Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Penn., received a “credible terroristic threat” against the track's jockeys via telephone call on Thursday morning, according to the Daily Racing Form. Out of an abundance of caution, track officials decided to cancel Thursday's live racing card, the final day of the 2022 meeting.
“The decision to cancel live racing today at Presque Isle Downs was made in the interest of safety,” said Tonya Abeln, spokesperson for Presque Isle's parent company, Churchill Downs, Inc.
Police are continuing to investigate the threat.
Presque Isle had booked 100 race days for 2022, but had already wound up downsizing the meet by 10 days due to a smaller-than-anticipated horse population, reports GoErie.com. The average field size dropped from 7.2 in 2021 to 6.6 this season.
“The cost of fuel has had an impact,” said Matt Ennis, the Downs' director of finance and racing. “There have been times when (horse owners) wouldn't ship horses here because of the cost.”
While Presque Isle showed an overall increase in handle during 2022, from $42.1 million last year to $52.7 this year, that difference is nearly accounted for by handle during the month of May: in 2022, May's handle was $16.3 million, while Presque Isle did not race during May in 2021.
Read more at the Daily Racing Form and GoErie.com.
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