State Labor Department investigating Blue Ribbon Downs

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- The state Labor Department is investigating Blue Ribbon Downs racetrack at Sallisaw for allegedly operating without workers' compensation insurance.<br><br>All Oklahoma companies

Tuesday, September 2nd 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- The state Labor Department is investigating Blue Ribbon Downs racetrack at Sallisaw for allegedly operating without workers' compensation insurance.

All Oklahoma companies are required to carry the insurance, which pays medical bills and helps offset lost wages of workers injured on the job.

Labor Department spokesman Trey Davis says the department is investigating three recent complaints that the track has no workers' compensation coverage.

A racetrack official recently told the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission the track acts as a self-insured entity.

But Workers Compensation Court director Richard Fisher says the track has never applied to be self-insured.