(1) The Legislature finds that the operation of harness tracks and legalized pari-mutuel and mutuel betting at harness tracks in this state will become a substantial business compatible with the best interests of the state, and the taxes derived therefrom will constitute an important and integral part of the tax structure of the state and counties. The Legislature further finds that the operation of harness tracks within the state will establish and encourage the acquisition and maintenance of breeding farms for the breeding of standardbred horses used in harness races, and that this exhibition sport will attract a large tourist business to the state.

(2) Any permittee or licensee authorized under this section to transfer the location of its permit may conduct harness racing only between the hours of 7 p.m. and 2 a.m. A permit so transferred applies only to the locations provided in this section. The provisions of this chapter which prohibit the location and operation of a licensed harness track permittee and licensee within 100 air miles of the location of a racetrack authorized to conduct racing under this chapter and which prohibit the division from granting any permit to a harness track at a location in the area in which there are three horse tracks located within 100 air miles thereof do not apply to a licensed harness track that is required by the terms of this section to race between the hours of 7 p.m. and 2 a.m.

(3) A permit may not be issued by the division for the operation of a harness track within 75 air miles of a location of a harness track licensed and operating under this chapter.

(4) The permitholder conducting a harness horse race meet must pay the daily license fee, the admission tax, the tax on breaks, and the tax on pari-mutuel handle provided in s. 550.0951 and is subject to all penalties and sanctions provided in s. 550.0951(6).

(5) Each licensed harness track in the state must schedule an average of one race per racing day in which horses bred in this state and duly registered as standardbred harness horses have preference as entries over non-Florida-bred horses. All licensed harness tracks must write the conditions for such races in which Florida-bred horses are preferred so as to assure that all Florida-bred horses available for racing at such tracks are given full opportunity to perform in the class races for which they are qualified, and the opportunity of performing must be afforded to each class of horses in the proportion that the number of horses in this class bears to the total number of Florida-bred horses available. However, a track is not required to write conditions for a race to accommodate a class of horses for which a race would otherwise not be scheduled at such track during its meeting.

(6) If a permit has been transferred from a county under this section, no other transfer is permitted from such county.

History.—s. 42, ch. 92-348; s. 56, ch. 2000-154.