Mahoning Valley Ends Meet With Record Handle

Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course ended its inaugural meet Dec. 30 with record total pari-mutuel handle of $1,102,566.

The track, located just west of Youngstown in northeastern Ohio, replaced Beulah Park near Columbus on the Ohio Thoroughbred circuit. Owner Penn National Gaming Inc. moved the Beulah Park license to the Mahoning Valley to build a facility with video lottery terminals.

Mahoning Valley races Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays to capitalize on the simulcast market, and it paid off Dec. 30 when only two other Thoroughbred tracks were racing; Portland Meadows canceled its program. The track also races Saturdays. Eight races per day are carded.

Track officials said total handle for the 21-day meet that began Nov. 24 was $12,909,041 for a daily average of $614,716. On-track wagering on live races was $688,600 for an average of $32,695 per day.

"We are pleased with the response from racing fans both locally and nationwide and with the support we received from the horsemen," said Mark Loewe, vice president of Ohio racing for PNGI. "Mother Nature has been kind to us; we experienced good weather for the majority of the meet, and a total of 12 of the 21 racing days featured a fast track, which enabled us to offer big fields and showcase our exciting and competitive brand of racing."

According to The Jockey Club Information Systems, Mahoning Valley offered 169 races with average field size of 8.57 horses per race. Purses paid for the meet totaled $1,798,120 for an average of $85,625 per program.

Of the total purses, $678,000 was for Ohio-bred races, and another $329,000 in bonuses was paid from the Ohio Thoroughbred Race Fund.

During its final meet from January through early May 2014, Beulah Park paid an average of $34,691 per day in purses and averaged 5.78 horses per race, according to TJCIS.

Mahoning Valley will launch its 2015 meet Jan. 5 with the same four-day-per-week schedule. The meet ends April 25.