Wagering, Purses Up at Mountaineer Meet
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Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort concluded its 201-day 2013 meet with a 3.2% increase in all-sources wagering and a 9% increase in purses.
According to the track, wagering on the meet that began March 1 and conclude Dec. 29 totaled $247.96 million, with purse distribution of $26,465,500. Purses totaled $24,273,900 in 2012 at the Chester, W.Va., track, which said in a release that 92.4% of purses this year went to overnight races, with stakes purses totaling $2,015,000.
The Jockey Club Information Systems statistics show the 15,829 starts for the 1,952 races contested this year resulted in an average 8.11 starters per race, compared with a 7.83 figure last year when there were 15,652 starts in 1,998 during a meet that also totaled 210 races.
"For a small track in West Virginia's northern panhandle, we generate some numbers," Rose Mary Williams, director of racing at Mountaineer, said in a release.
Deshawn Parker won his sixth consecutive riding title with 208 trips to the winner's circle, followed by Christian Pilares' 183. Bart Baird was leading trainer with 47 wins, followed by Jeffrey Radosevich with 39.
Mountaineer again will offer 210 race cards in 2014, with a change in its weekly schedule by adding Wednesday nights in place of Friday nights, for a Saturday-Wednesday format.
The track's featured West Virginia Derby (gr. II) will top an all-stakes card Aug. 2 in the only afternoon racing on the calendar.