Charles Town Suspends Racing After Dispute

A disagreement over racing schedules has caused Charles Town Races officials to suspend their thoroughbred racing program and lay off 1,100 workers effective Jan. 1.

Track General Manager Donald Hudson on Wednesday blamed the move on a decision by the West Virginia Racing Commission to restrict the number of races the track could run daily in 1990 and the size of the purses.

“Horsemen will be notified that all stall spaces must be vacated immediately,” a race track news release said.

Robert Burke, chairman of the state racing commission, said the dispute between track owners and the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Assn. centers on the number of racing days per week and the size of the purses paid to the members of the horsemen’s association.

Burke said that the association wants 44 races a week and that track owners want 51 races a week.