Cutting dates? Fair Grounds is having issues filling races

The racing office at Fair Grounds has been having a hard time filling races and would like to consider cutting dates, racing director Jason Boulet said during the Louisiana State Racing Commission’s Tuesday meeting. The idea of dropping the track from 80 race days per year to 75 was floated during the meeting.

Handle and field size has dropped at Fair Grounds for its current meet.

“The struggle of entries is a reality for us,” Boulet said. “We’ve had a situation where we’ve had to call the (Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association) and be granted to run less than nine minimum races. We’ve run eight-race cards three times this year.”

Through 34 race days so far in its 2021-22 meet, the track has seen 7.6 horses per race and $94,958,986 in handle. Those numbers are a marked drop from the 8.23-horse average field size and $110,663,850 in handle after 34 days of its 2020-21 meet.

However, the current meet is handling more money than the 2019-20 meet, which had seen $89,286,788 through 34 days, though that meet had larger fields. Fair Grounds saw a purse increase during its current meet, which Boulet credited to revenue from slot machines and video poker.

Boulet did not bring up the idea of reducing race dates on his own. Commissioner Tom Calvert broached the topic, asking if Boulet and Fair Grounds had any legislation in the works to bring the number down.

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“I think that the four tracks would all agree that we have to move forward at some point to start discussing things,” Boulet said, noting that to his knowledge, no legislation was in the works. “I think the numbers speak for themselves as far as what we’re going through this meet currently.”

Horsemen in Louisiana vehemently opposed any sort of drop in dates for the New Orleans track according to trainer Benard Chatters, president of the state’s chapter of the HBPA. Chatters pointed out that the state’s other tracks run 84 race dates per year.

Chatters said a drop in race dates could have a negative impact on owners and other horsemen.

“Everything in the horse world from an owner’s perspective is on the rise, expenses are one the rise,” Chatters said. “The one thing that’s not on the rise is opportunities to race these horses. It is imperative that the owners have as many opportunities to race these horses as they can, so that they stay in this business.”

Calvert questioned Chatters and said he thought running short fields was bad for the Louisiana racing product. The commissioner said he thought tracks could bring in more money if they had fewer, but better races.

Calvert also disagreed with Chatters asserting that owners were the “bedrock of horse racing.”

“The racing fan is the bedrock of horse racing,” Calver said. “And there is not a  racing fan if there’s not integrity in horse racing and there’s not a level of competition that encourages the fans to come to the racetrack. There will be no horse racing.”

Chatters said he felt Fair Grounds would be better served with its 80 race dates if it started its meet a week earlier. He said that would allow the track to drop from racing five days a week to four.

The trainer said that would also allow the track to write races with conditions more conducive to more horses.

“There’s no promise (for an owner) to make a nickel back and in all probability, there’s a chance that he won’t,” Chatters said. “But we accept this responsibility gladly to participate in the game. We’re simply asking that our opportunity to race is not touched.”

Fair Grounds has some of its big races on the horizon, beginning this weekend. Saturday’s slate will see Midnight Bourbon and Mandaloun battle it out in the Louisiana Stakes (G3), as well as the 2022 editions of the Lecomte (G3) and Silverbulletday, which are Kentucky Derby and Oaks points races.

Boulet said the track was expecting a huge weekend.

“When you look at the overnight overall, it’s probably one of our best race cards that we’ve ever put together at the Fair Grounds,” Boulet said. “We’re very proud of the racing office and what’s going on.”