ed Sabatka, owner of Uncle Ed's Steakhouse, both said they add employees during Fonner's racing season because of increased business.

Hugh Miner Jr., vice president and chief executive officer of Fonner Park, said horse racing made Fonner Park what it is today. The park wouldn't be here if it weren't for the promotion of agriculture, livestock breeding, racing and the county fair, he said.

"The majority of the people here today are Fonner family," he said.

Miner added that, as a result of the economic impact of horse racing, Fonner Park was able to help build the Heartland Events Center as well as donate land for Island Oasis water park, Fire Station No. 1, the firefighters' memorial, and soccer and softball fields.

The activities held at Fonner Park and the events center aren't strictly limited to racing. Instead, there is a wide variety of things available, such as trade shows, meetings, concerts and family events, he said.

Losing the track in Lincoln would have a big effect on Fonner Park, and a shortened Nebraska racing season would be hard on the horsemen, he said.

"Selfishly, I'd like to see something done to keep racing in Lincoln," he said.

The last speaker, Rita Hemmer of Grand Island, said she married a man she met on the "backside of Fonner." He is a horse trainer who, like many horse people, does more work by 10 a.m. than most people do all day, she said.

"We don't want to see people harmed by gambling," she said, holding up photos of her family. "I don't want to be rich. If I wanted to be rich, I wouldn't have married a Nebraska horseman. I love Grand Island, and I want to stay here. I think it's the best place in the world to raise kids. We are the good life in Nebraska -- hardworking and honest.”