On-track handle decreased during Turfway Park’s 2009 holiday meet over the
same meet the previous year, but all-sources handle held steady thanks to an
uptick in wagers made out of state.
On-track handle, the amount wagered on Turfway races by fans at the track,
fell to $2,211,868, a 17.7 percent drop from the 2008 holiday meet. All-sources
handle, reflecting all wagers made on Turfway races, rose to $58,694,475, a
total 0.6 percent higher than during the same period in 2008.
The meet began November 29 and ended December 31, with one card canceled due
to high winds. The track presented 221 races over the 21 racing days for purses
averaging $111,589 per day, down 14.2 percent from the 2008 holiday meet. Field
size held relatively steady, with 10.1 starters per race compared to 10.4 for
the previous holiday meet.
Apprentice jockey Ben Creed became the first graduate of the North American
Racing Academy to win a riding title when he finished the holiday meet with 25
wins from 133 mounts. Tom Pompell was second with 18 wins from 123 mounts, while
John McKee was third with 17 wins from 92 mounts.
Joe Woodard, who won his first Turfway training title in the fall, repeated
in the holiday meet with 14 wins from 62 starters. Mike Maker, whose five-meet
win streak was broken by Woodard in the fall, was again second for the holiday
meet with 10 wins from 40 starters. Tom Drury Jr. was third with 6 winners from
15 starters.
Billy Hays finished atop the owners’ standings for the holiday meet to
complete a sweep of all three Turfway meets in 2009. With Woodard as his
trainer, Hays put up identical numbers: 14 wins, 13 seconds, and 8 thirds from
62 starters. Three of the Hays/Woodard team’s wins came on one day, December 26.
Ken and Sarah Ramsey finished second in all three meets, ending the holiday meet
with 7 winners from 22 starters. James Skaggs’s Spade Stable was the holiday
meet’s third-leading owner with 4 winners from 6 starters.
As the holiday meet ends, the 2010 winter/spring meet begins, and racing
continues at Turfway without interruption through March 28. This year’s
winter/spring meet, January 1 through March 28, brings a reduction in live
racing dates. Through February 28, the track will offer live racing on Fridays,
Saturdays, and Sundays. In March, Thursdays will be added to the schedule. First
post is 1:10 pm (EST) on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays and 5:30 pm on
Fridays. On Super Bowl Sunday, February 7, races begin at noon.
Turfway’s simulcast schedule — Wednesday through Sunday plus Monday holiday
— remains in place with a slight reduction in hours. Detailed information is
available at turfway.com.