Fair Grounds Race Course announced Tuesday that overnight purses have been increased by 12%, effective with the race card of Friday, March 11.The purse increase, which will include the final 12 days of Fair Grounds' 133rd season, was implemented because of strong on-track handle and simulcast sales of the track's live racing cards this winter. The increase does not include stakes races and will add an average of $24,000 per day to overnight purses at Fair Grounds."We are pleased to be able to elevate our purse structure for the remainder of this season," said Randall Soth, Fair Grounds' president and general manager. "It is especially gratifying that we are able to make this offering even though we have already paid $500,000 more in purses to date than we did last season.
"This increase speaks volumes to our racing product and the restructuring of our stakes schedule to create major event days, which have been extraordinarily successful both locally and throughout the simulcast community."The in-season purse increase is the first at Fair Grounds since 2001.