MSW Purses to Top $100K During Derby Week and at KY Downs

Purse levels for maiden special weight (MSW) races on the Kentucky circuit are projected to push past the $100,000 mark both during GI Kentucky Derby week at Churchill Downs and in September at the Kentucky Downs all-turf meet.

In addition, Kentucky Downs plans to expand its stakes program to include two new $1 million races in 2021, giving the venue a total of three stakes at that level. (Read more details here).

Ben Huffman, the director of racing at Churchill Downs, confirmed during a video meeting of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) advisory committee Apr. 6 that MSW purses during Derby week will be $106,000, then $91,000 for the balance of the meet that runs through June 26.

Churchill had closed out its pandemic-affected 2020 spring/summer season at the $79,000 level for MSW races and had boosted those purses to $97,000 for the rescheduled Derby week in September. The balance of September had $75,000 MSW purses; that level rose to $85,000 for the late-autumn meet that ended in November.

Ted Nicholson, the senior vice president and general manager at Kentucky Downs, told the KTDF board that his track's MSW level will be $125,000 for the six-day meet Sep. 5-12. That's up from $90,000 last year.

As for Ellis Park, racing secretary Dan Bork said that “our maidens will probably be just north of $50,000 this year.”

The MSW purse levels for the state's remaining 2021 meets beyond September will be discussed by the KTDF at a later date.

The KTDF is funded by three-quarters of 1% of all money wagered on both live Thoroughbred races and HHR gaming, plus 2% of all money wagered on Thoroughbred races via inter-track wagering and whole-card simulcasting. The board approved recommending allotments to Churchill, Ellis and Kentucky Downs on Tuesday.

The Dirt on Turfway: Not Any Time Soon

Turfway Park's general manager, Chip Bach, updated the KTDF board on the near-term maintenance for the new Tapeta track that was unveiled in December. He also responded to a KTDF board member's question about the timeline for a proposed inner dirt track by saying it wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

“The opinion of the Tapeta surface has continued to be very positive,” Bach said. “There are some plans to do a tune-up, a little remediation. You know, when you're working with a synthetic racetrack, if you do too much too soon you can't undo it. And so they're typically conservative of the elements that they introduce into the surface; see how it responds to weather, see how it responds to the horses.

Bach described that process as a “tweak,” adding that the work is likely to be done before July, when horses resume training at Turfway.

As for the additional dirt surface inside the Tapeta course that was proposed as part of the ongoing Turfway rebuild, Bach said this:

“The project that's going on right now will contemplate the ability to put an inner dirt track within the synthetic oval. But that's not intended to happen the first or the second year [of the Turfway rebuild]. We'll have the ability to add that if we decide to. It's being designed with that in mind. But there are no plans for a dirt track in the near future.”

HBPA 'Concerned' About Ellis Twilight Posts

Jeff Inman, the general manager at Ellis Entertainment LLC, said his track is in the midst of a three-phase capital improvement plan.

Phase 1 work that is now underway prior to the track's June 27 opening includes drainage and safety improvements to the main track, a backstretch rebuild of the manure pit (required by environmental officials), a new restaurant and an additional bar on the frontside, plus high-definition camera and communication upgrades.

Bill Landes III, the chair of the KTDF advisory committee, wanted to know more about the list of long-term improvements Ellis has slated for the future.

“When do you think that schedule may be fleshed out?” Landes asked. “I love everything [listed]—turf widening, track lighting, grandstand improvements, new tote board—all of them long overdue, and everybody knows it.”

Inman replied that the turf course widening is likely to happen first, but not until after the 2021 meet.

“If we regain capital funding, we will start work after the horses leave, [by] late October, early November,” Inman said.

Landes underscored what a positive it would be to upgrade the grass course and to add lights at Ellis, because it would allow the track to card some twilight racing in a less-crowded simulcast time slot and feature more grass racing, which is popular with bettors because of the generally larger fields. Racing later in the day could also aid horse health by avoiding running during the searing late-afternoon temperatures that are routine at Ellis in the summer.

Landes said he believed Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association officials would agree with him that if “you get twilight racing at Ellis Park and some lights there, there ain't no telling” what might happen, handle-wise. “That would be super—I'm sorry we're not there yet,” he added.

KTDF member J. David Richardson concurred: “I do believe Ellis Park has enormous potential to do much, much better with at least some opportunity to run under lights and expand turf racing on a course that's not torn up because you have to overuse it.”

But when asked for his opinion, Rick Hiles, the president of the KHBPA (and also a KTDF advisory committee member), said he was “a little concerned” about the ramifications of moving to later post times at Ellis.

Hiles cited the long days that outfits shipping to Ellis from Lexington and Louisville would have to endure.

“Losing an hour in time zones, coming back late at night…I just don't know how [horsemen] are going to react to that,” Hiles said.

“Well, you have that issue to a certain extent at Turfway,” Landes replied, meaning the night racing. “And [at Ellis] it's either coming in at one or two o'clock in the morning or dealing with 108 or 110 degrees” while shipping before the sun goes down.

“I just don't know,” Hiles said. “School, for me, is still out on it.”

The post MSW Purses to Top $100K During Derby Week and at KY Downs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Wagering, Purses Up Significantly in Q1 2021

According to statistics released Monday by Equibase, daily average wagering and average purses per race day each saw significant increases in the period from Jan. 31-Mar. 31, 2021 when compared to the same time frame in 2020.

Total wagering in the three-month period was reported at $2.776 billion, an increase of 10.27% over last year, with daily average wagering at $3,611,092, which represented a 14.15% improvement from 12 months ago. Nearly $215 million in purses were disbursed from January through March, some 4.6% better than last year, with several tracks offering multiple purse increases during their meets. Average purses per race day for the first quarter was $280,677, up 8.45% from 2020.

While the number of live racing days (766) was down 3.4% this year versus last, the number of races staged (6,702) and number of starts (52,211) were fractionally higher. The corresponding figures for the month of March alone showed even more dramatic increases, as the impacts of the coronavirus on racing began to increase in March 2020. A total of 292 U.S. race days took place (+36.45%) encompassing 2,563 races (+43.42%) and 19,452 starts (+39.75). Average field size of 7.59 was off 2.56% from March 2020, while average wagering per race day over just over $3.3 million represented a 3.25% decline over 2020. Average daily purse money in March was $280,129, an improvement of 7.48% from last year.

The post Wagering, Purses Up Significantly in Q1 2021 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Oaklawn Reschedules Stakes, Increases Overnight Purses; Southwest Moved To Feb. 27

After losing eight days of racing due to record-breaking winter weather, Oaklawn has announced a series of changes to its racing schedule designed to restore as much of the season as possible for the benefit of horsemen, including moving all five canceled stakes to Feb. 27 and 28.

The schedule and purse changes include:

· Immediately bringing back nearly $2 million in canceled stakes, including the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) and the $600,000 Razorback Handicap (G3), which will now be run Saturday, Feb. 27 along with the $200,000 Spring Fever Stakes.

· Adding 27 races to the schedule.

· Adding two new race days – Wednesday, March 31 and Wednesday, April 28.

· Increasing the purses on all overnight races by as much as $4,000 per race.

“There's no fighting Mother Nature, especially when our priority is safety,” Oaklawn President Louis Cella said. “However, we feel these changes will greatly benefit our horsemen and our fans by creating a huge weekend of racing to kick off the rest of the season.”

The purse increase will go into effect Thursday, Feb. 25 when racing is scheduled to resume. The weekend will be highlighted by a total of six stakes races starting Saturday when the $750,000 Southwest, $600,000 Razorback and the $200,000 Spring Fever will be run. Sunday will be highlighted by the $250,000 Bayakoa (G3), $150,000 Dixie Belle and $150,000 Downthedustyroad. Nominations for all stakes were reopened and will close Friday, Feb. 19.

The purses increases will average 5 percent per overnight race, meaning maiden special weights will be increased from $82,000 to $86,000 and top allowance races will increase from $88,000 to as much as $92,000.

Cella said these late-breaking changes would not have been possible without the input and assistance of Arkansas Racing Commission Chairman Alex Lieblong and HBPA President Bill Walmsley.

“Winter dealt us a bad hand,” said Cella. “With their help, we truly are making lemonade out of lemons and with these changes, the balance of the season will be terrific.”

Due to Arkansas restrictions on crowd size, attendance at Oaklawn for live racing is limited to box holders, Oaklawn Jockey Club members, and patrons with dining/simulcast reservations. However, Oaklawn General Manager Wayne Smith anticipates being able to open the Oaklawn infield and other outdoor areas to fans in the coming weeks. Reservations can be made by calling 501-363-4660, Mon-Sat, for that week's races only.

For more information, visit www.Oaklawn.com.

Nominations for all stakes were reopened and will close Friday, Feb. 19.

Saturday, Feb. 27 Stakes – Entries to be drawn Tuesday, Feb. 23

$750,000 Southwest (G3)

$600,000 Razorback Handicap (G3)

$200,000 Spring Fever

Sunday, Feb. 28 Stakes – Entries to be drawn Wednesday, Feb. 24

$250,000 Bayakoa (G3)

$150,000 Dixie Belle

$150,000 Downthedustyroad

The post Oaklawn Reschedules Stakes, Increases Overnight Purses; Southwest Moved To Feb. 27 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Pennsylvania: Continued Casino Closures Would Make Racing Dependent On Break-Even Handle

Penn National's current purse account will allow the Grantville, Penn. track to race through the end of January whether or not Hollywood Casino remains closed, according to a Tuesday memo from the Pennsylvania Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association executive director Todd Mostoller.

Should Gov. Tom Wolf extend the casino closure past the current Jan. 4 expiration date, however, racing at Penn National will become contingent on track handle.

“Penn National has agreed to continue live racing through [January], provided the handle generates a break-even scenario for the company,” Mostoller wrote. “This is estimated to be a handle of roughly $1.4 million per night.”

Mostoller's memo indicated that both the track and the Pennsylvania HBPA are confident that level of handle is achievable, but added that if it is not, Penn National management will “likely wish to temporarily shut down racing.”

The memo concluded with an encouragement to bet the races through HollywoodRaces.com: “A bet placed on Penn National races through this ADW is treated the same as a wager placed on track, resulting in considerably higher revenue for both horsemen and the track.”

The post Pennsylvania: Continued Casino Closures Would Make Racing Dependent On Break-Even Handle appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights