Mountaineer Continues to Feel Purse Pinch

Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort will be in the spotlight Aug. 6 with its $1.65 million all-stakes program featuring the $750,000 West Virginia Derby (gr. II). But on a day-to-day basis, the track continues to struggle in a difficult economic environment.

Through 77 racing programs this year, purses are averaging $83,643, the lowest figure in about two decades, with average field size of 7.18. Last year, over 160 racing cards, Mountaineer averaged $98,381 in purses per day with an average of 7.05 horses per race, according to The Jockey Club Information Systems.

In 2013, the last year Mountaineer raced 210 programs—the minimum for which it must apply by statute—purses averaged $126,022 a night with average field size of 8.11. In conjunction with the Mountaineer Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, management in 2014 began requesting a reduction in racing dates to maintain purses given a drop in business at its casino and increasing competition for horses from other tracks.

In addition, the West Virginia legislature has repeatedly dipped into video lottery proceeds that pay a large percentage of purses and breeders' incentives at Mountaineer, Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, and the states two dog tracks.

In 2006—just as casinos began operating in neighboring Pennsylvania and about four years before Ohio launched casino gambling—Mountaineer paid $37.61 million in purses over 221 racing programs. That number dropped 58% to $15.74 million last year.