Field sizes remain deep after December peak

A little more than two weeks into 2015, fields at Turfway Park in northern Kentucky remain deep, though down from peak December levels. The track is averaging 8.8 starters per race, down from 10.1 starters during December, but its average should climb after this week’s racing. Friday and Saturday’s cards drew large fields, and 93 horses, plus five also-eligibles, were entered for Sunday’s nine-race program.

Turfway typically has its deepest fields in the month of December before Oaklawn Park opens for its meet, but the track still has been able to attract large fields this year, particularly in low-end races, due in part to the closure of Beulah Park, which in past winters had competed for horses in the region.

Mahoning Valley Racecourse has replaced Beulah on the Ohio racing circuit. Located farther north, it attracts more horses from ThistleDown and Mountaineer than from Kentucky and southern Ohio.