Veto costs Chester racetrack funding for breeders, purses

Wednesday, May 11, 2005 | 9:40 a.m.

Gov. Joe Manchin's combination of signing one horse racing-related bill and vetoing another could lead a Northern Panhandle racetrack to lose about $2.3 million a year.

Manchin last week vetoed a bill that would have created a breeders' fund program at Mountaineer Racetrack & Gaming Resort in Chester, but signed another one requiring horse and dog tracks to contribute 1.5 percent of their video lottery revenues to state thoroughbred and greyhound development funds.

As the only state racing facility without a related breeding program, Mountaineer will be the sole track paying out the video lottery proceeds without getting money back, which will likely lead to smaller race purses.

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