It’s not hard to put into words — or figures — what the arrival of slot machines at Hoosier Park would do for the horse racing industry in Indiana.
The horse racing track in Chester, W.Va., Mountaineer Park, is a case study. Before the track became a racino, the average daily purse for horse races was $22,000. In the 10 years since the introduction of slot machines at Mountaineer Park, the daily purse has jumped to $160,000.
The income derived from slot machines at Hoosier Park would be used in many ways. One of them would be to elevate the purse structure. Also, Indiana-based horses would be eligible for purse bonuses supported by slot-machine revenue.
“It means everything,” said Ernie Gaskin, a trainer who spent $800,000 to open a farm for training horses just south of Anderson when it appeared that Hoosier Park would become a premier Midwest track. “It would mean I get to stay here.”
Before Indiana Downs opened in Shelbyville in December 2002, Hoosier Park (opened in 1994) was on the upswing. Anderson track officials used expert testimony to try to convince the Indiana Horse Racing Commission that the time wasn’t right for a second track in the state. But approval was given for Indiana Downs anyway.
“Indiana wasn’t ready for a second track,” Gaskin said. “Now we’re racing twice as long for the same amount of money. It takes a while to develop a fan base and, more important, an owner base.”
Hoosier Park’s average daily purse has slipped regularly since the opening of Indiana Downs, partially because a government subsidy based on riverboat casino revenue got split in half instead of it all going to the Anderson track.
Last year the average total purse for a day of racing dropped 4.5 percent from the previous year to about $113,000.
“I would think you could be looking at thoroughbred purses being $230,000 a day” with slot-machine revenue applied, said Hoosier Park President Rick Moore. “The standardbred would be a little less than that. … (It) would easily be about a 70 percent increase.”
The purse reduction has reduced the quality of horses that are brought to Hoosier Park to race.
“We had more stakes races and more allowance races,” Moore said, alluding to the days before Indiana Downs. “We had all kinds of horses. Now we’re basically a claiming-type operation.”
Claiming races are those where the owners enter the horses knowing that they could be purchased right after the race for an amount of money stipulated in the conditions for that race.
That would change if purses go up.
“You’re going to get the best horses, the best trainers, the best jockeys,” said Moore. “You’ll get the owners who have the money to breed that type of animal.”
“Right now, it’s not that great,” said Gaskin. “I hate it that the horse racing industry has that monkey (gambling) on its back. I’ve never gambled a day in my life on horses.”
Moore pointed out that Indiana’s neighboring states haven’t approved racinos, though many are trying.
If House Bill 1835, which goes before a Senate committee today, passes, owners and trainers will again look more favorably upon Indiana as a place to breed and train horses.
“That investment will come right away,” said Moore. “If you’re not the first (state in the Midwest to get slot machines), then people will have already made that investment in another state. If we’re the first ones in the Midwest, you’re going to have horsemen setting up shop here because of the benefits from breeding in Indiana. That’s where the real impact is going to come from.”
There are already other reasons why Indiana is a prime area for the horse racing industry.
“You’ve got a state that’s conducive to this type of activity in that it’s flat, there’s still a lot of rural areas,” said Moore. “It’s perfect for the breeding operations.”
The clock is ticking for the horse racing industry in Indiana. Not only are track operators in other states jockeying for racino approval, but many horsemen will be making some permanent choices about where to do business based on whether House Bill 1835 — or one similar to it — passes in Indiana soon.
Home News (ADS ONLY)
March 20, 2007
Horse racing industry would cash in on slots
- Home News (ADS ONLY)
-
-
Photo gallery: AU vs Mount Saint Joseph Baseball
Photos from the baseball double header and senior night for Anderson University and Mount Saint Joseph on 5/7/10.
-
Comedian Harland Williams coming to Paramount
LOS ANGELES — Canadian Harland Williams was enjoying winter in Southern California. “It’s beautiful out,” said Williams, 47, familiar from roles in films like “Dumb & Dumber” and “There’s Something About Mary.” “A bit cold, but is 65 cold? I’ll take this cold any day, thank you.” Williams, whose Indiana performances have been exclusive to Crackers in Broad Ripple, will take the stage at the Paramount on Friday, April 2.
-
Nancy Wood back in Anderson, with ASO
ANDERSON — Nancy Wood stared into the glass vase, full of clear water, with the bare roots of a plant dangling down into it.
-
Auction deal for buyers, not for owners
ANDERSON — An auction held Saturday at a former, popular cabinet manufacturer resulted in deals for local woodwork hobbyists and businesses, but earned less than the new owners hoped for.
-
Ann Duran on the air in Madison County
DALEVILLE — As a child, radio personality Ann Duran remembers her father calling her his mini-Barbara Walters.
-
Weights, measures officials protect consumers
ANDERSON — Whether consumers are filling up their cars’ gas tanks, buying a gallon of milk or drying clothes at a laundromat, one man in Anderson makes sure they always get their money’s worth.
-
AHS rocking to 'Schoolhouse Rock Live!'
ANDERSON, Ind. — With the end of the school year quickly approaching, Anderson High School Performing Arts students are springing into a favorite pastime. With the help of their director of six years, Tiffany Jackson, the group of 12 is putting on a musical, “Schoolhouse Rock Live!”
-
Anderson native to lead county ghost tour
ANDERSON — Growing up in Madison County, Nicole Kobrowski liked to visit some of the area’s creepier places, such as Moss Island Road just west of the city.
-
Sidewalk Prophets looking for a Dove
Sidewalk Prophets know how to please a crowd when they sing Christian pop at concerts across the nation.
Now, they’d like fans to reciprocate to help the band win a Dove Award. -
At Home: Project a bonding experience
PENDLETON — When a four-year project goes on for seven years, the result is often a strained marriage.
- More Home News (ADS ONLY) Headlines
-
More Than 350 Die in Honduran Prison Fire
Defiant Iran Loads Own Fuel Rods Into Reactor
Lawmakers Move to Cusp of Payroll Tax Cut Deal
Raw Video: Syrian Army, Rebels Battle in Homs
Video Essay: Saving the Miami Blue Butterfly
NYPD Officer Shot During Subway Confrontation
Obama's Valentine's Advice: 'Go Big'
San Francisco's Valentine's Gift to Tony Bennett
Iranian Boats Shadow US Aircraft Carrier in Gulf
Hundreds Rally Against Alabama Immigration Law
Whitney Houston Funeral to Be Invitation Only
New Details in Search for Missing Utah Mom
Raw Video: Protesters, Security Clash in Bahrain
Obama: Good US-China Ties Help the Whole World
School Pays Students to Attend Class
Raw Video: 5 People Injured in Bangkok Blasts
Trial Opens for Ala. Man in Bride's Diving Death
Baltimore's 'Crime Stopper' Is a Basketball Star
Arm Wrestler Not Guilty Plea in Wife's Death
