Beulah Renovates Surface, Lowers Takeout

Beulah Park will begin its 2011-12 racing season Oct. 10 with a renovated racing surface and “pick” wagers with a reduced pari-mutuel takeout of 15%.

The track near Columbus, Ohio, is scheduled for 123 days of racing through May 5, 2012. Racing will be held Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Officials said more than half of the material on the racing surface was removed and replaced with a mixture of 4,800 tons of finer sand and silt. The surface’s drainage system was upgraded this year as well.

“After extensive testing on potential combination of sands, we felt the addition of this material would allow the track to react more favorably during inclement weather, given our racing season, while also providing a much-improved and safer racing surface,” Beulah Park general manager Jim McKinney said in a statement. “We think horsemen will notice a positive difference.”