Portland Meadows Hits Snag With Greyhounds

PORTLAND - A dispute over betting revenues cut short the reopening of the Portland Meadows horse racing track.

Greyhound race simulcasts from Phoenix were shelved Wednesday night because of a dispute between The New Portland Meadows and the Multnomah Kennel Club, a greyhound racing track on Portland's eastern outskirts.

George Dewey, president of the kennel club, notified Portland Meadows operator Darrell Lee that the Phoenix simulcasts would hurt both the kennel club's 1992 wagering and the local greyhound industry.

Dewey asked Lee to sign a simulcast agreement that would give the kennel club 2.5 to 3 percent of the betting on the Phoenix races. Lee did not agree to Dewey's terms and the Phoenix satellite transmission to Portland Meadows ceased.

Lee, a Vancouver, Wash., attorney, said his organization was asking greyhound tracks in Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, Colorado and Wisconsin if they would simulcast to Portland Meadows without the kennel club's approval.

Betting on simulcasts from Hollywood Park and Bay Meadows in California went as planned at Portland Meadows Wednesday afternoon. Fans at Portland Meadows and 11 off-track sites in Oregon bet $104,945 on the 18 races.

Live racing at Portland Meadows is slated to begin today.