Fair Grounds Ordered to Restore Purse Funds
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The Louisiana Racing Commission Oct. 21 ordered Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots to restore $2.7 million in purse supplements from video poker revenue for the upcoming Thoroughbred meet.
The New Orleans track announced on Oct. 24 revised purse projections for the 2014/15 Thoroughbred meet to include the purse supplements that were being withheld due to a pending lawsuit filed by Louisiana Quarter Horse owners. On Oct. 21, the Louisiana regulators ordered the track, which is owned by Churchill Downs Inc., to include the video poker funds for purses for the Thoroughbred meet, which starts Nov. 21 and runs through March 28.
Overnight purses are now expected to average approximately $210,000 per day, while stakes purses will total $5.5 million.
In the lawsuit, the Quarter Horse owners claimed video poker funds traditionally distributed during the Thoroughbred meet should go to purses for the Quarter Horse meet. Fair Grounds strongly opposes the Quarter Horse owners' lawsuit and their attempt to shift the video poker purse funds from the Thoroughbred meet.