Miami Valley Raceway has announced that it will kick off its second season of live racing on the evening of Friday, January 2 with improved purses, paddock and grandstand improvements, and a longer season spiced up with numerous late-closing series intended to make the action even more exciting for both horsepeople and fans.

The live racing calendar calls for 89 programs from January 2 through May 3 in 2015, up from 65 race cards in 2014. Average nightly purse distribution will be approximately $90,000 for the first month of the upcoming season, a considerable increase over the $60,000 in average nightly purses in 2014.

The massive paddock at Miami Valley has been fully insulated and overhead gas heating units have been placed throughout the building. Bath stalls have been improved, including the addition of several huge hot water tanks; and seven additional television monitors have been placed throughout the paddock.

Ten new late closers, dubbed the 'Winter Claim To Fame Series,’ have been unveiled for the month of January. There are four claiming levels offered for pacers, divided by sex, as well as two for trotters. Base claiming levels for the pacing series are $5,000, $8,000, $12,500 and $20,000. The two trotting series are limited to the $5,000 and $8,000 claiming levels. Horses making their initial series start will carry the advertised base claiming price (plus standard allowances), while horses making their second start in the second week of each three-week series will get a ten per cent claiming price premium. There will be no claiming in the finals, which will carry the following estimated purses: $5,000 level-$10,000 final; $8,000 level-$15,000 final; $12,500 level-$20,000 final; and $20,000 level-$25,000 final. Finals purses will be guaranteed if a minimum of 18 nominations are received and increased if more than 25 are nominated to any given series.

Additional late closer series will be announced soon for owners of conditioned horses of both gaits to consider in February. Green horses with less than six pari-mutuel wins will be featured in a variety of March and early April late closers.

Entry ‘blanks’ for the January Winter Claim To Fame Series are now available at: miamivalleygaming.com under the ‘Racing/Horsemens Info’ tabs.

(Miami Valley)