Canterbury Park Requests 65 Race Dates For 2022

Canterbury Park officials intend to offer 65 days of live horse racing in 2022. A request for a meet that would run Wednesday, May 18 through Saturday, Sept. 17 has been submitted for approval to the Minnesota Racing Commission. Purses are projected at $225,000 per day, similar to the 65-day 2021 season.

In 2021, all-sources wagering reached a record $90.9 million with racing conducted Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons, surpassing the $68.4 million record set in 2020 when 53 days of racing were conducted. The 2022 request would replace Tuesdays with Saturday evening racing programs while continuing Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday programs. Racing would begin at 1:00 p.m. on Sundays and 5:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Sunday afternoon out-of-state wagering in 2021 exceeded company officials' expectations with an average $894,736 in off-track handle, nearly triple the pre-pandemic 2019 figure when the Shakopee, Minn. track last conducted Sunday programs. The success in maintaining wagering levels with the shift to Sundays in 2021 leads to optimism amongst track officials about the possibilities regarding the return of Saturday racing, absent since 2019.

“Canterbury Park has been successful over the past two seasons in drawing the interest of the national horseplayer through running a race schedule focused on the less competitive days of the week and by providing a strong value proposition for the wagering dollar,” company president Randy Sampson said. “In 2022, we plan to continue to offer a strong wagering proposition at opportunistic times in the weekly calendar while making it easier for our passionate on-track fan base to return to the races by adding Saturday evening programs,” Sampson said.

Canterbury first experimented with weeknight-only racing in 2020 when pandemic restrictions caused a delay to the start of the race meet with severe limitations on attendance. National handle soared as a result. Mondays were eliminated last season in favor of Sunday afternoons.

The 2022 schedule also includes a nine-day break from July 18 through July 26 to accommodate Twin Cities Summer Jam, an annual multi-day music festival held in the racetrack infield.

The Minnesota Racing Commission, a nine-member panel appointed by the state's governor tasked with overseeing the integrity and safety of horse racing at Minnesota's two pari-mutuel racetracks, is expected to consider Canterbury's race date request at its December meeting. Minnesota Administrative Rule 7872.0100 requires Canterbury Park to submit its request for 2022 racing dates no later than November 15, 2021.
Canterbury Park's 24/7 card casino and simulcast racebook remain open daily. For more information, visit www.canterburypark.com .

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2022 Kentucky Race Dates Set

Kentucky's live racing schedule for 2022 will largely mirror this season's template of race dates according to a calendar approved Tuesday by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

The following three tweaks stand out from 2021: 1) Churchill Downs will race through July 4 instead of closing in late June; 2) Kentucky Downs was granted a seventh racing date, up from six; 3) Keeneland Race Course will host the Breeders' Cup the first Friday and Saturday in November, directly book-ended by live racing at Churchill on the dates right before and after the championships.

Here's a chronological look at the 2022 schedule:

  • Turfway Park: Jan. 1-Apr. 3 on a largely a Thursday-Sunday schedule, with the Thursdays that are shown all marked “optional” on the calendar provided by a KHRC spokesperson.

Keeneland Race Course: Apr. 8-29 on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule.

  • Churchill Downs: Apr. 30-July 4, Wednesday-Sunday. With the exception of the first Wednesday that falls during GI Kentucky Derby week, the Wednesday programs are “optional.” Derby week will also feature a Tuesday, May 3 card but no racing on Sunday, May 8. Other additions are two Monday holiday cards on May 30 (Memorial Day) and July 4 (Independence Day).
  • Ellis Park: July 5-Aug. 28. The KHRC calendar at this stage has Ellis penciled in for a seven-day weekly template, but every date except for Friday-Sunday during the entire meet is marked “optional.”
  • Kentucky Downs: Sep. 1, 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 14
  • Churchill: Sep. 15-Oct. 2 on a Thursday-Sunday schedule.
  • Keeneland: Oct. 7-29 on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule.
  • Churchill: Oct. 30-Nov. 27 on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule, with the exception of Nov. 4-5 when Keeneland hosts the Breeders' Cup.
  • Turfway: Nov. 30-Dec. 31on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule; Wednesdays “optional” and no racing Dec. 24 and 25.

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202 Live Race Dates Approved For NYRA Tracks In 2022

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today released its 2022 racing calendar, which calls for 202 live race days at Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga Race Course.

The 2021-22 Aqueduct winter meet will run from Thursday, Dec. 9 through Sunday, March 27 with live racing generally conducted four days per week in January and February and three days per week in March.

The 15-day Aqueduct spring meet will open on Thursday March 31 and conclude on Sunday, April 24. Live racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday during the 2022 spring meet at the Big A.

Highlighted by the 154th running of the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes on June 11, the 44-day Belmont spring/summer meet opens on Thursday, April 28, and will continue through Sunday, July 10. Live racing will generally be conducted Thursday-Sunday during the spring meet at Belmont with the exception of Memorial Day weekend and July 4th weekend, when live racing will be conducted Friday-Monday.

The 40-day summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course will again serve as the anchor for a spectacular year of racing on the NYRA circuit. The summer meet, featuring the 95th running of the Grade 1 Whitney and the 153rd edition of the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers, will open on Thursday, July 14 and conclude on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 5.

Following the four-day opening weekend from Thursday, July 14 through Sunday, July 17, racing at Saratoga will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, with the exception of the final week, when the meet will conclude on Labor Day.

The 28-day Belmont Park fall meet will begin on Thursday, Sept. 15 and run through Sunday, Oct. 30. Live racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday during the 2022 fall meet at Belmont.

Following the conclusion of the Belmont fall meet, live racing will return to the Big A for an 18-day fall meet from Friday, Nov. 4 through Sunday, Dec. 4. Live racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday during the 2022 fall meet at Aqueduct.

The Aqueduct winter meet begins on Thursday, Dec. 15 – and following a 10-day holiday break from Dec. 19 through Dec. 28 – the 2022 schedule concludes Saturday, Dec. 31.

The complete 2022 NYRA racing calendar can be found at: https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/post-times-and-wagering-menu/.

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NYRA Announces 2022 Race Dates

The New York Racing Association released its 2022 racing calendar with 202 live race days at Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack and Saratoga Race Course.

The 2021-22 Aqueduct winter meet will run from Thursday, Dec. 9 through Sunday, Mar. 27 with live racing generally conducted four days per week in January and February and three days per week in March.

The 15-day Aqueduct spring meet will open Thursday Mar. 31 and conclude on Sunday, Apr. 24. Live racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday.

Highlighted by the 154th running of the GI Belmont S. June 11, the 44-day Belmont spring/summer meet opens Thursday, Apr. 28, and will continue through Sunday, July 10. Live racing will generally be conducted Thursday-Sunday during the spring meet at Belmont with the exception of Memorial Day weekend and July 4th weekend, when live racing will be conducted Friday-Monday.

The 40-day summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course wil will open Thursday, July 14 and conclude Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 5.

Following the four-day opening weekend from Thursday, July 14 through Sunday, July 17, racing at Saratoga will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, with the exception of the final week, when the meet will conclude on Labor Day.

The 28-day Belmont Park fall meet will begin Thursday, Sept. 15 and run through Sunday, Oct. 30. Live racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday.

Following the conclusion of the Belmont fall meet, live racing will return to the Big A for an 18-day fall meet from Friday, Nov. 4 through Sunday, Dec. 4. Live racing will be conducted Thursday-Sunday.

The Aqueduct winter meet begin Thursday, Dec. 15–and following a 10-day holiday break from Dec. 19 through Dec. 28–the 2022 schedule concludes Saturday, Dec. 31.

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