Raceway Park concluded its 2009 racing season by bucking the North American trend with significant increases in both on-track attendance and handle during the 76-date harness meet which concluded October 26.

Average daily attendance increased 22 per cent from last year's figures, while live handle increased over 7 per cednt to $43,307 per performance. In addition, Raceway Park is the only track in the state of Ohio that has registered year-over-year gains in total on-site handle.

On-track business was buoyed by an aggressive marketing program, featuring a promotional schedule for almost every live race date, new renovations to the facility and a renewed commitment to guest service. The track's Crazy Horse dining room offered a different themed buffet each night, while the weekly 'Party at the Park' outdoor concert series drew standing-room-only crowds on the track apron.

"We made a commitment this year to a value-based entertainment offering the best possible service to our customers. We had plenty of support and resources from our parent company (Penn National Gaming) in order to achieve those goals. Both our employees and guests responded very positively to the changes," said general manager Bill McLaughlin.

"We understand in these tough economic times that the public has limited discretionary dollars. Our results this year show that we gave our guests the best service and value for their dollar. We want our guests to put Raceway Park at the top of their list when considering their entertainment options in the area," McLaughlin added.

Raceway Park is already planning for its 2009 live race which will feature the 50th anniversary of pari-mutuel wagering at the Toledo track. The 60-date meet will begin April 18 and run through October 11.

(Raceway Park)