Fonner Park seeks 12-day extension to meeting

Fonner Park in Grand Island, Neb., has requested a 12-racing-day extension of its ongoing 2020 racing season.

Fonner’s race meet began Feb. 21 and was scheduled to conclude April 29, but Fonner has asked the Nebraska Racing Commission to consider granting the track four more three-day racing weeks (Monday through Wednesday) during the month of May, according to Chris Kotulak, Fonner’s CEO.

Fonner has been racing spectator-free since March 23 and remains one of the few North American tracks still running races during the coronavirus pandemic. Fonner and Will Rogers are the only two tracks racing Monday and Tuesday, and Fonner’s handle has increased exponentially since tracks began shutting down in March. On a mandatory jackpot pick five on April 7 alone, Fonner handled about $3.6 million, only $300,000 less than the entire 2019 racing season. Average daily handle has been more than $2 million since Fonner’s simulcast signal gained prominence.

The Nebraska Racing Commission is scheduled to meet Wednesday by teleconference, and there appears to be minimal pushback against Fonner’s plan from other Nebraska racing venues. The Nebraska circuit was scheduled to shift to Horsemen’s Park in Omaha for a seven-day meeting from May 8-24, but Horsemen’s Park has petitioned the commission to postpone or cancel its 2020 meeting due to coronavirus. Horsemen’s Park sits in Douglas County, which has strict prohibitions on public gatherings, according to CEO and general manager Mike Newlin. Horsemen’s has been conducting drive-through wagering since March 17 and has no way of opening for a race meeting during the pandemic. Horsemen’s also operates Lincoln Park, which has asked the commission for permission to postpone or cancel a three-day meeting in late June.

The fate of a nine-day meeting at Columbus Park, which was scheduled to run between May 29 and June 21, remains uncertain.

“Our area expects the [coronavirus] ‘spike or peak’ to hit late April, early May,” Tom Jackson, Columbus vice president of racing, said in an email. “[We] continue to stay in contact with our state and local partners to manage a plan for racing on the proposed dates or possible date changes. Community safety is the first concern.”

Discussions have taken place about shifting racing from Fonner to Columbus in May, but it now appears more likely the racing commission will grant Fonner an extended meeting this week.