Fonner Park plans to continue racing through April
Fonner Park in Grand Island, Neb., which brought back live racing for a trial period after halting its meet last month due to the coronavirus pandemic, intends to continue racing through the month of April, according to Chris Kotulak, the chief operating officer at Fonner.
The track’s trial period ended Wednesday.
“We did go to the racing commission and we do intend to race beyond today because we’re taking entries for next Monday,” Kotulak said on Wednesday, adding that in these times, all situations are fluid.
“Our intent is to continue to go through the month of April on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday basis.”
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Fonner has seen a spike in handle as one of just two North American tracks racing on Mondays and Tuesdays. The other is Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla.
Kotulak said Fonner intends to run the Bosselman Pump and Pantry/Gus Fonner Stakes, the track’s premier race, but the April 25 date and $75,000 purse might change. It is for 3-year-olds and up at a mile and a sixteenth. Kotulak said more would be known in the next week.
“We’re receiving a lot of calls about the race because people with nice horses are looking for a place to run,” said Kotulak.
SunRay opening postponed
The SunRay Park meet in Farmington, N.M., that was scheduled to open April 24 has been postponed through at least April 30, it was decided during a special meeting of the New Mexico Racing Commission on Tuesday.
The move was made due to the coronavirus pandemic. The agency will revisit the topic again at a meeting scheduled for April 16.
Commissioners said on a conference call Tuesday that the postponement aligns with President Donald Trump’s directive Monday that calls for social distancing policies to extend through April 30.
SunRay Park holds the next scheduled meet in the state, coming on the heels of the Sunland Park meet. Racing at Sunland had been scheduled to continue through April 21 but was halted following the March 15 card.