GRANTS PASS, Ore. — Thursday afternoon, the Oregon Racing Commission reviewed and approved the Grants Pass Downs spring racing schedule. But there’s a chance — even with approval — races won’t run.
The president of the Grants Pass Downs, Randy Evers presented an amended schedule to the racing board. He outlined the challenges and opportunities the Grants Pass Downs has to look forward to this upcoming season.
When he finished, the commission chair asked Evers if it was true that the racing schedule was dependent on the Flying Lark’s attempts at getting gaming approved for the facility. Evers responded, “Our CEO, Mr. Boersma has made it clear that if the Flying Lark was not to open economically, we could not run the race meet for 2022. That’s correct.”
The schedule was passed unanimously by commissioners. The Oregon Racing Commission is still waiting on a decision from the state Department of Justice on the Flying Lark’s gaming application. The business hopes to have 250 historic horse racing machines or HHR’s.
According to developers, they look like “traditional games” but function as though you placed a wager at an off-track betting site on a horse race in the *past.
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