EKB News

KENTUCKY....
Horse racing officials say it's time for lawmakers to get off their butts in Frankfort and realize the industry is in serious trouble and needs some kind of alternative gambling. A drop of more than 50 percent in gross sales in 2009 from 2006 in its famed horse auctions, betting last spring down 7.8 percent over 2009 while attendance was down 1 percent, has prompted Keeneland to eliminate two stakes and trim others to absorb most of the cuts of a little more than $1 million. The track also cut stakes by $600,000 during the 2009 spring meet and $275,000 last fall. Keeneland management noted its average daily purses will continue to top $500,000 and be among the highest in the country, and many of its stakes retain lucrative purses. Ken Ramsey, who has won multiple owners' titles at Keeneland, says Keeneland still makes enough off the sales that the purses shouldn't have been touched. He says, while they're trying to promote sales, they cut $1 million out of their purses and eliminated two of their graded stakes. Ramsey says, how do they expect anybody to pay a big price for a horse when the potential earning power is being diminished. Trainer Paul McGee blames competition from other states. He says, "The writing is on the wall that it has, in fact, affected Keeneland and Churchill."