Calder has announced a 12 percent aggregate
reduction in overnight purses beginning Friday. Minimum
overnight purse levels will be at $10,500. Stakes purses will reduce slightly
during the Tropical meet without elimination of stakes races or changes to
grades. The revised total Tropical Stakes program of restricted and
non-restricted stakes is valued at $2.5 million.
This necessary purse cut is a result of overlapping race
days in south Florida in conjunction with the State of Florida’s abrupt change
in historic interpretation of statutes pertaining to the hosting of in-state simulcasting signals.
Since full card simulcasting began in Florida, purses
generated by in-state wagering on Thoroughbred racing were required to be paid
to horsemen competing at the racetrack currently running live. Historic
qualification for a live race meet only allowed simulcasting during a live meet
which consisted of three live race days a week.
“Purse dollars reflected in this cut have not evaporated,” Vice President and
General Manager of Racing John Marshall explained. “The State’s delay in
addressing the issue enables purse dollars earned today to shift to other
racetracks in the state, to be withheld from horsemen who are actually running
live races, and to be paid in a future race meet.”
This policy permits purse dollars to be accumulated through
the summer and fall by Tampa Bay Downs and be paid to horsemen later in the year
when Tampa conducts its live race meet. The change in interpretation also
recognizes Gulfstream’s two-day-a-week race schedule as a qualifying live race
meet, which also diverts purse dollars from Calder.
“Neither Calder nor Gulfstream’s racing product can sustain
existing purse levels while overlapping without purse reduction or independent
subsidy,” Marshall added.
Live racing at Calder continues Fridays through Sundays
with a 12:50 p.m. (EDT) post time that changes to 12:30 p.m. beginning September 1, and remains available at pari-mutuel locations nationwide.
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