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Horse racing opponents in Gardner to hold informal meeting: Where and when it is

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6 months ago

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Horse racing opponents in Gardner to hold informal meeting: Where and when it is

Opponents to gather at Hope Lodge on Sunday

A proposal that could bring horse racing to the city has not even reached the starting gate yet, but one Gardner woman is hoping to prevent the sport from ever running in the Chair City.

Kimberly Blake, who unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2023, will host an information meeting for those opposed or on the fence about bringing horse racing to Gardner at Hope Lodge at 42 Central St. on Sunday, June 23 at 2 p.m.

The Gardner City Council has scheduled to take a vote at its next meeting on whether to schedule a public hearing on the measure after officials at GAAMHA announced that they had entered into a contingency agreement with Bay State Racing LLC to sell its current location at 827 Green St. for $1.6 million in a private sale.

Baystate officials want to transform the site, which is currently the home of GAAMHA’s Carl E. Dahl House facility, into an equestrian center for a variety of horse-related activities, including racing. The city has jurisdiction over whether to allow racing at the site, according to state law.

Blake said the guest speaker at Sunday’s meeting will be Barbara Kellogg, an attorney who fought to keep a horse racetrack from being built by Bay State Racing in Hardwick.

More: Beaten by a mile: Hardwick voters soundly reject proposed horse breeding/racing facility

“At the time, (Hardwick) was really hurting for money and the city government was really interested in (horse racing), but in the end it did get shot down because as much as they needed money, they couldn’t have that there, so I wanted to look into why,” Blake said. “Apparently, the opposition wasn’t so much about the racing, it was more about the players, the investors and their track records on environmental issues.”

Racing opponents believe negative impacts outweigh benefits

Blake said she believed proponents of local horse racing highlight the benefits – additional jobs and increased revenue – while minimizing negative impacts such as damaged wetlands and traffic congestion.

“Sunday’s meeting will be about what they’re not telling us,” said Blake.

The informal meeting will be a chance for anyone who opposed horse racing in Gardner to share their knowledge, according to Blake, who added that the fact Hope Lodge officials were allowing them to utilize their space should not be seen as an endorsement of their cause.

“I believe horse racing and dog racing is a blood sport,” she said. “We shouldn’t be using animals to make money. This is our game, not theirs. And I just don’t want to see it here in Gardner.”

If the city council approves a public hearing on the issue at its July 1 meeting, the vote would be just the first step in a long process before any races are run in the city.  A separate vote would be required to allow racing at the site. If approved, the state’s Gaming Commission would have to determine whether to grant a racing license for the site.

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