The Office of the Race Commissioner budget was reduced from $3.4 million to $1.4 million in the Governor's Executive Order issued May 5, said Cheryl Janssen, ORC administrative officer, in a written statement.

"Some of the impact to our industry was ORC staff layoffs and reassignments, and a reduction in live race days," she said. "Unfortunately, pari-mutuel horse racing in Michigan and around the country has been on a steady decline."

The staff members who were laid off and reassigned consisted of both administrative and track staff.

"Our remaining track staff are all part-time/seasonal and work only in conjunction with live racing," Janssen said.

Two race tracks in Michigan closed in recent years, leaving five tracks open.

Butch Berryhill, race secretary and general manager of Mount Pleasant Meadows, 500 N. Mission Road, said the state budget cuts eliminated a lot of the staff and cut down on race days.

"They took approximately half our races away," he said.

In past years, Mount Pleasant Meadows hosted 37 days of racing from May to September, granted by the ORC. This year, the track has 18.

Berryhill said the cuts are hurting the management of Mount Pleasant Meadows.

"We have to keep almost as many staff for one day of racing we do two," he said. "Live racing is what they cut, and that cuts down income. Where we made money running all 37 days, we'll lose money with 18."

The track will finish the season and apply for racing dates next year and see what happens, Berryhill said.

The track also needs staff members for simulcasting, broadcasting live races from tracks around the country.

Because of staffing cuts in the ORC, Mount Pleasant Meadows can only host races on Sundays, because it is the only day race stewards and personnel are available.

In addition to the budget cuts, Berryhill said the horse population is way down.

"One is economy. The other is states, mainly Indiana, really hurting us with casinos at their tracks," he said.

While Mount Pleasant Meadows can offer $3,000 to $4,000 purses, tracks in Indiana can offer $15,000, he said.

"Without getting slot machines here, it really hurts us. It's hard for us to compete," he said.

Michigan's constitution prohibits slot machines from being installed at racetracks. Other states are seeing an increase in horse racing, such as Indiana, because of the installation of slot machines.

But pari-mutuel horse racing at the tracks is seeing a significant decline, Berryhill said. While he is not seeing a significant decline in attendance, there is significant decrease in the number of dollars people are betting.

"It's free to get in, so it's fairly cheap entertainment, but they aren't betting," he said.

The track is unique in that it offers four types of racing: Quarter Horse, Paints, Arabians and Thoroughbreds. According to the track's Web site, it is the only track to offer such a variety of racing on the East side of the Mississippi River.

Berryhill said he has seen a 50 percent decrease in the Quarter Horse population.

"I have trainers that have a significant number of horses. They are racing half horses here and half in Indiana," he said.

The racetrack lost another trainer with more than 60 horses to Indiana completely.

"For a small track that is a significant," he said. "We are averaging three Arabians, three Thoroughbreds and the rest are Quarter Horses and Paints on any race day."

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