All-sources handle rose 61.8 percent to $198,343,642 at the 2006
Winter/Spring Meet at Turfway Park, which concluded Thursday. The all-sources
increase was fueled by a 69.4 percent jump in out-of-state handle as well as a
15 percent improvement in in-state wagering.
On-track handle was $9,039,053, an increase of 19.5 percent over the same
period in 2005.
Purses for the meet rose 16.3 percent, a direct result of the increased
wagering.
Last year, all or part of 11 racing days were canceled, most due to unsafe
track conditions. At the just-completed meet, no races were canceled despite
several days of heavy rain and a couple of snowstorms. Regardless of the
weather, the Polytrack surface was never rated anything but fast.
In 2005, the track presented 591 races over the course of the 14-week
Winter/Spring Meet. This year, the track ran 688 races in the same period with
an average of 8.3 starters per race, a 1.2 percent increase.
Last year, 14 horses suffered catastrophic breakdowns while in 2006 that number was zero. Since the Polytrack surface was
placed in service on September 7, 2005, three horses have suffered on-track
catastrophic breakdowns. During the same period in 2004-2005, 24 horses suffered
such breakdowns.
“We had three main goals for our Polytrack installation: improve safety for
the horses and riders; reduce the number of canceled days while providing a
consistent racing surface; and produce a competitive, appealing wagering product
for our patrons,” Turfway Park President Robert Elliston said. “These numbers
demonstrate that we met or exceeded all of those goals.”
Apprentice jockey Julien Leparoux, who began riding professionally last
August, set a new meet record with 167 wins from 529 mounts, a 32 percent win
rate. The previous record was 150, set by Rafael Bejarano in 2004. Willie
Martinez finished second in the jockey standings with 43 victories from 292
mounts.
Greg Foley captured his third straight Winter/Spring Meet trainer title with
30 winners from 114 starters. Wayne Bearden finished second with 23 winners from
54 starters.
Bearden was the meet’s leading owner with 15 winners from 24 starters.
Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey finished second with 13 wins from 49 runners.
INDY ENERGY (Presidential Order) won six of seven starts at the meet.