Page 11 - September2021

TRACK CHATTER
Gaskin and Carmichael will be inducted
into the IHRA Hall of Fame during a special ceremony Oct. 24 at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino, joining a list of 17 previous inductees
into the IHRA Hall of Fame. The Indiana Horse Racing Association, Inc. (IHRA), an Indiana Not- For-Profit Corporation, was founded in 2014.
INDIANA GRAND BOOSTS QUARTER HORSE PURSES
As Indiana Grand prepared for its
Aug. 14 all-Quarter Horse racing day,
an announcement regarding the funding supported by the Indiana Quarter Horse Breed Development revealed several facets to boost the program.
“At this time, the casino operations for
the past three months have been much higher than anticipated,” said Jessica Barnes, Director of Breed Development for the Indiana Horse Racing Commission. “Estimated slots revenue has added more than $189,000 into the fund for 2021. While we don’t know what the exact revenue numbers will be for the remainder of 2021, we are confident that the revenue for these months will meet our projections and most likely be higher than expected.”
IQHBD is taking a tiered approach
to the added funds. The plan includes implementation of owner, breeder, and stallion awards on all trials, matching the same manner percentage and method as awards on overnight races. Also, purses have been increased by $1,000 per overnight race. Also, Indiana-bred overnight races will be added in increments of five, not to exceed a total of 15 additional races through the remainder of the meet.
Indiana Champions Day will be held Oct. 30 and will feature a full card of both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing. Six races for each breed will be spotlighted, including six stakes races for Quarter Horses, with purses exceeding $1 million.
RACING RETURNS TO ALBUQUERQUE
The Downs at Albuquerque opened its 27-day Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse meet Aug. 14. According to Don Cook, Downs’ president of racing, average daily purses at the track are expected to average a track-record $300,000 per day. Business has been brisk at the track’s casino since it reopened earlier this year after being closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. “We’ve also noticed a big increase in our simul- cast handle,” Cook said. “When the COVID lockdowns first started, horse racing was the only sport that was still going on; horse racing was receiving a lot of television coverage and appears to have generated some new fans. It will be interesting to see if that translates into increased attendance for our live meet. We’re encouraged by the early returns.”
Albuquerque Downs will host the AQHA’s Bank of America Challenge Championships on Oct. 23, making the track the first in the 28-year history of the program to host the event three consecutive seasons. Next year’s Challenge Championships will be held at Indiana Grand Casino and Racecourse
near Indianapolis.
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The Downs at Albuquerque opened its 27-day Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse meet Aug. 14.
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