Audit: Track owners shorted horse race purses

A state audit has concluded that operators of a Minnesota horse racing track shorted race purses by nearly $437,000 over four years in which regulators failed to adequately scrutinize the payouts.

Minnesota's legislative auditor released his special review of the Racing Commission's oversight of the Running Aces Harness Track north of the Twin Cities. It says regulators took years to notice the track improperly calculated amounts that should go into purses for winning horse owners. Auditor James Nobles says payments to bettors weren't at issue.

The commission is under new management after some turbulent years. Its new leaders promise to promptly seek to recover deficient payments.

In a response attached to the audit, the track's general manager says he believes purses were already sufficiently adjusted to account for past deficiencies.

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