Turfway cuts Cup purses

Turfway Park will cut the purse for the centerpiece race of its fall meet, the Grade 2 Kentucky Cup Classic, from $500,000 to $400,000 this year, track officials said Wednesday.

Turfway is also cutting the purse of the Turfway Park Breeders' Cup Stakes from $250,000 to $200,000, the track said. Both the Classic and Turfway BC will be held on the same day, Sept. 22, when Turfway hosts five stakes races designed as stepping-stones to the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.

The Classic is for older males at 1 1/8 miles, while the Breeders' Cup is for older females at 1 1/16 miles.

Turfway officials cited competition from riverboat casinos in Indiana and River Downs in Ohio for a downturn in business. The track decided to cut the stakes purses rather than reduce overnight purses to "retain the loyalty of the horsemen who race at Turfway year-round," said Bob Elliston, the track's president.