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Hoosier Park at Anderson Concludes 2003 Thoroughbred Meet

ANDERSON, Indiana – (Press Release) -- Hoosier Park at Anderson concluded its ninth season of Thoroughbred racing Thursday, Dec. 4. The meet offered 70 days of action, beginning Aug. 29, compared to 68 days of Thoroughbred racing in 2002.

The meet was highlighted by an increase in average daily interstate simulcast wagering, as $1,362,130 was wagered nightly on Hoosier Park's card around the country, an increase of 17.7 percent over the $1,157,230 wagered nightly during the 2002 meet. Average daily on-track wagering fell 12.1 percent as $81,736 was wagered nightly in 2003 compared to $93,003 in 2002. Total wagering for the meet was $102,584,757, as compared with $86,761,283 in 2002. Average daily attendance was 918, which was 5.3 percent below last year's figure of 967.

Average daily purses fell 34.6 percent in 2003, as horsemen raced for an average of $115,982 in 2003 versus $177,390 in 2002. Total purses distributed in 2003 amounted to $8,118,763 a decrease of 32.7 percent from 2002. The drop in purses was the result of splitting state-provided purse monies with a second racetrack in Indiana. An average of 9.1 starters went to the gate in 2003, compared to 9.1 in 2002.

"Just as we saw with our spring Standardbred meet, the establishment of a second racetrack in our market had a negative impact on our purses, attendance and on-track handle," said Hoosier Park President and General Manager Rick Moore. "The strength of our out-of-state simulcasting continues to be a positive reflection of our affiliation with Churchill Downs Incorporated and the Churchill Downs Simulcast Network (CDSN). Without this affiliation, it would be difficult for us to get the type of national exposure we enjoy."

Hoosier Park at Anderson offers Standardbred, Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing and wholecard simulcasting. Hoosier Park's 2004 Standardbred meet will be contested March 20-June 12. The 2004 Thoroughbred meet begins Sept. 2 and will conclude Nov. 21. Hoosier Park, a majority-owned property of Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN), also operates simulcast-wagering facilities in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne and Merrillville, Ind.

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