Pompano Park has announced that out of competition testing for standardbreds will be implemented next week
in South Florida.
"The Isle, with the assistance of Dr. Richard Sams and the testing labs in Gainesville, Florida, will begin out of competition testing next week," Pompano Park's Director of Racing Operations, John Yinger, was quoted as saying via press release. "We feel this is a great step to ensure a level playing field for everyone. It reinforces our commitment to harness racing, and to the integrity of racing, for the longer term future, too"
Yinger added, "This, I believe, will be well received here by our horsepeople and patrons alike, as it previously was in jurisdictions such as New Jersey and Delaware."
First-race post time on Friday, February 26 is 7:05 p.m. EST. In addition to the $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open Open Handicap Pace, Friday's card will also see a Mares Open Handicap-2 Pace and Mares Open Handicap-3 Pace turn to the gate for purses of $10,000 and $7,000, respectively.
Purse Increases Coming, Also
Starting with Pompano's Friday, February 26 program, increases to the purse structure affecting almost all classes of races will be in effect at Pompano Park.
"This is our final purse increase for the 2009-2010 meet through to May 22," Yinger explained. "We are really pleased to implement this and it reflects the positive handle trend continuing which we first started to notice at the end of December. Certainly, a component of that is the encouraging recent upswings we're seeing for live on-track handle and attendance. Our move to Saturday evening twin programs, with increased interaction for our on-track fans in handicapping contests and the like is really being well received."
The most noticeable increase on the February 26 program is found in the third race, the Fillies and Mares Open Handicap Pace for a purse of $15,000. That's an increase of over 15% from the previous purse of $13,000 for the top weekly distaff class in South Florida. A duplicate increase is in store on Saturday evening when the Open Handicap Trot turns to the gate for a $15,000 purse.
In addition to the purse hikes for the top classes, purse increases of about 9% or more have gone into effect for conditioned and claiming races. Events for $4,000 claimers on both gaits which previously went for $3,500 purses will now be contested for $3,800. Events for $6,000 claimers which previously went for a $4,000 purse will now turn to the gate with $4,400 on the line. Similar percentage increases are also going into effect for almost all conditioned races offered at the track.
(With files from Pompano Park)