Quarter Horse meet business steady

Business was steady compared to last year for the winter Quarter Horse meeting at Louisiana Downs that concluded Tuesday. Total handle for the 40-day stand was $13,160,589 for an average of $329,015 per day. Those figures are down 1.4 percent from last year's total of $13,345,708 and daily average of $333,642. Average handle per race actually increased this year as 37 fewer races were carded this season.

Field size increased by almost 0.5 starters per race this year to 8.6, and ontrack wagering grew by 2.7 percent.

"Average handle, average purse sizes, and average field sizes per race all increased in 2009," said Trent McIntosh, director of racing and racing secretary for Louisiana Downs. "This is the fourth year we have hosted a Quarter Horse meet at Louisiana Downs, and I think people in the community and across the country are seeing that we have a solid program."

The jockey and trainer titles came down to the wire, with Alfonso Lujan winning the riding title. The training title came down to literally the last race and resulted in a tie between Miguel Rodriquez and Janet Van Bebber. The leading owner was Anna L. Alvidrez.