Courier-Journal Article by Jennie Rees

[citycat]

Turfway Sunday purses $67.9K v. $231K for Hoosier

If you need any more proof that Kentucky's year-round racing circuit has imploded, look no farther than Sunday's races at Turfway Park and compare it with Hoosier Park.

Turfway's nine-race card totaled $67,900 in purses. Compare that with Hoosier, which is offering $50,000 allowance races. Sunday's nine thoroughbred races at Hoosier totaled $231,000 in purses, not counting a $100,000 Quarter Horse race.

The purse discrepancy is a disgrace. Turfway is in huge trouble (not only racing-wise, but the facility has become a dump). The track knows it, the horsemen know it, the bettors know it. Everybody but the majority of state legislators seem to know it – or they don't care. Kentucky is ceding a significant component of its horse racing circuit to Indiana, which is every bit as conservative as Kentucky but had no trouble bringing in casino gambling – especially on state borders such as Kentucky.

Kentucky gets everything but the benefits of such gaming. And I wouldn't even bring it up if casino gambling wasn't already in the area. But it is. Maybe the majority of Kentuckians don't think a labor-intensive industry such as horse racing is worth giving the tools with which to compete. Hoosiers obviously have a different view of an industry that is less than 20 years old, versus 136.

These are the races in the condition book for Sunday at Turfway that did not attract enough entries to be used: $15,000 maiden-claiming ($9,000 purse), $30 maiden-claiming ($11,000 purse) and claiming $17,500 ($11,300 purse). Pitiful that even such lower-end races couldn’t get enough horses.

Everything was $5,000 claimers of some sort or thereabouts. The feature was a cheap starter-allowance, offering a $9,400 purse. Every other race had a purse of $8,000 or less. Who wants to bet that?

This is a Sunday card. What does that say about Thursday cards?

And if you think Hoosier isn't going to impact Keeneland, you're wrong.

As I've said before, I have no problem with Indiana - it deserves any success it gets, bucking the odds to become a force to be reckoned with against once-mighty Kentucky.

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

keeneland will never be hurt by indiana racing..imo

[blackthroatedwind]

Originally Posted by hoovesupsideyourhead

keeneland will never be hurt by indiana racing..imo

Apparently you didn't pay much attention to the spring meet.

Perhaps if they had a dirt track there would be some truth to this but with that surface they are no longer impervious.

[philcski]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

Apparently you didn't pay much attention to the spring meet.

Perhaps if they had a dirt track there would be some truth to this but with that surface they are no longer impervious.

Very much agree...

The races thought to be "protected" from Indiana racing, N1X and up allowances, trainers were definitely taking horses to Indiana Downs to run for $35K on real dirt rather than $50K on poly. Turf races haven't been hurt as bad (yet), although a few N2X or AOC types went to Indiana Downs overnight stakes races instead.


Great article Citycat, by the way.

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

did monmouth hurt saratoga?..I understand the agrument and it may hurt churchill/turfway/ellis. but i still think that people want to run/win at keeneland.

Cannibalism at its finest.

Is it me or do the Indiana tracks have HORRIBLE video?

[cakes44]

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

Cannibalism at its finest.

Is it me or do the Indiana tracks have HORRIBLE video?

It's not you.