The Yellowstone Horse Racing Alliance informed MetraPark – a multi-facility events center located in Billings, Montana – of its decision to scrap the meet on Thursday. A letter from alliance president Jim Espy and director of racing Ben Carlson stated that “the funding generated from the Montana Board of Horse Racing is nonexistent for this year.”

“We sent a letter to MetraPark saying we wouldn't be able to sign a contract for 2012,” Espy told the Billings Gazette. “But we also said that we'd like to reserve dates for spring training and race dates in 2013, depending on financing. It's all about money.”

The cancellation is partly due to the late start for simulcast racing in Montana this year. The Montana Board of Horse Racing canceled simulcasts in December because it was facing a budget deficit of more than $600,000.

Montana Simulcast Racing LLC brought back the simulcasts on May 17.Carlson says that is partly due to the late start for simulcast racing in Montana this year.

The Board of Horse Racing cancelled simulcast racing in December because it was facing more than a $600,000 budget deficit.

Montana Simulcast Racing, LLC brought back the simulcasts on May 17, and the simulcasts are available at a few off-track betting sites across the state. State funding from simulcasting, advance deposit wagering, and fantasy sports betting have helped supplement purses and pay the salaries of track officials at the live meets. However, Espy said that this year those funds will likely be used by the Board of Horse Racing to pay down its debt.

Racing at Yellowstone Downs was scheduled to start on August 25. The eight-day meet was to be spread over four weekends through September 16.

“This (canceling the meet) is something we've been contemplating since the state shut down simulcasting in December,” Espy said. “We weighed the possibility of having a very short meet (this summer), but all that would do is take away money we would need to have a real good meet next year.”

The Yellowstone Downs meet is Montana's largest. Last year, the track drew an average of 3,957 per day, and average wagering handle reached $87,034.

“It's like having a kid leave home,” Espy said of having to cancel the 2012 season. “There's like a little hole there.”

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The California Senate on May 29 approved by a 32-2 vote legislation that would legalize sports betting in the state, but only if federal law is also amended.

SB 1390, sponsored by Sens. Roderick Wright (D-Inglewood) and Joel Anderson (R-Alpine), would make such betting legal at currently licensed gambling establishments, including racetracks and satellite wagering facilities. The bill would not make betting legal anywhere that does not already have a license.

Wright said that he thought the federal law that now prohibits sports wagering “will be amended.”

"When this law is changed, and we believe it will be, (we) want California to be in the position to move forward with this," he added.

New Jersey has passed a similar law and is suing the federal government to amend its law. Wright said that he was encouraging California to wait to see what happens in that court case, rather than file a lawsuit of its own.

The bill now goes to the Assembly.

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The Illinois legislature on Thursday approved a measure that would allow a city-owned casino in Chicago, as well as new casinos in four other locations in the state and slots at racetracks.

Sponsoring Sen. Terry Link (D-Waukegan) told the Chicago Tribune that the measure could raise as much as $400 million in license application fees in the budget year that begins July 1 and could generate between $300 million and $1 billion for the state when all of the gambling is operational.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has said he would veto the bill, but Link said he hoped to get enough votes to override a veto and force the governor to work with lawmakers on the issue.

“I think there's a lot of legislators who realize that while we're slashing and cutting...and doing things that are hurting people left and right, we can do something that will create jobs and bring in new revenue without a tax increase on any person in the state of Illinois,” Link said. “There's a will to get this done and get this over with.”

A similar-type measure passed last year, but Quinn criticized it as being too expansive. This year, Quinn criticized the bill for failing to ban political contributions from gaming interests.

The measure passed the Senate 30-26, the bare minimum needed for approval and six votes shy of a veto-proof majority. When it passed the House earlier in May, it received 69 votes, two shy of the number needed for a veto override.

In an appeal to Quinn to sign the measure, Link told the Tribune that he filed a new bill with more oversight of the Chicago casino and a ban on political contributions from gambling licensees. The separate bill would also take $75 million in state gambling revenues and use them to help fund financial need-based college grants.

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Retama Park near San Antonio opens its 20-day Quarter Horse season on Friday. Post time for the first race is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. (CDT).

During the meet, Retama will present live racing on a Friday-Saturday schedule through closing day, August 11. The track's stakes schedule features 21 races, starting with the 350-yard, $20,000 Selma Stakes for fillies and mares on Friday. Highlights of Retama's stakes slate include the 350-yard, $50,000-added TQHA Sires' Cup Futurity (RG2) and 400-yard, $25,000-added TQHA Sires' Cup Derby (RG3) on June 30, and the 400-yard, $75,000-added Retama Park Derby (G3) and 350-yard, $100,000-added TQHA Sale Futurity (RG2) on July 28.

Racing secretary James Leatherman has received 36 nominations for the Selma Stakes. The most prominent nominees include Zoomin To Win, Jakes Charming Jody, and Bertha Venation. A 4-year-old filly by Azoom owned by Herman and Kimberly Hogue, Zoomin To Win scored her first career stakes victory in the $25,000 Mother's Day Stakes at Delta Downs on May 12.

Jakes Charming Jody, a homebred 4-year-old daughter of Jody O Toole racing for Gary Kurz, is coming off of a Remington Park campaign during which she scored a three-quarter length win in the 110-yard, $25,000 Blink Of An Eye Stakes on May 25, while Bertha Venation has earned $126,081 from 18 starts for owner Jose Salazar and is coming off of a second-place finish in the $29,000 AQHA Houston Distaff Challenge Stakes on May 13.

Entries for the Retama Park's opening-night program will be drawn on Tuesday.

Also, Dark Horse Partnership's Kite Flyer has been made the 125-pound highweight for Saturday's 870-yard, $12,500 Universal City Handicap. One of 14 nominees, Kite Flyer was a prompt 11-10 favorite in the May 19, $25,000 Governor's Cup Marathon Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park.

Entries for the Universal City Handicap will be taken on Wednesday.

For more information on the Retama Park meet, visit the track's website at www.retamapark.com.

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Hubaldo Solis' Osbaldo is one of 13 New Mexico-breds nominated to Sunday's $75,000 Jimmy Drake Stakes (RG3) at SunRay Park.

The only 3-year-old nominated to the 400-yard stakes, Osbaldo is a gray colt by Jesse James Jr trained by Oscar Carrete. Osbaldo has earned $232,806 from eight starts, and his six wins include last year's $248,491 New Mexican Spring Futurity (RG2) at Sunland Park and $176,040 New Mexico Breeders' Futurity (RG2) at SunRay.

Other prominent nominees include KH Logax Inc.'s Snow Regard and Melvin Neugebauer's Here Kittykittykitty. A homebred 4-year-old Chicks Regard mare, Snow Regard won two stakes and banked $161,600 during her sophomore campaign, while Here Kittykittykitty has lifetime earnings of $413,928 from 16 outs and is coming off of a neck victory in the 350-yard, $110,000 Mesilla Valley Speed Handicap (RG2) at Sunland on March 11.

Entries for the Jimmy Drake stakes will be taken on Tuesday.