Calder Race Course, Inc. v. Division of Parimutuel Wagering

20 Fla. Supp. 2d 246
CourtState of Florida Division of Administrative Hearings
DecidedDecember 12, 1985
DocketCase No. 85-3199R
StatusPublished

This text of 20 Fla. Supp. 2d 246 (Calder Race Course, Inc. v. Division of Parimutuel Wagering) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering State of Florida Division of Administrative Hearings primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Calder Race Course, Inc. v. Division of Parimutuel Wagering, 20 Fla. Supp. 2d 246 (Fla. Super. Ct. 1985).

Opinion

OPINION

R. L CALEEN, JR., Hearing Officer.

FINAL ORDER

This administrative challenge of Rule 7E-1.02(43), Florida Administrative Code, was heard on September 30, 1985, by R. L. Caleen, Jr., [247]*247Hearing Officer with the Division of Administrative Hearings, in Miami, Florida. The parties were represented by counsel.

ISSUE

Whether Rule 7E-1.02(43), Florida Administrative Code, a rule of the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, Department of Business Regulation, constitutes an invalid exercise of delegated legislative authority.

BACKGROUND

On September 19, 1985, pursuant to Section 120.56, Florida Statutes, Calder Race Course, Inc. (“CALDER”), and Tropical Park, Inc. (“TROPICAL”), referred to collectively as PETITIONERS, filed with the Division of Administrative Hearings a “Petition for Administrative Determination of the Invalidity of Rule 7E-1.02(43), Florida Administrative Code.” This rule, promulgated by the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, Department of Business Regulation (“DIVISION”), provides:

(43) In the event of an emergency situation, after proper hearing before the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, if it is determined to be in the best interest of thoroughbred racing in Florida that a track must close its stable and racing strip for a designated period of time, and the stabling facilities of the remaining tracks are sufficient to accommodate those horsemen wishing to race at one of the other tracks meeting, and that no serious detriment to the meeting success is evident, permission may be granted for such closing by the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering and the conditions set for same.

The parties moved to expedite and, by notice of September 25, 1985, hearing was set for September 30, 1985. At or prior to hearing, petitioners to intervene — in support of the rule — were filed by Gulf-stream Park Racing Association, Inc. (“GULFSTREAM”), and the Florida Horsemen Benevolent Association (“FHBA”). At hearing, after PETITIONERS withdrew their opposition, and GULFSTREAM and FHBA were allowed to intervene as parties.

On September 27, 1985, pursuant to prior order, the PETITIONERS and the DIVISION executed a pre-hearing stipulation. GULF-STREAM and FHBA were also subject to the provisions of this document which stipulated to certain facts subject to later modification or clarification at hearing. In effect, and as explained at the outset of hearing, the facts (conditionally) agreed to in the pre-hearing stipulation were considered as admitted unless refuted or disproved by evidence presented at hearing.

[248]*248The pre-hearing stipulation also included a general statement of the position of the PETITIONERS and the DIVISION:

[PETITIONERS’ POSITION]
Petitioners’ position is that the challenged rule is an invalid exercise by the Division of delegated legislative authority in that said rule is not a reasonable implementation of Section 550.02 and Section 550.04, F.S.; and is, in fact, arbitrary, unreasonable and capricious, and amounts to legislating by an agency, which in and of itself, is unlawful. In addition, it is petitioner’s [sic] position that said rule is an invalid exercise of delegated legislative authority in that said rule has not been applied in a uniform manner by the Division and, as such, is in direct violation of Section 550.02(3), F.S. Further, the rule is, in fact, void for vagueness.
The effect of the rule is to require a race track to keep its stables and racing strip open, at its own expense, for the benefit of competing race tracks. No race track, other than Calder Race Course, is being required by the Division to keep its stables open for the benefit of other race tracks. Further, no other race track in Florida has been required to keep its stables open for the benefit of other race tracks, nor has any other race track in Florida ever requested permission from the Division to close its stables and/or racing strip during the period of time that the race track is not operating. Instead, all other race tracks in Florida, other than Calder Race Course, open their stables and close their stables as the race track feels, in its business judgment, is necessary, for the successful operation of their own meet, although all race tracks keep their stables and racing strip open, of course, during their racing meet. The rule, on its face, would prohibit Calder from closing its racing strip and/or racing stables, no matter what the reason or justification, and regardless of the existence of a legitimate emergency if the closing of said stables would adversely affect the race meet of some other competing race track.
The rule, in effect, requires Calder to keep its stables open during the time it is not operating its racing meet, for the benefit of other competing race tracks, at its own expense. Neither the state, nor the other competing tracks who are deriving a benefit from the other track’s open stables and racing strip, compensate Calder for the expenses incurred by that track in keeping the stables and racing strip open. As such, the rule is an unreasonable implementation of the statutes in question, and is arbitrary and capricious.
[249]*249 [RESPONDENTS’ POSITION]
Respondent maintains that the rule is a valid exercise of delegated legislative authority in that said rule is necessary for the preservation of state revenue and for the best interest of racing in the state, all to the benefit of the state and to the Pari-Mutuel Industry as a whole, and, as such, in [sic] a valid and reasonable implementation of the pertinent pari-mutuel statutes.

PETITIONERS presented the testimony of Robert Rosenberg, Director of the DIVISION; Douglas Donn, President of GULF-STREAM; and Kenneth Noe, President of CALDER and TROPICAL.

The DIVISION, GULFSTREAM, and FHBA presented the testimony of Douglas Donn; John T. Simmons, Chairman of the Board of FHBA; James M. Long, a licensed owner, trainer, and Director of the FHBA; and Frances McNamee, Secretary of the FHBA.

PETITIONERS’ lettered Exhibits A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K,1 L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, and T were received in evidence. GULF-STREAM’S numbered exhibits 1 through 5 were also received in evidence.

The transcript of hearing was filed on October 24, 1985. The parties filed proposed findings of fact by November 4, 1985. Rulings on the proposed findings are contained in the attached Appendix.

Based on the parties’ pre-hearing stipulation and the evidence adduced at hearing, the following facts are determined:

FINDINGS OF FACT

I

1. TROPICAL PARK holds a Winter Thoroughbred Horseracing permit issued pursuant to Sections 550.02, 550.04, 550.05 and 550.81, Florida Statutes, and operates a race course in Dade County, Florida.

2. GULFSTREAM and Hialeah, Inc. (“Hialeah”), are the other holders of Winter Thoroughbred Horseracing permits within a 35-mile radius of TROPICAL. See, Section 550.081(1), Fla. Stat. (1983). GULFSTREAM operates a race course in Broward County; Hialeah operates one in Dade County.

3. CALDER is the only holder of a Summer

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Bluebook (online)
20 Fla. Supp. 2d 246, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/calder-race-course-inc-v-division-of-parimutuel-wagering-fladivadminhrg-1985.