By NANCY LOWRY nlowry@ncnewsonline.com

It is still a two-horse race. The Pennsylvania State Harness Racing Commission, meeting Thursday at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, agreed it will consider only the applications of Lawrence County’s Bedford Downs and Beaver County’s Valley View Downs as contenders for the state’s final harness racing license. On the recommendation of its solicitor Jorge Augusto, commission members Arthur Manuel and chairman Roy Wilt agreed not to open the competition to new applicants. Augusto, assistant legal counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, said he based his recommendation on his review of the July 2 Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision. He noted “time is of the essence” and the commission should act swiftly. Under state law, the final harness track license is coupled with a license to operate up to 3,000 slots machines. But if it is not awarded by July 2009, the slots license will be converted to a “stand alone” slots parlor license. Augusto also recommended both Bedford and Valley View file requests for reconsideration and may amend their applications. Manuel, who made the motion, set Aug. 3 as the deadline for new filings. Wilt recommended the commission “act expeditiously” to award the final license. Lawrence County Commissioner chairman Dan Vogler, who attended Thursday’s meeting, said he is pleased with the announcement. “Opening the proceedings to other applicants would be sure to delay the license award,” he said. The request that the two applicants act quickly indicates the commission wants to see this “resolved in the short term, not in the long run,” he added. Vogler also noted the Aug. 3 deadline may indicate the commission’s interest in resolving the matter by its next meeting, set for Aug. 10 at The Meadows in Washington County. “I don’t want to read too much into this,” Vogler said, “but they may be ready to make an announcement” at the Aug. 10 meeting. Vogler said he is pleased the commission chose not to open applications to others. “I’m sure this is the better alternative.” Bedford Downs developer Carmen Shick is “satisfied and confident” his proposal will prevail. However, he said he does not believe the license will be awarded next month, “but anything is possible.” Shick said he is pleased the competition for the harness track license remains limited to Bedford and Valley View, adding he does not believe the Aug. 3 deadline will present a hardship for him. “We will make every reasonable change necessary” to the application, he said. However, he added he anticipates “very little” will change from his original plan. Shick and his partners, who include his brother Kenneth Shick and sister Kendra Tabak, propose a mile-long racetrack, grandstands and casino on about 550 acres of reclaimed strip-mined land off Route 422 in Mahoning Township. He estimates the first phase — the race track, grandstands and casino — will cost $165 million. He also envisions hotels, restaurants and retail. Valley View Downs’ $340 million development plan includes a five-eights-mile track off Route 51 and Stitt Road in Beaver County. It was proposed by Indiana-based Centaur Inc. Valley View spokesman Rick Kelly said he is pleased with Thursday’s announcement. “We’ll file a motion for reconsideration and amend our application,” he said. “Everything that the commission objected to can be rectified.”