Turfway's average daily handle rises with shorter meet

With its racing schedule for the 2010 winter/spring meet shortened to three

or four days per week instead of the traditional five days, Turfway Park ended

the meet with significant declines in on-track and all-sources handle compared

to the same meet last year. Daily averages, however, were up.

Racing only Friday through Sunday in January and February and Thursday

through Sunday in March, Turfway experienced a 24.3 percent decrease in on-track

handle and a 19.1 percent decrease in all-sources handle for the winter/spring

meet that began January 1 and ended March 28. The track presented 435 races over

45 days in the 2010 meet, compared to 619 races over 62 days in 2009.

Daily averages, however, were up 4.2 percent on track and 11.5 percent from

all sources, the latter bolstered by a 14.1 percent increase in out-of-state

play.

"This year's winter/spring meet was really an experiment, and we will

continue to analyze the results against our expectations," Turfway Park

president Robert N. Elliston said. "While we are pleased to see average daily

increases in on-track wagering and support from out-of-state outlets, the

competitive landscape we're up against and the fact that we're not permitted to

meet that competition head on continues to make it difficult to invest in our

business."

On-track handle totaled $5,311,571, down from $7,020,016 in the 2009 meet.

All sources handle was $91,981,598, down from $113,649,793.

Daily on-track handle averaged $118,035, up from $113,226 in 2009, while

daily all-sources handle was $2,044,036, up from $1,833,061.

Purses paid across the meet fell 25.8 percent to $5,754,751, down from

$7,751,083. Purses paid daily averaged $127,883, up 2.3 percent over the

$125,017 daily average in 2009.

With only three or four days to run, average field size was up 8.9 percent

from 7.9 per race to 8.6.

Jockey Rex Stokes III earned his first Turfway riding title, ending with 54

wins from 290 mounts. Stokes rode 23 of his winners for the meet's leading

trainer, Joe Woodard, who earned his third straight Turfway title by saddling 26

winners from 106 starters. Much of Woodard's success reflects the success of the

meet's leading ownership entity, Billy, Donna, and Justin Hays, who started 104

runners and counted 24 wins. Woodard has long trained for Billy Hays, who was

the previous meet's leading owner racing under his name alone.

Live racing will return to Turfway for the fall meet beginning September 8.

In the meantime, the track remains open for simulcast wagering and for events

and concerts scheduled throughout the spring and summer.