And they're off! Horse racing starts Monday at Presque Isle Downs. What's new this year?
There are two legs left in the Triple Crown of horse racing, but Erie's racing fans will be able to watch thoroughbreds rounding the Presque Isle Downs & Casino track live starting Monday.
The 80-race meet runs May 15 through Oct. 19 with thoroughbred racing set weekly on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays through Aug. 2 at the track, 8199 Perry Highway. Racing shifts to four days a week, Mondays through Thursdays, from Aug. 7-Oct. 19.
Races are scheduled to start at 3 p.m. and end by 7 p.m. on each date.
What changes are in place this year?
The number of race dates and the post times have been altered this season.
Matt Ennis, the Downs' senior director of operations, said PID plans to host 80 days of live racing, down from an initial schedule of 100 at the start of last year. The 2022 schedule was downsized over last summer.
Also this year, post times were moved to later starts, 3 p.m. instead of last year's post times of 1:30 p.m. Races in some previous years started at 4:45 p.m.
"Post time changes are adjusted to strategically attempt to capture the most export wagering activity possible," Ennis said in an email. "Also, we are compressing to 80 race days to keep average purses paid to PID horsemen competitive with past race seasons."
Last season in review: Presque Isle Downs & Casino earns more racing revenue in 2022 despite fewer horses
Higher horse counts expected
Last season, the Summit Township track, and many others throughout the country, dealt with a lack of available horses. The Downs dropped 10 race days because of thoroughbred population and rising fuel costs. The average number of horses in each race dropped from 7.2 to 6.6 compared to the previous year.
Ennis doesn't anticipate that being as big of an issue this year.
"We have seen an increase in interest on our backside this season and hope this lends to fuller fields which parallel to a more appealing product to the wagering public," he said in an email response.
2022 finale: Presque Isle Downs & Casino cancels last day of horse racing after 'safety concern'
How much was bet last year?
The track earned $60,733,883 in off-track betting and $1,251,840 in live in-person betting for the 2022 season, according to Ennis. During all of 2021, the track had $39.7 million in off-track wagering and $1.4 million in person.
When are the stakes races?
Presque Isle Downs has 15 stakes races scheduled this year. Here is a look at the races with distances and guaranteed purses:
June 5: The Tom Ridge Stakes, 3-year olds, 6 furlongs, $80,000
July 3: The Karl Boyes Stakes, 3-year olds and up, 6 furlongs, $80,000
July 17: The Malvern Rose Stakes (registered Pennsylvania breeds), 3-year-old fillies, 6½ furlongs, $100,000
July 24: The Princess of Sylmar Stakes (registered Pennsylvania breeds), 3 years old and up fillies and mares, 1 mile and 70 yards, $100,000
July 25: The Hard Spun Stakes (registered Pennsylvania breeds), 3 years old and upward, 1 mile and 70 yards, $100,000
Aug. 7: The Lady Erie Stakes, 3-year-old fillies, 6 furlongs, $80,000
Aug. 14: The Satin And Lace Stakes, 3-year-old-and-up fillies and mares, 6 furlongs, $80,000
Aug. 21: The Avery Whisman Memorial Stakes (formerly The Peach Street Stakes), 3 years old and upward, 1 mile and 70 yards, $80,000
Sept. 18: The Presque Isle Mile ‒ Listed, 3 years old and upward, 1-1/16th mile, $150,000
Sept. 18: The Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes – Grade II, 3-year-old-and-up fillies and mares, 6½ furlongs, $300,000
Sept. 25: The Presque Isle Debutante Stakes, 2-year-old fillies, 6½ furlongs, $80,000
Sept. 26: The Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile Stakes, 2-year olds, 6½ furlongs, $80,000
Oct. 16: The Finest City Stakes (registered Pennsylvania breeds), 2-year-old fillies, 6 furlongs, $100,000
Oct. 17: The Mark McDermott Stakes (registered Pennsylvania breeds), 2-year olds, 6 furlongs, $100,000
Oct. 18: The H.B.P.A. Stakes, 3-year-old-and-up fillies and mares, 1 mile and 70 yards, $80,000
Last year: $400,000 Presque Isle Masters, 3 other stakes races set for Presque Isle Downs
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Thoroughbred racing season starts Monday at Erie's Presque Isle Downs
