PLAINVILLE— Harness racing continues to grow at Plainridge Park Casino since the park added slot machines, the state Gaming Commission was told Thursday.
Steve O’Toole, director of racing at Plainridge, outlined for the commission increases in racing days, purses, and betting in his regular annual briefing to the board.
He said purses, or the amount paid to horse owners, has gone from a daily average of $32,700 in 2014, to $58,800 last year. Purses are expected to reach $59,200 this year when racing resumes on April 10.
The handle, or amount bet, has more than doubled on live races from $7.5 million, or $94,000 per day, in 2014, to $18 million, or $156,000 per day, in 2016. Another $35 million was bet on races televised from tracks across the country.
The number of racing days has also increased from 80 in 2014 to 125 this year.
O’Toole said 125 racing days is the most in the history of the track.
Track officials have attributed the boom to revenue from slot machines providing higher purses, which in turn attracts more horses and a higher quality of horses.
The number of horsemen and women operating at Plainridge went from 406 in 2015 to 566 last year.
“The outlook is good. It’s all positive stuff,” O’Toole said later.
He also told the commission there have been a number of major renovations aimed at improving the facilities at the Route 1 track, including upgrading the paddock, barn, seating and video screen.
Plainridge was a struggling harness horse track threatening to close when Penn National Gaming got a slot machine license and bought the facility.
A casino at the park opened in June of 2015 with 1,250 slot machines. Nine percent of the slots revenue goes into a racing fund to support purses at tracks, with Plainridge currently being the only full-time track in the state.
Plainridge has scheduled the richest harness race in state history for July 28 when it will hold the $250,000 inaugural Spirit of Massachusetts Trot with some of the top horses in the country.
By Jim Hand