Ky. horse racing fades, boosters yearn for casinos
March 23, 2012FLORENCE, Ky. (AP) - The sport of horse racing is in danger of falling off the pace in its old Kentucky home.
Tracks in other states have parlayed casino gambling into higher purses. But Kentucky lawmakers resist expanded gambling at horse tracks.
Everyone from breeders to railbirds worries that Kentucky's resistance to casino gambling will eventually render the home of American horse racing an also-ran.
Even Churchill Downs has felt the pressure. The home of the Kentucky Derby will have just 39 racing days in its spring session, down from as many as 52 in past years. But Churchill has the Derby to support its racing seasons.
At Turfway Park in northern Kentucky, there's grim talk that without casino gambling money, the winter haven for Kentucky horse racing could become a shopping mall.