THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, September 12, 1994 TAG: 9409120063
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
The Virginia Racing Commission likely will not choose one of five applicants for a state horse track license until October.
``We're narrowing it down, but we haven't focused on the final results,'' John Shenefield, commission chairman, said last week. ``The commission isn't interested in prolonging it. We've been making pretty efficient progress.''
The commission faces a Sept. 28 deadline for the decision, but state law allows a 30-day extension, Shenefield said.
Applicants had expected the commission to award a license for the track and up to six off-track betting parlors at its meeting Wednesday, the last scheduled meeting before Sept. 28.
But last week commissioners said they doubt the winner will be named at the meeting.
The extra time would be used to fine-tune the legal documents that must accompany the decision. When the commissioners vote on the winner, they must also present ``findings of fact.'' That report would outline why the winner was chosen, and commissioners hope it will ward off potential lawsuits from the other applicants that could delay the opening of the state's first pari-mutuel track.
Shenefield compared the process to an overtime game.
``The game comes to an end Sept. 28, but the teams keep playing,'' he said.
``Someone says, `Hey wait, we're going into overtime.' And they only get 30 more days of overtime, so by then there has to be a result.''
Even though the applicants have submitted plans, financial data and schedules that form a 10-foot-tall stack of paper, commissioners say they have more questions to ask the applicants.
``There are still some things to be decided among us,'' said Ernest Oare, one of the commission members.
``But I do know one thing: It's going to happen.'' by CNB