Muddy Future Remains For Les Bois Live Racing

Another spring will come and go without the thundering of thoroughbred hoofs at Les Bois Park but it's not for the lack of trying.

Save Idaho Racing chaired by Bruce Newcomb continues to support a ballot initiative to legalize historical racing machines in Idaho and thus provide the financial stability for live racing at Les Bois Park.

When I first arrived in Idaho there were no historical machines, it was all about live racing and it was really fun to grab a burger and fries and watch the ponies run.

I miss those days which apparently became dependent on the money raised during the non live season via the historical machines which came under fire as being glorified slot machines and thus illegal in Idaho.

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe, with it's own gambling agenda prevailed and now even as Save Idaho Horse Racing gears up for another attempt to reclassify those historical machines, the Coeur d'Alene tribe has once again taken the lead in trying to stop the initiative.

The horse wars haven't been pretty and the future remains muddy for live racing in Boise. The Save Idaho Horse Racing folks say the CDA Tribe has hired people to harass and intimidate voters backing the initiative ballot. The tribe denies the allegations but admit they've hired people to counteract what the tribe calls miss information by the Save Idaho Horse Racing folks.

Chairman Newcomb contends every campaign has a war of words but claims the tribe has taken an "in your face" approach that at best is intimidation.

The Idaho Legislature refuses to reconsider legalizing the machines forcing the ballot initiative to get the issue in front of the voters.

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe has launched a PAC with the goal of stopping any ballot reaching the voters.

The finish line still seems a long way away

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