Summer Dates at Thunder Ridge creates
six consecutive months of racing in Kentucky
10/21/07 KyHarnessRacing.com   

    Summertime racing................Six months of straight
    overnight racing.................Without a gap...........
    How does that sound to you?

    The majority of horsemen agree with summer dates
    at Thunder Ridge. They agree that creating six
    consecutive months of overnight racing in Kentucky
    would be economically feasible and financially smart.
    Thunder Ridge opened in 1994 with summer race
    dates running consecutive to The Red Mile spring
    meet. In 2002, the track switched from summer
    racing to fall racing, following the Grand Circuit meet
    at The Red Mile.

    Last week, Thunder Ridge applied for Summer dates
    in 2008. The meet will open ten days after Bluegrass
    Downs' meet closes of which will be opening two
    weeks earlier, on April 10th, in 2008. Thunder Ridge
    will run for eight weeks, ending ten days prior to The
    Red Mile summer/fall meet.

    What does all this mean? It means in 2008, Kentucky
    will have a raceway circuit that races from April 10th,
    beginning at Bluegrass Downs, and will race
    continuously through September, ending at The Red
    Mile. Calvin Willard, who currently has a small stable
    of horses, says, "This is the first positive thing, that I
    have seen, for overnight racing in the state of
    Kentucky in the last five years. This way makes
    sense. And you got to have the cents before you can
    make the dollar. The other way, racing six weeks and
    then having a two month layover, wasn't economically
    feasible."

    April Neafus says, "I will be here to work the summer
    meet. Personally, I like racing here in the fall. It's so
    hot in the summer here. Financially? Racing at
    Thunder Ridge in the summer will be better for us
    financially for sure."

    Bill Napier, Executive Secretary for the KHHA,
    commented about the summer dates. "Well there are
    both ways. There are some folks that'll go on and
    continue a circuit, start at one place and end at
    another, going straight through the circuit without
    having any gaps, which is understandable. There are
    some folks that race at the fairs, that say, that they
    won't get the opportunity to race at Thunder Ridge
    with their horses that they race on the fair circuit. It
    just depends on who you ask." Bill continues, "There
    are two sides of the issue, and certainly the side of
    Thunder Ridge financially, and that's what it boils
    down to."

    Napier could not say whether they (KHHA) were in
    favor of or against summer dates at Thunder Ridge.

    Bob Stewart, President of the KHHA, stated by email
    to KyHarnessRacing.com, "The KHHA has taken the
    stance that we will support Thunder Ridge in
    whatever dates they decide to race. We have voiced
    some concerns about the logistical problems with the
    change in dates as far as the purse account and
    conflicting with the fairs, but having said that, we
    support any racetrack that wants to race
    Standardbred horses in Kentucky."

    Marc Guilfoil, Deputy Executive Director for the
    Kentucky Horse Racing Authority gave
    KyHarnessRacing.com his thoughts by phone about
    Thunder Ridge's summer dates. "From my
    standpoint, it's something that should have been
    done years ago. With the minimal amount of race
    days that we have in Kentucky, to race six months
    consecutively beginning April 10th to the end of
    September, is a 'no brainer'. I applaud Anita for
    putting it together and having the fortitude to stick it
    out, because I know a couple of people have put a lot
    of pressure on her to keep the fall dates."

    Some have stated that racing in the summer conflicts
    with fair racing and there will be a shortage of horses
    because of that. Since Thunder Ridge opened in
    1994, it has never had to depend on fair horses to
    have racing. It has always depended on other types
    of horses, claimers and overnight horses.

    Just to be sure, KyHarnessRacing.com took the first
    five days of racing for this meet and counted all the
    entries that were programmed to race, to have an
    accurate number of how many of them raced on the
    Kentucky Fair Circuit this year. The number of
    programmed entries for those five days was 375. Of
    the 375 programmed to race, only 13 entries
    programmed in those five days, raced on the
    Kentucky Fair Circuit this year. That is three percent.
    Actually, only a total of six horses that raced at the
    fairs are currently racing in overnights at Thunder
    Ridge. We could take other years, but we assure you
    the result would be very similar, if not the same.

    Some stables may choose not to race at Thunder
    Ridge in the summer, others may choose to come
    and race. But their will be trainers ready to enter their
    horses. Harley Emerson chose not to race at Thunder
    Ridge this year. He has a 15 horse stable. The entry
    box doesn't seem to miss his horses. Harley did have
    this to say about the summer race dates for 2008.

    "In my opinion, for whatever it's worth, since the fair
    rule has changed, and it's tougher to buy horses for
    the fairs, the summer dates will definitely help the
    horsemen that race in Kentucky."

    Rex Watson, a regular racer in Kentucky, says, "This
    six or eight weeks in between meets kills everybody.
    There are only four fairs on the western end of the
    state. The rest are up this way. Most of the guys
    that race the fairs don't race here to much anyway."

    Joe Jayne has both fair horses and overnight horses.
    "This year I had to ship my horses to every fair and
    ship my racehorses to Scioto Downs. Next year I can
    stay right here in Kentucky for six months and ship
    to the fairs from here (Thunder Ridge). Which I think
    is good."

    Lendell Coleman says he will race his horses at
    Thunder Ridge next summer.

    Brian Loney raced in Cleveland Ohio, at Northfield
    Park from the end of Thunder Ridge's 2006 meet to
    the start of the 2007 Red Mile meet. Brian had this to
    say about Thunder Ridge's summer dates, "Having a
    six month racing circuit, with the meets running
    consecutively, will be a positive for the horsemen
    racing in Kentucky. If you run your stable as a
    business, it's the smartest way to go. If you don't
    really care about making money, then racing six
    weeks, to shut down your operation for two months,
    is the way to go. If Thunder Ridge races in the
    summer, I will have horses there racing."

    Anita Ratliff, General Manager for Thunder Ridge has
    stated to Bill Napier that she would also like to add
    another fair date. That would give Thunder Ridge two
    fairs. Lebanon currently hosts two fairs. The Red Mile
    also hosts two fairs, Mercer and Woodford counties.
    Two fairs at Thunder Ridge.........We say, why not?


Related Articles:
Thunder Ridge announces summertime racing
10/18/07 By Anita Ratliff, General Manager for Thunder Ridge