Door still open for horse racing
Flathead County has not completely ruled out horse racing at the fairgrounds, but the mantra remains: Show me the money.
“We’re not against horse racing, but it’s got to be feasible,” Interim Fair Manager Ted Dykstra Jr. said. “If it were even close to breaking even we’d be doing it.”
Flathead County gave up horse racing at the Northwest Montana Fair in 2006, citing a loss of $10,000 per day of racing. The decision followed similar actions by other counties that could no longer afford to subsidize the popular sport.
Now that Missoula County has rekindled horse racing with a recent lease agreement with Montana Entertainment, there’s speculation the revival could benefit other fairs.
Ryan Sherman, executive director for the Montana Board of Horse Racing, said there hasn’t been any racing available in Western Montana since the Missoula and Kalispell races were abandoned, and that Missoula’s rekindled program could be the first step in reviving the circuit.
Sherman said he has had conversations through the years with Jay Scott when he was fair manager about the possibility of restarting racing here, and Sherman believes there’s an opportunity to do just that.
Eric Spector, president and chief executive officer of Montana Entertainment, said he wants to meet with Flathead County officials in advance of the 2010 fair and work out a lease agreement for horse racing here.
“There’s not enough money for purses this year, and we would want to get the track up to speed,” Spector said.
His company, which operates under the brand Montana Downs, owns and operates race tracks around the country. In Montana the company does live racing and is the exclusive operator for all off-track betting. A percentage of the off-track betting feeds the purses for live races, Spector said.
Montana historically had a healthy racing circuit that was a good economic boost for counties that hosted horse racing.
“Part of our mandate with the state of Montana, as a licensee for off-track betting, is to resurrect live racing,” Spector said. “Horse racing is an entertainment attraction, with a historic base and a fan base. If we could have racing back again” in the Flathead, it would generate more revenue in gate admission and food concessions.
Dykstra, who also serves on the Flathead County Fair Board, said the board remains open to further discussion about racing and proposals that would take the financial burden off the county. Jockey insurance, payments for race officials and the race purses themselves essentially were subsidized by property taxes and other events in years past.
“Our agenda is not to shut down racing,” Dykstra said. “I’m excited to open dialogue.”
Leasing the racetrack could be an option, he added.
“It’s a rental facility as much as the Expo Building or Trade Center,” he said.
In fact, the track at the Flathead County Fairgrounds could see more activity than ever this year. It’s the only track in the region available for training race horses on a year-round basis, Scott told the county commissioners just days before the Fair Board opted to not renew his contract.
“Kalispell will be the only track to train on, and we could have over 100 horses training here,” Scott said. “It would be a good revenue source.”
The All Breed Turf Club, which rents stables at the Kalispell fairgrounds, has continued to push for continued horse racing ever since the commissioners agreed to shut it down in late 2005.
“We’ve made a stand at just about every Fair Board meeting,” Turf Club Treasurer Ron Thibert said. “And I’ll keep doing it until three days after I die.”
Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com