MAGNA: Desperate hours fast approaching..

[Kasept]

MEC Reorganization Plan Scrapped
By Ryan Conley

Magna Entertainment Corp. said Feb. 18 it might not be able to meet pressing financial obligations unless alternative measures are found, a revelation disclosed following the sudden halt of a controversial reorganization proposal for the company and its controlling shareholder, MI Developments.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...-plan-scrapped

In a separate release, MEC said substantially all of its other current and long-term debt will also become due on demand as a result of cross-default provisions within loan agreements, unless MEC is able to obtain waivers, modifications or extensions.

"In the event MEC is unsuccessful in its efforts to raise additional funds, through an alternative transaction with MID, assets sales, by taking on additional debt or by some other means, MEC will not be able to meet such obligations," the MEC release said.

[dagolfer33]

Steve, please advise as to when I should withdraw all monies from my Xpressbet account.......I dont want to get stuck like the people at the dogtrack. LOL. Or maybe not LOL. hmmmmm.........

[Kasept]

Matt Hegarty's take..


Failed plan results in Magna's loans coming due
By Matt Hegarty

http://www.drf.com/news/article/101765.html

MI Developments has abandoned a complex proposal to spin-off the troubled racing company Magna Entertainment Corp., according to both companies, a decision that leaves Magna with few options to retire a crushing debt load.

In a release, MI Developments said it had canceled the plan because of "current global economic conditions." The plan, which was announced in late November but was immediately opposed by several large shareholders, would have transferred all of MI Development's stock in Magna Entertainment to a company controlled by Magna's founder, Frank Stronach.

[Suffolk Shippers]

If you logged on today, knew nothing of horse racing, Magna, Stronach, etc and you read this paragraph in the Heg piece, you'd have to be floored and wondering how on earth this company is still afloat:

Magna Entertainment, which owns 10 tracks, including Santa Anita Park and Gulfstream Park, has lost more than $500 million over the past five years and holds $500 million in debt. It recently hired a company specializing in bankruptcy reorganizations as an advisor.

-$500,000,000 lost over five years
-$500,000,000 in debt

Words cannot describe how poorly run Magna is...numbers do the trick.

[TheSpyder]

Who would lend that kind of money to these people? No wonder the economy is in the tank

Originally Posted by Suffolk Shippers

If you logged on today, knew nothing of horse racing, Magna, Stronach, etc and you read this paragraph in the Heg piece, you'd have to be floored and wondering how on earth this company is still afloat:



-$500,000,000 lost over five years
-$500,000,000 in debt

Words cannot describe how poorly run Magna is...numbers do the trick.

[Kasept]

Hegarty follow up...

http://www.drf.com/news/article/101770.html

The cancellation of the spin-off plan suggests that Magna Entertainment is one step closer to bankruptcy reorganization. If Magna files for bankruptcy, the company will likely continue to operate its racetracks under the protection of the court, but could face a forced sale of several of its properties as a means of paying off creditors.

[Danzig]

Magna Entertainment Corp. will be delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange starting in April, the company announced March 3
MEC, which is battling pressing debt issues, said it received a letter from the exchange March 2, notifying the company its Class A shares would be delisted at the close of April 1 trading. The delisting was imposed for failure of MEC to meet continued listing requirements, the company said.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...443&source=rss

[-BT-]

bump


-bt-

[Kasept]

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...asters-account

TOC Takes Over SA Paymaster's Account
By Blood-Horse Staff
Updated: Thursday, March 5, 2009 10:35 AM

As of Thursday, March 5, the Thoroughbred Owners of California has assumed administration of the Santa Anita Paymaster funds, according to a memo released by the California Thoroughbred Trainers. The decision is in light of concerns about the financial status of Magna Entertainment, which owns Santa Anita. The Magna situation has also led to a specially-called meeting March 6 of the California Horse Racing Board. California horsemen with questions are suggested to contact the CTT office at (626) 447-2145 or the TOC at (626) 574-6620..

[-BT-]

KABOOM!!

PRESS RELEASE: Magna Entertainment Corp. announces filing for Page 1/8
Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection


AURORA, ON, March 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Magna Entertainment Corp. ("MEC"
or "the Company") (NASDAQ: MECA; TSX: MEC.A), together with certain of its
wholly-owned subsidiaries, today announced that it has filed voluntary
petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in
the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (the "Court")
and will seek recognition of the Chapter 11 proceedings from the Ontario
Superior Court of Justice under section 18.6 of the Companies' Creditors
Arrangement Act in Canada.

MEC's day-to-day operations will continue uninterrupted throughout the
Chapter 11 process while it undertakes to sell its assets and implement a
reorganization of the Company. As part of the Chapter 11 filing, the Company
has sought emergency relief to ensure the continued payment of employee wages
and benefits and horsemen winnings and its ability to honor existing customer
programs. XpressBet(R), MEC's account wagering company, is not one of the MEC
subsidiaries making a Chapter 11 filing.

In connection with the Chapter 11 filing, MEC announced that it has arranged a six-month secured debtor-in-possession financing facility (the "DIP
Financing") in the amount of $62.5 million from a subsidiary of MI Developments
Inc. ("MID"), the Company's largest secured creditor and controlling
shareholder. The Company will use the proceeds from the DIP Financing to fund
its operations during the Chapter 11 proceedings. If approved by the Court, the
DIP Financing will enable MEC to continue to satisfy its obligations associated
with the ongoing operation of its business, including the ordinary course
payment of employee wages and benefits and horsemen and customer winnings, and
payment of post-petition obligations to vendors. The DIP Financing will be
secured by liens on substantially all assets of MEC, as well as a pledge of
capital stock of certain guarantors. Advances under the DIP Financing must be
made in accordance with an approved budget. The terms of the DIP Financing
contemplate that MEC will sell its assets through an auction process and use
the proceeds from the asset sales to repay its creditors. Miller Buckfire &
Co., LLC, the Company's financial advisor and investment banker, will conduct a
marketing and sale process for the Company's assets.

The terms of the DIP Financing were considered by the Special Committee of
MEC's board of directors and the Special Committee retained independent legal
and financial advisors to assist in its deliberations. The DIP Financing was
approved by MEC's board, following a favourable recommendation of the Special Committee.

MEC also announced that it has entered into an agreement with MID to sell its
interests associated with the following assets (the "Stalking Horse Bid"):
Golden Gate Fields; Gulfstream Park, including MEC's interest in The Village at
Gulfstream Park(TM) (a joint venture with Forest City); Palm Meadows Training
Center; Lone Star Park; AmTote International, XpressBet(R); and a holdback note
associated with the sale of The Meadows. The aggregate offer price for the
assets is $195 million and is payable in the form of $44 million cash, MID's
assumption of a $15 million capital lease and a $136 million credit bid of
MEC's existing indebtedness to MID. Under the agreement, MEC will seek Court
approval of a process to market these and other MEC assets and MID's offer may
be topped by third parties during the Chapter 11 auction process. MID will not
receive any termination fees if MEC sells any assets to a third party, but may
receive reimbursement for its expenses in connection with the Stalking Horse
Bid.

The terms of the Stalking Horse Bid were reviewed and recommended by the
independent directors of MEC and approved by the board of directors of MEC.

All of MEC's businesses, including racetracks, casinos, XpressBet(R), and its tote services company, AmTote International, remain functional and will
continue to conduct business as usual during the Chapter 11 proceedings.
XpressBet(R) is not one of the MEC subsidiaries making a Chapter 11 filing.
Further information about the Chapter 11 filing is available on MEC's website
at www.magnaent.com/restructuring.

After extensively exploring alternatives following thorough consultation with
its legal and financial advisors, MEC's board of directors determined that an
orderly sale of the Company's assets through a Chapter 11 process is the most
prudent and effective way to maximize value for MEC's stakeholders.

Frank Stronach, MEC's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented,
"Simply put, MEC has far too much debt and interest expense. MEC has previously
pursued numerous out-of-court restructuring alternatives but has been unable to
complete a comprehensive restructuring to date due, in part, to the current
economic recession, severe downturn in the U.S. real estate market and global
credit crisis. This is a voluntary filing intended to utilize a Chapter 11
process that will allow us to continue to operate the business uninterrupted
while we implement a reorganization in a court-supervised environment. We
expect that all employees, customers and horsemen will continue to be paid in
the normal course along with all post-petition vendor obligations." MEC also announced that one of its subsidiaries in Austria has entered into
an agreement to sell to a subsidiary of Magna International Inc. ("MI")
approximately 100 acres of real estate located at MI's European Head Office
complex in Oberwaltersdorf, Austria for a purchase price of 4.55 million Euros
(approximately US$5.7 million using prevailing currency exchange rates). The
closing of the transaction is expected to occur during the second quarter of
2009 following the satisfaction of customary closing conditions including
obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals. The sale transaction was reviewed
and recommended by MEC's independent directors after receiving legal advice and
appraisals of the property, and approved by the board of directors of MEC. The
sale was reviewed and recommended by a committee of MI's independent directors
after receiving independent legal advice and appraisals, and approved by the
board of directors of MI.

MEC will file a material change report as soon as practicable after issuing
this press release. The material change report will be filed less than 21 days
before the closing of the DIP Credit Agreement. The timing of the material
change report is, in MEC's view, both necessary and reasonable because the
terms were approved by MEC's board of directors on March 5, 2009 and MEC
requires immediate funding to address its liquidity requirements.

-bt-

sweet!

[infield_line]

if the whole economy was not in collapse, you could imagine taking key tracks private with a LLC funded by horseplayers/owners/breeders....

oh well, our dreams are our only non-devalued currency at the moment...

I/L

[Rudeboyelvis]

Xpressbet.com should immediately change their name to wearenotMAGNAbet.com




*registers domain*

[Travis Stone]

Originally Posted by infield_line

if the whole economy was not in collapse, you could imagine taking key tracks private with a LLC funded by horseplayers/owners/breeders....

Racetrack ownership is a brutal way to jump into this business. The model racing lives on is rather flawed. It's exactly why other major gambling operations weren't busting down doors to buy tracks until the ching-ching slot machine came along.

[Left Bank]

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

Racetrack ownership is a brutal way to jump into this business. The model racing lives on is rather flawed. It's exactly why other major gambling operations weren't busting down doors to buy tracks until the ching-ching slot machine came along.

True statement,but now it is time for all the big shots who have been shooting their mouths off about buying racetracks to "Walk the walk".They now have their choice of some prime racing facilities and dates to buy,and most likely could come close to naming their own terms/price.It will be interesting to see who steps up to the plate

[ForestofWonders]

Only 6 months of operating funds. What happens to the Breeder's Cup?

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by ForestofWonders

Only 6 months of operating funds. What happens to the Breeder's Cup?

Breeders Cup 'operates' the host track while it's there, and the Oak Tree Association is actually leasing Santa Anita at that time anyway. Shouldn't be any issue, but we'll see how it plays out. But the BCL people REALLY want this Cup at Santa Anita again.

[joeydb]

That "no races scheduled after the Preakness" news really scares me. I really would like to see Magna stabilize.

[zippyneedsawin]

Magna files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
By Matt Hegarty

http://drf.com/news/article/102049.html

Magna Entertainment Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a Delaware court on Thursday and has reached an agreement to sell several of its racetracks, including Gulfstream Park and Golden Gate Fields, to its parent company and largest creditor, MI Developments, the company said.

In a release, Magna said that the filing will not jeopardize any of its ongoing race meets, including those at Gulfstream, Golden Gate Fields, and Santa Anita Park, which on Saturday will host the Santa Anita Handicap, the track's most high-profile race.

Magna will seek "to sell its assets and implement a reorganization of the company" under the bankruptcy filing, the company said. One of its subsidiaries, XpressBet, an account-wagering company, was not included in the Chapter 11 filing, Magna said.

According to Magna, the agreement with its parent company, MI Developments, includes Gulfstream, Golden Gate, Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, Lone Star Park, AmTote, and XpressBet. MI Developments has agreed to buy the assets for $44 million in cash, the rights to a $15 million lease, and a credit on $136 million in debt Magna owes to MI Developments. However, the agreement can be topped by a third-party offer, Magna said.

Magna said that a bankruptcy advisory firm, Miller Buckfire and Co., will conduct "a marketing and sale process of the company's assets" during the reorganization.

Magna has lost $500 million over the last five years and owes hundreds of millions of dollars to MI Developments and other lending institutions. Approximately $200 million of that debt was scheduled to come due within the next two weeks.

[slotdirt]

I've heard rumor Laurel Park is as good as gone.