Hialeah Losing Money, May End Season Early

Historic Hialeah Park, competing head-to-head for the first time against nearby Calder Race Course, has lost an estimated $68,000 a day since its season began Nov. 18.

For the first 10 days of the meet, Hialeah averaged 2,715 fans wagering $224,276 a day. That’s a 62% drop in attendance and an 80.5% drop in handle from corresponding days in 1987’s unopposed fall meeting.

The track is already an estimated $680,000 in the red this season when operating expenses, salaries and purse money are considered. Projected over the full 158-day meet, the losses would come to $10.74 million.

“We’re not quitters,” said John Brunetti Jr., Hialeah general manager and son of the track’s owner. “We’ll be here until we are dead or have empty pockets.”

But Brunetti acknowledged Hialeah might end the season before the scheduled May 20 closing.

Head-to-head competition, the result of state deregulation that left racing dates up to each track, has had less of an impact on Calder. The Miami track is down 7.2% in average attendance to 7,453 and 12.6% in handle to $1.06 million compared with a year ago.

Hialeah’s bad business is costing the state money, too. The first $300,000 of the betting handle is non-taxable. There have been only two days when Hialeah exceeded that total and the state collected revenue.

“The state is very concerned that it is losing money and that one of its better-known race tracks may close,” said Van Jones, director of the state Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering.

Hialeah, regarded by some as the world’s most beautiful race track, has been in decline for years, a victim of its location and competition with Calder and Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fla.