West Virginia Racing Commission approves minimum racing dates, expects cuts

On Wednesday, the West Virginia Racing Commission approved the statutory minimum of racing dates for both Charles Town Races and Mountaineer Park next year, but both tracks plan to file amended applications that would cut at least 100 dates total from the state’s live racing schedule.

Under West Virginia law, Charles Town is required to run 220 dates, and Mountaineer is required to run 210 dates. However, earlier this year, the racing commission granted requests from both tracks to sharply reduce their live racing schedules in 2015, and the commission is expected to do the same for 2016 after the tracks file the amended requests, according to racetrack officials.

Under its amended request, Charles Town expects to run approximately 170 dates, according to Erich Zimny, the track’s vice president of racing. Zimny said track officials still are in talks with horsemen over the exact number of dates but that the two sides are not far apart.

“We think we’re very close,” said Zimny. “The discussions have been great, and both sides have worked together very well.”

Mountaineer expects to file for 160 dates, even though horsemen at the track have submitted a letter stating they would be more comfortable with a meet of 137 dates, according to Rose Mary Williams, the track’s director of racing.

“We’re going to stick with the 160 dates for now,” said Williams. “But I’ll be talking to our horsemen.”

The Mountaineer meet would begin in March and end in late October, Williams said. The track currently is budgeting for average purse distribution of $90,000 per day. The Charles Town schedule has not yet been set due to the ongoing negotiations with horsemen, though Zimny said Charles Town definitely is planning to run on a Thursday-Saturday schedule in January and February.

Racing interests in West Virginia have been pushing for legislation to remove the statutory minimums, but efforts have not yet been successful. Racetracks and horsemen have agreed to cut the dates in an effort to maintain purse levels in the face of declining subsidies from casinos.

The racing commission has said racetracks must first apply for the statutory minimums to comply with the law, but the tracks can come back to the commission for cuts as long as they have agreements with horsemen and unions representing racetrack workers.