NEWS
Numbers down at close of Turfway Park winter-spring meeting
Posted: Monday, April 09, 2007 4:45 PM
TURFWAY PARK PADDOCK: 2007 LANE'S END STAKES
Photo by Z
Turfway Park’s 2007 winter-spring meeting concluded on April 5 with a 16% decrease in all-sources wagering on the Northern Kentucky track compared to the same period last year. It was the first decrease for the track after posting increases for four straight meets.
On-track handle fell 2.4% to $8,822,975 from the previous year. Average daily handle slipped 3.4% to $2,777,031, while average daily on-track handle rose 12.3% to $147,050 and average daily purses rose 8.8% to $150,649.
The track presented 624 races over 60 days compared to 688 races over 69 days last year. Field size dropped slightly, with an average of 8.1 starters per race compared to 8.3 last year.
Bitterly cold winter weather conditions from late January to mid-February forced the Florence, Kentucky, track to cancel all or part of eight racing days, including six complete cards. The first of those was because of a winter storm that prevented shippers from reaching the track. Two other cards were halted after two races.
"While the sub-freezing weather depressed our overall numbers this meet, the increases in daily average on-track handle tell us we're on the right track with our fans," Turfway President Robert Elliston said. "They're coming, they're learning, and gradually they're increasing their level of play."
The leading owners for the meet were Ken and Sarah Ramsey with 10 winners from 30 starters. Runners-up with six winners each were Gus Goldman, Billy Hays, David A. Ross, and Roger and Joyce Anderson.
Trainer Paul McGee claimed his first Turfway training title with 17 wins from 57 starters. Kim Hammond was the runner-up with 15 wins from 93 starters, while Eddie Kenneally finished third with 14 wins from 36 starters.
Eclipse Award-winning jockey Julien Leparoux was the leading rider with 76 wins from 308 mounts who earned $997,276. Finishing second with 75 wins from 429 mounts was apprentice jockey Alonso Quinonez, who was tied with Leparoux at 74 wins each entering the closing night of races.
During the 2007 winter-spring meet, seven horses had to be euthanized due to injuries sustained on Turfway’s Polytrack surface. Turfway was the first North American track to install a synthetic surface.
No fatalities occurred last year. Fourteen horses were fatally injured during the track’s last meet run on a dirt surface—the 2005 winter-spring meeting.
"Turfway has been the industry's living laboratory for Polytrack, and its performance has been under the microscope—and rightly so," Elliston said. "Every meet we run, we learn more about it, and that knowledge will benefit every track that installs it. Last year, we had a mild winter. This year, we learned how extremely low temperatures affect the surface, and research goes on based on that new knowledge.
"As for injuries, even one horse lost is too many, but no surface will ever prevent all injuries. Polytrack's contribution to reducing fatal injuries continues to impress and gratify us."
