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Fall MSW Purses At Churchill ($120k), Keeneland ($100k) To Be Level With ’22 Money

Both Churchill Downs ($120,000) and Keeneland Race Course ($100,000) are projecting maiden special weight (MSW) purses this autumn to be level with the money paid out at the same meets in 2022.

Those figures were revealed by representatives of the two tracks Thursday during a meeting of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) advisory committee.

The Churchill MSW purses for this year's two fall meets (Sep. 14-Oct. 1 and Oct. 29-Nov. 26) have been unchanged since 2020.

In 2020, Churchill offered split MSW purse values in September-$97,000 during the pandemic-rescheduled GI Kentucky Derby week, then $75,000 for the balance of that month. In November 2020, Churchill's MSW races were $85,000.

Keeneland's fall meet this year spans Oct. 6-28. The MSW races there were worth $84,000 back in 2021. In 2020 they were $70,000 after the track lost the entire April meet to COVID-19 and instead ran during July.

The KTDF is funded by three-quarters of 1% of all money wagered on both live Thoroughbred races and historical horse race (HHR) gaming, plus 2% of all money wagered on Thoroughbred races via inter-track wagering and whole-card simulcasting.

The KTDF advisory committee approved the recommendation of the fall meet allotment requests that the Churchill and Keeneland MSW purse estimates were based on. The full Kentucky Horse Racing Commission still has to vote on final approval of that funding.

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Economic Analysis: HHR To Help Grants Pass Downs Have $10.7 Billion Impact Over Next 30 Years

The highly anticipated gaming, entertainment and dining venue, The Flying Lark in Grants Pass, Ore., has released an economic impact study analyzing the horse racing industry in partnership with Grants Pass Downs. Independent agency Hunden Strategic Partners (HSP) identified a significant positive impact in job creation, tax and earnings impact to the local economy, as well as the opportunity to provide funding and stability to the equine industry throughout the region.

The Economic Impact Analysis identified the positive impact to Southern Oregon over the next 30 years, including:

$10.7 billion in net new spending
$3.6 billion in net new earnings
2,007 net new full-time jobs
$361.9 million in tax impact to Oregon

HSP conducted market research and interviews with representatives from local, regional and national organizations to understand the horse racing industry and its impact through three primary components: Grants Pass Downs and the Flying Lark, fair meets, and horse-related spending. The study was designed to determine the economic impact of the horse racing industry in Oregon with the Flying Lark in operation and determine the value of the Flying Lark and Grants Pass Downs within the industry in Oregon.

“The local community was surprised to learn of the significant economic impact the horse racing industry had in Oregon back in the 2012 economic impact study,” said Randy Evers, President of Grants Pass Downs. “While horse racing struggles to survive in other states, today the vision of leaders at both Grants Pass Downs and The Flying Lark will be a major factor for economic growth and stability, most importantly for Southern Oregon, but also the entire state.”

The study discloses the positive impact as industry-changing. The Flying Lark has the unique opportunity to create a legacy, putting Grants Pass and the Josephine County Fairgrounds on the map as a year-round destination. In collaboration with Grants Pass Downs, together they will help restore the horse racing industry, including horse owners, trainers, veterinarians, jockeys, and a wide range of partners, vendors, and suppliers across Oregon. There is a positive cycle of spending and impact between gaming and horse racing.

Historic Horse Racing (HHR) revenues will supplement the industry, including:

Larger purses from pari-mutuel wagering,
Boosted interest in the sport due to greater race quality,
Rising visitation stemming from growing interest,
Improved foal crops as horse ownership becomes more profitable, and
Overall positive trends within the industry.

“The Flying Lark will have a substantial impact on Thoroughbred breeding in Oregon,” said Lynnelle Fox Smith, Executive Director for the Oregon Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. “By knowing the purses will be sizable and the facility will be successful, breeders will continue investing in broodmares, stallions, and breeding to support Oregon's agriculture.”

The Flying Lark was founded by Grants Pass Native, Travis Boersma, with a commitment to horse racing and Southern Oregon, opening in the winter of 2021. The 35,000 square-foot destination has something for everyone; including Jacks, a full service family restaurant, Longshots sports bar, the Winner's Circle bar located in the center of the state-of-the-art historical horse racing (HHR) terminal floor, based on pari-mutuel wagering, and banquet facilities.

Known for its beautiful natural scenery, parks, outdoor recreation, and wineries in Southern Oregon, The Flying Lark will also open The Wonder Walk. This world-class equine-based art walk will beautifully surround the facility and feature pieces by regional artists that celebrate horses' majestic nature, power and beauty.

About The Flying Lark

Proudly from Grants Pass, Oregon, The Flying Lark is Southern Oregon's premier gaming and entertainment destination, including an inviting family culinary dining experience and the inspiring Wonder Walk outdoor art display, featuring regional artists. The Flying Lark, named after one of the most famous stallions in Oregon's history, was designed for our customers, community and team members to celebrate the past, present and future, with the magic and beauty of horses. For more information and regular updates, visit: TheFlyingLark.com

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Historical Horse Racing Trends: Proposed Additional Machines Could Earn CDI $3.4 Billion Per Year

Historical horse racing (HHR) machines have made a strong contribution to the horse racing industry in several states over the last five years or so, thanks to the fact that HHR revenues have been used by various racetracks to supplement purses for races.

In Kentucky, HHR machines have recently been classified by the legislature as a form of pari-mutuel wagering after a court ruling questioned their legitimacy from a state constitutional perspective. The reclassification allows HHR machines to continue to operate and racetracks and gaming centers across the state plan to expand the number of machines.

Using Kentucky Horse Racing Commission reports of monthly revenues from 2016 to 2021, the graph below shows the trend in the contributions in gross revenues – or handle – per month for all HHR machines in the state. The upward-sloping trend line reflects gross revenues per day per machine.

According to this data, each machine contributes an average of $143,000 per month to total gross revenues. Payouts to customers usually are at least 90 percent of gross revenues, leaving $14,300 profit per machine per month.

With the low labor and maintenance costs that accompany HHR machines, it is easy to see why racetracks and gaming centers in the state want to add more of these machines.

According to recent press reports, Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., and Derby City Gaming in Louisville plan to add approximately 2,000 machines combined over the next several years. According to the information above and holding all else constant, such machines could earn Churchill Downs (the owner of Turfway Park and Derby City Gaming) around $286 million more per month or $3.4 billion per year. At a tax rate of 1.5 percent, this increase could produce around $51 million in tax revenues for the commonwealth per year.

All data is adjusted for and accounts for reduced operating hours in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions and precautions.

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Lucrative Kentucky Downs Meet Opens Sunday

FRANKLIN, Ky. – With huge purses offered during a mighty short season all run over a distinctive European-style turf course, the FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs has emerged as a gem of American racing.

It's different, to be sure. Once an obscure little meet quietly contested at a track called Dueling Grounds in a small town on the border with Tennessee, much closer to Nashville than Kentucky's big cities, Louisville and Lexington, it has flourished, gotten noticed and embraced. This year it features six graded stakes, three of them with $1,000,000 purses. Two of them are part of the Sept. 11 program with five graded stakes card and are Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” races that will be broadcast live on Sept. 11 on NBC.

The season opens Sunday and continues with the second program on Labor Day.

Following an off day Tuesday, the meet rolls on with programs Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday over the undulating 1 5/16 miles course. Post time is 12:20 p.m. Central.

“All signs point to a spectacular meet,” said Ted Nicholson, Kentucky Downs' Vice President for Racing. “We think jockeys will be thrilled with the extensive renovation to our turf course. We know horseplayers love our full fields and large betting pools. For the final four days, Kentucky Downs will be the center of American racing, and we look forward to putting on an outstanding show.”

Horsemen know all about the purse money available, the highest daily figures in North America, and fill the entry box for the six-day season contested over eight days.

“The most difficult thing about Kentucky Downs is getting in the races,” trainer Al Stall said.

Grace Clark photo

Reacting to the demand this year, track officials have split a pair of races. When there were 31 entries for a maiden special weight race for 2-year-old fillies on opening day, it was divided into two full 12-horses divisions, with a total of seven on also-eligible lists, and bumped the program from 10 to 11 races. The $400,000 listed TVG Stakes on Wednesday drew 21 entries and it was split into two divisions, both with $400,000 purses.

Horseplayers relish the large fields, the lowest blended takeout rates in America and big payouts. In 2020, with no fans on track, the all-sources handle for the first six-day meeting was $59,828,441.

Track officials market Kentucky Downs as a bettors' paradise. The $2 win payoff average of $16.73 keyed strong returns in exotic wagers. According to the track stats, last year's average return for a $1 exacta was $65.32, the $1 double average payout was $75.99, the 50-cent trifecta average was $269.20, the 50-cent Pick 3 averaged $374.06, he 50-cent Pick 4 average payoff was $3,295.88. and the average payout for the 50-cent Pick 5 was $23,076.

Ken Kirchner, the Director Wagering Development at Kentucky Downs, spent many years in that role with the Breeders' Cup. He said the meet is distinct in America because its large fields are made up of horses from across the country.

“One of the highlights for handicappers and for fans is that you get this amalgamation of horses from different racing circuits around the country that you normally only get at a meet like the Breeders' Cup,” Kirchner said. “When you have more than $2 million a day in purses, not only are your stakes races this mix of New York, Kentucky, Florida, California and other horses, you have that in the maiden and allowance races across the board. It's just a fascinating exercise for the handicapper to say, 'Gosh, I can find great value every single race of this meet.'”

Average Purses on Opening Day $218,890

In the decade since the pari-mutuel electronic gaming machines, now called Historical Horse Racing (HHR), were approved to fund purses at the track, the daily average purse has skyrocketed from a nondescript $25,600 in 2011. The average purse for the 11 races on opening day is $218,890.

Earlier this year, the HHR program survived a serious challenge in the Kentucky legislature to the legality of the 3,625 machines in the state. If the HHR pari-mutuel gaming bill had not passed in the legislature, the track likely would have closed.

The three $1 million races are part of the $10 million that is available in the 16 stakes scheduled during the meet. Including that stakes money, purses total $15,259,400. The is a notable jump from the $11.69 million in purses in 2020. The meet's overnight races – maiden, allowance and claiming – are scheduled to average $876,000 a day.

On Aug. 9, the track announced an eight percent increase in the purses for non-stakes races, except the four $100,000 starter allowances that are qualifiers for the Claiming Crown at Gulfstream Park in December. Maiden special weight races for Kentucky-breds carry a purse of $135,000; first-level allowance races $145,800 and second-level allowance races $156,600. By comparison, the maiden and first-level allowance purses are about double the purses Sunday for similar conditions at Del Mar, while the maiden special weight purses at Saratoga are $100,000 and the allowance purses are $103,000 and $105,000.

Two-time Grade I winner Got Stormy (Get Stormy) is the headliner in the six-furlong $1 million FanDuel Turf Sprint where she will face males again. She earned her second win over males in the GI Fourstardave on August 14. No filly or mare has won the Turf Sprint, which was first run in 1998.

Got Stormy has won 12 of 30 starts, with five seconds and three thirds, and $2,398,403 in purse earnings. In addition to her Fourstardave victories, Got Stormy has finished second four times against males in Grade I stakes in New York, California and Canada.

In the Turf Sprint she is expected to face the Bill Mott-trained Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) in third consecutive race. Casa Creed picked up his first Grade I victory in the Jaipur on June 5 while Got Stormy was fifth. Got Stormy surprised in the Fourstardave at 12-1 and Casa Creed was third.

Donegal Racing's Arklow will try to become the first three-time winner of the $1 million Calumet Turf Cup. He won the race in 2018 and 2020 and was second in 2019. Arklow is expected to face Calumet Farm's Grade I winner Channel Cat (English Channel) and the 2019 winner Zulu Alpha (Street Cry {Ire}).

Bloom Racing's veteran Snapper Sinclair (City Zip) will race at the track for the fourth time when he starts in a division of the TVG Stakes on Wednesday. He has won two stakes at the track and last year finished second in the race now called the Mint Million Mile.

“We always look forward to-actually point our stable to-this boutique yet premium meeting at Kentucky Downs, said owner Jeff Bloom. “It's unique and charming and it doesn't hurt that that it provides incredibly lucrative purses.”

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