Shutdown puts strain on racing industry

Apr. 20--Whenever the pace car fires up its engine again, Bill Mullin's horses will be ready.

It's been more than a month since a horse crossed the finish line at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. The track in Plains Twp. originally announced March 13 that it would cancel live racing for three days because of coronavirus concerns. But, as businesses continued to shutter once the pandemic took root in the area, the casino's entire operation closed shop March 16.

Weeks later, there's still no telling when the next bets will be placed on local harness races. Mullin, who looks after nine horses at his farm in Lehman Twp., wants to be prepared when that day comes. The most he and countless others in the horse racing industry can do these days is stay optimistic while their livelihoods are put on hold.

"Some people turned their horses out, gave them a rest. I'm still going with mine," Mullin said over the phone this week. "I'm still hoping that something's going to open up. I'm probably wrong. ... But if you let them down, if you give them off a month, it takes them a month to get back."

These are unprecedented times for Mullin, 62. He got started with horse racing in Philadelphia around 45 years ago and began driving locally nearly four decades ago.

In all his time as a driver and, for the most part in recent years, a trainer, Mullin hasn't been away from the track for long. His typical day would still be set to begin around 5 a.m., as he'd get his horses ready for four-to-five days of racing each week.

"We've gone through a lot of different things, but nothing like this where everywhere's shut down," Mullin said. "We've had tracks shut down. We raced through a strike. Never anything like this."

It's a reality he and thousands more face through at least the end of April, the earliest Gov. Tom Wolf's stay-at-home order could be lifted across the state. In the meantime, all sorts of jobs have been impacted by the lack of racing.

Rachel Olszewski, the marketing and communications manager for the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen's Association, said there's no way to provide a precise figure of how many industry jobs are affected by the shutdown. However, she said, there are an estimated 16,000-23,000 jobs that associate with horse racing in Pennsylvania, be it in agriculture, manufacturing, construction, retail or hospitality.

Olszewski said the industry as a whole injects $1.6 billion into the state's economy.

"I'm sure (Wolf) realizes the stress of the situation for our industry," Matt Kakaley said. "It's going to be really tough for a lot of people if we don't get going really soon."

Kakaley has worked as a driver at The Downs since 2010. Racing is his only source of income, and it's all he has really come to know this time of year.

Harness racing is usually a seven-days-per-week grind for the Mountain Top resident. He might spend four days at The Downs, then spend the other three driving horses at a New York track a couple hours away.

"Busy every day," Kakaley said. "Now I'm stuck at home doing nothing. Big difference."

"It's terrible not being able to go and see them. I love what I do," he added. "I work a lot, but it's a passion. Just sitting at home and not being able to race or be around them, it's hard."

At least the shutdown hasn't dealt a crippling blow to Kakaley yet.

He said he isn't struggling thanks to the money he has saved. Mullins said he's still OK, too. If there's any silver lining to the situation, it's that there's more time for both to spend time with their families. Mullins has found time to binge TV shows as he's stayed home, and Kakaley has more hours in a day to bond with his daughter, who just turned 2.

But Kakaley said he's concerned about the "small-time" trainers and others in the industry who aren't as stable as the shutdown continues.

"I'm worried about them if this goes on for a long time. Those horses aren't cheap to look after," Kakaley said. "They need racing."

To help lessen the sting felt by many in the past month, Olszewski said the PHHA has covered April and May's insurance premiums for members covered by its healthcare plan. A COVID-19 resource page on the PHHA website also provides members a number of links to keep them informed and safe throughout the pandemic.

The one thing the PHHA or other organizations cannot provide at this time is an accurate timeline for return.

"As with all the industries in the commonwealth, we all are waiting to see what Governor Wolf and the Department of Health will do at the end of the month when the Stay at Home order is set to expire," Olszewski said.

Mullins keeps getting out to his farm early in the morning, looking forward to the next day his horses can show off their speed. He'll get them out for walks about every other day on his one-third-mile track, spending about six hours a day making sure they're fresh.

He figures he isn't the only one ready for race day to return. Mullins' partner at the farm noted how the horses seemed bored out in the field lately.

"They're kind of doing the same thing. Horses, I think, really do like to race," Mullin said. "You can tell when one's getting ready to race. They're getting sharp, they're getting fit, just like when you get ready to get in shape."

Contact the writer:

eshultz@citizensvoice.com;

570-821-2054; @CVEricShultz

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