The Minnesota Racing Commission approved Canterbury Park’s request for dates for the 2012 season. Racing will commence again on Preakness weekend and run through the Labor Day holiday for a total of 62 racing days.
Also up for discussion at last night’s meeting was a reduction of the allowable limit of the painkiller Phenylbutazone (Bute) from 5 micrograms (mcg) per milliliter to 2 mgc. Approval of the lower level would follow the adoption of similar regulations by the California Horse Racing Board this past summer.
Personnel from the new Equine Development Fund were also scheduled to present findings on the benefit of a racino to the state of Minnesota’s racing industry. While this is akin to the reverend preaching to the choir, it is a necessary step in the process.
The following is the text of the press release from Canterbury Park:
Shakopee, MN -- Canterbury Park received approval from the Minnesota Racing Commission on Thursday to conduct a 62-day thoroughbred and quarter horse race meet in 2012. The meet will begin Friday, May 18 and run through Monday, September 3. Thursday and Friday racing will begin at 7:00 p.m. with weekend and holiday racing beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Featured race days in 2012 will include the 19th renewal of the Minnesota Festival of Champions, a day dedicated to the best race horses bred in the state, and the second annual Fillies Race For Hope, a day of races exclusively for fillies and mares that will benefit Hope Chest for Breast Cancer Foundation. Dates for those events will be announced in January along with a complete stakes schedule.
“The 2012 race meet will closely resemble the meet we ran this year, minus the state government shutdown that caused Canterbury and the horse owners, trainers and breeders to lose 20 days of business,” track president Randy Sampson said.
“While the shutdown and loss of revenues had a negative impact on next season’s purses, it is necessary to offer sufficient racing opportunities so that Canterbury continues to attract enough horses to make the meet a success,” Sampson said.
See you in 183 days!
No comments:
Post a Comment