Struggling Hialeah Seeks to End Racing Season Early

Hialeah Park, struggling with low attendance and a drop in handle from last year, has asked the Florida Pari-Mutuel Commission to hold an emergency meeting to grant it permission to shut down early this season.

But W. V. N. Jones, director of the division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, said the commission is not likely to convene before its scheduled Dec. 13 meeting.

The letter Monday from John Brunetti Jr., the historic track’s general manager and son of the track’s owner, asked the panel to consider allowing the track to “conclude its current meet effective immediately.” Hialeah’s season is scheduled to end May 20.

If Brunetti closes the track without permission from the state, he risks losing his racing permit.

Brunetti blamed some of the track’s problems on his decision to run simultaneously with other tracks. Competing head-to-head for the first time against nearby Calder Race Course, Hialeah has lost an estimated $68,000 a day since its season began Nov. 18, according to figures released last week.

Attendance at the park on Monday was 2,210, and the handle was $284,976.

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 fall meeting.

Brunetti acknowledged last week that he might end the season before the track’s scheduled closing.