Cal Expo enticed 187 horses

Thanks to offtrack betting and a strong State Fair meet, Sacramento Harness Association's business continues to grow, according to a story by Debbie Arrington in the Sacramento Bee.

Its fall meet, which wrapped up Dec. 16, averaged $857,217 a night in wagering, up 5.7 percent from SHA's debut meet last fall and almost 13 percent more than Capital Racing's Fall 2004 average of $760,282.

Through an incentive program that pays a $2,000 bonus for every first-time Sacramento starter, Cal Expo has welcomed 187 newcomers since Aug. 2. That has boosted the average field size from 7.4 to 7.7 per race.

According to SHA general manager Chris Schick, there are a lot more horses at Cal Expo.

"Right now, our barn area is virtually at capacity -- that's 996 horses," Schick said. "With so many new stables moving in, we've had trouble finding enough stalls together in the same barn."



SHA honored trotter Amazing Glide as Horse of the Year, but it's a bittersweet victory for owner Gary Budahn and trainer Bob Johnson. After winning 10 consecutive races and 15 of 25 starts this year, the 7-year-old gelding died in his stall Sept. 13.

(Arrington is also a Horseman correspondent)

« Back