Turfway Park Cancels Card for Opening Day

Turfway Park canceled the start of its fall meet after horsemen boycotted the entry box for today’s opening program.

“We would rather shut down and take a financial loss than discredit the image of thoroughbred racing in Kentucky,” Turfway owner Jerry Carroll said Thursday.

Track spokesman Damon Thayer said that when the entry box closed at 10:30 a.m., there were not enough entries to fill today’s racing card.

“It’s possible we could be up next week if this is resolved, but the weekend’s lost,” Thayer said.

The Kentucky Division of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Assn. said it wanted a contract with the Cincinnati-area track and a bigger share of the profits from intertrack wagering.

“Our main concern is the image and credibility of Kentucky racing,” said Mark Simendinger, Turfway’s president. “It is unfair to racing fans to present a product that is lower than the standard they have become accustomed to seeing at Turfway.”

Horsemen staged a similar boycott at Ellis Park, in Henderson, when that track opened its season in July and won a contract.

Rick Hiles, vice president of the HBPA, said horsemen want a 50-50 split of profits from intertrack wagering at whatever track is holding live racing during Kentucky’s nearly year-round season. The split has been 56-44 in favor of the track.