Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association
Posted: Oct. 27, 2021
Presque Isle Downs & Casino, located outside of Erie, Pa., completed its 60-day 2021 meet with no catastrophic breakdowns, officials told the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission Oct. 26.
Matt Ennis, Director of Finance and Racing at the Churchill Downs Inc.-owned track, said that statistic was a highlight of what he called a successful meet. Export pari-mutuel handle on the live product was up 9% to about $40 million compared with 2019, live handle was up 2%, and the number of starters per race increased 7% from 2019.
Presque Isle Downs has had a Tapeta racing surface since it opened in 2007.
“There were zero catastrophic breakdowns in racing and training,” said Todd Mostoller, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. “This is a testament to the horsemen, veterinarians, management and the HBPA. I believe it’s the first major meet of considerable length that has accomplished that.”
According to the Equine Injury Database, Presque Isle Downs from 2009 to 2018 registered an average of 0.94 catastrophic injuries in racing per 1,000 starts per year—far below the national average. The figures for 2019 and 2020 are not available through the EID; CDI participates in the database but does not make the numbers public for its racetracks. CDI purchased the track in early 2019.