Red Mile dropping three Mondays in 2010 meet

The Red Mile on Tuesday received permission from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to drop three nights from its 2010 race meet which is scheduled to begin Sunday, Aug. 15. The three nights are all Mondays: Aug. 16, Aug. 30 and Sept. 20.

 

Kentucky Harness Horsemen's Association executive secretary Gabe Prewitt told harnessracing.com Wednesday morning that the track and horsemen reached an earlier agreement on the three-date reduction that covers the contract for both this year and 2011. In asking for commission approval on Tuesday, track officials noted a decline in stakes payments for this year's meet which in turn leads to a shortage in horse population. By dropping the three Mondays, it will save the purse account approximately $100,000.

 

The meet opens with the Kentucky Fair finals on Aug. 15, and continues (except for the above omissions) on a Thursday, Sunday and Monday schedule at 6:30 p.m. until the two-week Grand Circuit meet in October. Because of the World Equestrian Games in Lexington this fall, the Grand Circuit meet has been moved back and will run from Oct. 13 through Oct. 23, with racing Wednesday through Saturday afternoons with a 12:30 p.m. post time.