2/19/2010 6:00:00 AM
Horses put out to pasture in Kingman
Annual races cancelled for now
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JC AMBERLYN/Miner
Jaybob (ridden by Daniel Gutierrez, on left) and Cinco Pesos (ridden by Lavar Mower) race neck and neck toward the finish line at last year's 43rd Annual Hualapai Downs event at the Mohave County Fairgrounds.
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KINGMAN - The economy has claimed another victim. This time, it's what would have been the 44th Annual Hualapai Downs horse racing at the Mohave County Fairgrounds.
Fairgrounds manager Errol Pherigo said the event, which normally runs for two consecutive weekends in the spring, was scaled back to just one weekend last year because of reduced funding and lost $1,700, whereas the previous 42 years the races had turned a profit.
Pherigo learned recently that state funding to the Arizona Department of Racing had been pulled because of the budget crisis. In addition, the general state of the economy is hitting horse owners and preventing them from traveling to races, he said.
"When I first got here (around 30 years ago), the races rivaled the county fair, but every year, the attendance has gotten smaller," he said.
Hualapai Downs has always had to contend with Laughlin for gambler's dollars, but the increase of Indian gaming in Arizona has also cut into racing bets. "It's all betting money, whether you're putting it in the slot machine or betting on horses," he said.
The hard times on the track aren't only affecting Mohave County. Coconino County dropped out of its racing season last year, and tracks on the racing circuit in other counties are evaluating the feasibility of continuing the events.
Pherigo said that he would like to see the event return to the Fairgrounds but that will be harder as other tracks on the circuit drop out. He is looking at filling this year's schedule with motorized events, such as truck pulls or monster truck shows.
"I'm really hoping that we haven't seen the last of horse racing here," he said.
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Posted: Saturday, April 24, 2010
Article comment by:
Marty Haugland
I live in Henderson, NV and have attended the races the past six years. Each year we would have agroup of five or six make the trip on Preakness Saturday. I hope it resumes next year.
Posted: Monday, February 22, 2010
Article comment by:
Y'dnar .
There were tons of people last year. They charged for admission, they charged for the cheap convoluted programs/race schedules, they charged for beverages and food and I lost plenty of money on the bets I placed. From the sounds of it, so did many others'. Yet they somehow lost money?
And the notion that a one or two weekend horse racing display is in competition with casinos is ridiculous! If it were a year long event I might agree but this was a novelty.
As with everything else, this was mismanaged and they're going to blame it on the economy...plain and simple!
Posted: Saturday, February 20, 2010
Article comment by:
No name provided
Have you seen some of the people running these things. Holy cow - dont they do background checks on these people.
Wonder where all the money really goes and how much better these events could be if they were run by honest people!
Posted: Saturday, February 20, 2010
Article comment by:
Hellzyeah!
How about a demolition derby?
Posted: Saturday, February 20, 2010
Article comment by:
No name provided
"monster truck shows"
What's next.....dwarf tossing?
Posted: Friday, February 19, 2010
Article comment by:
Pete
From what I have seen on the fairgrounds, This whole area is a great waste. Other grounds have moved for-ward this area is could be used wisely and made productive,$$ but unless some great changes are made this will not happen.I know its not the area. In hard encomic times the events usually bring in large crowds and great revenue.Not canceling them, but changing with the times,Maybe its time to make some changes, I have been to too many grounds like these that go to waste because they are not being made usefull to the community and the county as a whole.This area should be a show place not the run down place it has become.Racing, well yes all things do come to an end.But look past what is going out and what needs to come in as new.Make the area and the events.They Will Come.This area should support its self if ran right with a profit.
Posted: Friday, February 19, 2010
Article comment by:
Taxed Enough Already
You're breakin' my heart. The sport of kings has been affected by the economy. And, oh yes, state funding (taxpayer dollars) was cut from the Arizona Department of Racing. Maybe the state could balance the budget if some of the other frivolous expenditures were cut.
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