"Just as we saw with our spring Standardbred meet, the establishment of a second racetrack in our market had a negative impact on our purses, attendance and on-track handle," said Hoosier Park president and general manager Rick Moore. "The strength of our out-of-state simulcasting continues to be a positive reflection of our affiliation with Churchill Downs Incorporated and the Churchill Downs Simulcast Network."
Average daily interstate simulcast handle rose but on-track wagering and attendance declined during the 70-day meet at Hoosier Park in Anderson, Ind., that ended Thursday.The track reported average daily interstate simulcast handle of $1,362,130, an increase of 17.7% over the $1,157,230 wagered nightly during the 68-day meet in 2002. Average daily on-track wagering fell 12.1% as $81,736 was wagered nightly in 2003 compared to $93,003 in 2002. Total wagering for the meet was $102,584,757, compared with $86,761,283 in 2002. Average daily attendance was 918, which was 5.3% below last year's figure of 967.Average daily purses fell 34.6% in 2003, as horsemen raced for an average of $115,982 in 2003, compared with $177,390 in 2002. Total purses distributed in 2003 amounted to $8,118,763 a decrease of 32.7% from 2002. The drop in purses was the result of splitting state-provided purse monies with a second racetrack in Indiana. An average of 9.1 starters went to the gate in 2003, compared to 9.1 in 2002.