A greatly scaled-down meet offered fewer opportunities for horsemen
but generated on-site gains at Retama Park, which wrapped up its live
meet Oct. 23.
The racetrack near San Antonio, Texas, offered just 16 days of
Thoroughbred racing this year, down from 59 days in 2009. The reduction
was part of an effort by Texas tracks to adjust racing schedules to
maximize purses in the face of intense competition for horses and
gambling dollars in neighboring states.
Retama Park raced Friday and Saturday nights for 16 days beginning
Sept. 3. Track officials said ontrack pari-mutuel handle on live racing
averaged $114,891 a night, up 61% from $71,283 per day last year.
With $179,234 (up 16% from 2009) wagered on full-card simulcast on
live racing days, total ontrack handle averaged $294,125, up 30% from
last year, officials said.
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