Lone Star sees sharp drop in handle after simulcast signal limited
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Lone Star Park experienced a sharp drop in handle on Saturday due to an impasse between the Texas Racing Commission and the federal government's new Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.
Lone Star’s simulcast signal was restricted to sites in Texas and the international market for the first time and it handled $234,960 on the eight-race card Saturday. Of that amount, $171,823 was bet ontrack, where a crowd of 2,703 gathered on a hot day when first post was 11 a.m. Central.
Lone Star’s signal went to about 18 sites, including Sam Houston Race Park in Houston, Retama Park near San Antonio, and locales in Canada, Australia, and South America, according to one of the stewards at Lone Star.
There is no off-track betting in Texas.
A week ago, before the rollout of HISA at tracks in the United States, Lone Star had handled $1.4 million on a 10-race Saturday card that also started at 11 a.m. Of that amount, $306,484 was bet by the ontrack crowd of 5,563.
And last Sunday, for an 11-race card, Lone Star handled $1.9 million, with $260,747 bet by the ontrack crowd of 4,829. First post also was 11 a.m. in a new policy due to the summer heat. In the past, Saturday and Sunday cards had started at 1:35 p.m. Central.
Lone Star races nights on Thursdays and Fridays, and the most recent Friday card of eight races on June 24 produced a handle of $1.2 million, with $163,030 of that amount bet ontrack at Lone Star.
All of the figures were provided by Lone Star.
The patrons Saturday at Lone Star were able to bet on incoming signals from other tracks, including Belmont Park and Churchill Downs. The races were also broadcast on Racetrack Television Network.
Lone Star has 5 p.m. Central posts this Sunday and Monday to accommodate fireworks displays after the races. The cards typically draw large ontrack attendance.
The Texas Racing Commission announced in June it would not allow the state’s Thoroughbred races to be simulcast out of state so as not to fall under the jurisdiction of HISA. As such, Texas races are not “covered races” and they are conducted only under the jurisdiction of the Texas Racing Commission, which the agency said is state law, according to a recent report by Matt Hegarty of Daily Racing Form. Saturday was the first day of live racing at Lone Star since the start of HISA, which currently covers Thoroughbred racing.
Lone Star is operating the final straight Thoroughbred meet of the year in Texas, and it ends on July 24. Sam Houston launches its Thoroughbred meet in January. Retama Park just opened a meet for Quarter Horses and Gillespie County Fair just began an eight-date meet for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses.