AURORA | Arapahoe Park is off to a running start to the 2013 season and the Aurora horse track is planning bigger and better races already.
With wagering up 8.9 percent through roughly half of the 39-day season, the track announced on July 13 that it is adding an extra race each day and increasing purses as of July 19.
“With our big field sizes, we’ve had a nice increase in handle, and this is a way to give back and reward the horsemen,” Arapahoe Park plant manager and racing secretary Bill Powers said in a statement.
“We’ve increased purses and added races each of the last few years, but this is the earliest we’ve increased. We’ve never had field sizes like this.”
Nine races per day were contested for the first 22 days of racing since the season began May 25, but now the Friday, Saturday and Sunday slates will include 10 races. Post time is 1 p.m.
Arapahoe Park is also able to increase the prize money, boosting total purses for an average race day from $93,000 to around $110,000.
For a behind-the-scenes look at the history and characters of the horse track, click here.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
