Fonner set to open with increased purses

Fonner Park, a Nebraska tradition, opens Saturday in a meet that runs through May 4. Purses are up for the new season, and the meet’s signature race, the $75,000 Bosselman/Fonner will share a card with a new offering, the $30,000 Elite Sprint Cup.

“We raised purses 20 percent this year due to our partnership with Elite Casino Resorts, the parent company of Grand Island Casino Resort, which is operating a temporary casino in our concourse,” Chris Kotulak, chief executive officer of Fonner, said in an email response to questions from Daily Racing Form. “The casino has over 300 slots, table games, and a sports book.”

He added that $100,000 of the 20 percent purse increase came from a Nebraska Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association purse supplement.

Kotulak said ground was broken in October for a seven-story casino hotel resort that will feature 150 rooms just north of the grandstand.

The reach of Fonner’s simulcast signal will again be limited this meet to sites in Nebraska and international locales like Canada and Australia, as Fonner is not racing under the jurisdiction of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.

The Bosselman/Fonner for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles on April 27 now shares a card with the Elite Sprint for 4-year-olds and up at 6 1/2 furlongs.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.