Trouble at MI's Pinnacle

[pinkdaisy]

www.freep.com/article/20100909/NEWS05/9090371/1007/NEWS05/Michigan-tells-horse-racing-industry-to-pay-officials-costs

I have a student who's husband is a trainer at Pinnacle. They also own several horses. Pinnacle only opened about 2 years ago-- the only TB track in the state. And now it's having trouble. They cut racing days down significantly this year and now they want the trainers to pay for the cost of running each race. It's a tough place to be right now.

[Lisann]

I know some of the MI based trainers are headed to IN to run - more purse money, longer meet.

[jenarby]

This is no surprise. MNR is doing a lot of the same things now. Cutting purses over and over...per start fees, dropping a race per night. PID is having trouble getting races to go and won't allow more than 500 head stabled on the grounds. It seems like many tracks are trying to do away with the horses all together and keep the casinos....more money in their pockets.

[fancyhorse]

That is sooooooo crazy! Our TB purses actually went up!!!!! For a $5000 claiming they are $18000! WHICH IS HUGE for my track (mostly a QH track who runs a few TB races each week and the highest ranking we have is $5k claiming). They did cut our racing days down to 3 days, but we are able to fill our cards and have fuller races now......

[jenarby]

That's great fancy!
Unfortunately even our WV Derby ($750k purse) has been lackluster the last few years. No big riders coming in and short fields. 5k is our bottom but the purses have now really dropped and it will be difficult to even afford to claim one for that price because you can't win much money at the "bottom."
The feeling on the backside (or at least what I've heard lately) is that racing will be completely wiped out in 3-5 years here. Pretty sad considering there will be so many people out of work if that happens.

[fancyhorse]

That soooooooooo sucks and we have been struggling here too. Gez at Hollywood/Santa Anita, you see strakes races with only 4 or 5 horses! WHAT!! That is nuts! Stakes purses have dropped at the big tracks too. I really really hope it doesn't faze out!

[pinkdaisy]

Sounds like the horsemen and the track have come to an agreement to continue racing through the end of the year. Sounds like racing next year is questionable.

[diane]

it looks like Pinnacle's parent company is doing ok .

www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2010/november/26/pinnacle-agrees-to-buy-river-downs.aspx