Fargo track gets approval for an extra weekend in 2024

Live horse racing will return to the North Dakota Horse Park in Fargo in July and, with an extra weekend of racing, may help the track continue its growing popularity streak after record crowds in 2023.

On Nov. 16, the North Dakota Racing Commission granted the horse park's request to hold eight racing days over four weekends between July 12 and Aug. 4 in 2024. In 2022 and 2023, the North Dakota Horse Park hosted six days of racing over three weekends.

The commission also granted Chippewa Downs, in Belcourt, N.D., eight days of racing to be held over four weekends June 1 through June 30.

"Both organizations seem to be happy with how their meets went last year," North Dakota racing executive director Bruce Johnson said.

The racing commission approves the dates for its two live racing meets at its November meeting. It then approves funding through two funding mechanisms at a commission meeting in February. The commission receives money through licensed account wagering deposit companies.

In 2022, the ADW companies licensed with North Dakota generated about $1.15 billion in handle and are expected to generate that much in 2023 as well.

"We've had an increase in ADW handle," Johnson said. "Our licensed ADW partners are doing their part, they're supplying us with a lot of parimutuel handles to choose from."

Funding for the race meets is broken into two funds, promotions and purses. Promotional funds can be used to operate the meet and marketing, and purse funds are those paid to the horsemen for races.

The North Dakota Horse Park has had its share of ups and downs over its roughly 20-year history. It often competes for the attention of visitors over the summer as live races coincide with other popular events in the metro including the Fargo Street Fair and Red River Valley Fair. The park, however, has continued to grow in recent years, including last year, when it generated more than $334,000 in handle and attendance of upwards of 3,000 people on individual days.

"We had a significant increase in the handle this year," said Hugh Alan Drexler, the North Dakota Horse Park's general manager.

Although income went up for the North Dakota Horse Park, so did the expenses in 2023. But the discrepancy was lower than in 2022 and 2021.

"So we're trending in the right direction," Drexler said.

Johnson said the commission hopes to support both tracks with funding comparable to years past, which may get easier as more out-of-state ADW companies look to North Dakota to gain a license. He said he hopes to increase purse funding in the coming years.

"It's a good sign there is still interest in wagering on horses," Johnson said. "There is a time we should bump that up to put towards races in the industry, but I don't know that this year will be the time. We're here to make sure that this money gets back out to the industry and that we have a promising industry."

This report originally was published in The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead.