By Liane Crossley
KyForward correspondent
In some ways, nothing has changed at Cincinnati’s Thoroughbred racetrack. In other ways, everything has changed.
Now called Belterra Park, the reincarnation of historic River Downs opened in May as a racino—a hybrid facility blending horse racing with casino gambling. The casino portion currently offers video lottery terminals, which are similar to slot machines and are known better as a VLTs.
The original River Downs grandstand and barns were demolished to make way for new structures. The revamped product includes an open-air grandstand and a grassy area where families view the races while their children enjoy a close look at the horses.
“The racing component of Belterra Park has been well thought out and has been integrated into the overall design of the property,” said Kevin Kaufman, Belterra Park’s vice president and general manager. “The views to watch our Thoroughbred racing are truly amazing.”
While the buildings are brand new, the racing is much the same.
The final season conducted under the River Downs banner was held in 2012 with trainer Joe Woodard and jockey Perry Ouzts accounting for the most wins in their divisions. In the new era, those two not surprisingly still lead their categories as Belterra Park meanders to its Oct. 19 closing day. Many other names that appeared in that final season at River Downs are prominent at Belterra Park.
The similarity on the trainers list was somewhat by design because track management gave stabling preference to horsemen with steady participation in previous years. The barn area has about 1,000 stalls for horses that remain on the premises and for horses that ship in to race and leave within 24 hours.
Additional stables might be competing at the track next year according to Dave Basler, executive director of the Ohio Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, the longtime organization representing participants on countless issues. One future lure is the return of grass racing, an option unavailable in 2014 while the new course develops a strong root system. Another incentive is generous prize money reaped from casino revenue that might be larger in 2015.
Even if purses remain at their current level, horses still will be racing for more than in years past. On a typical eight-race program, prize money ranges from $7,000 to $14,000 per race. Winners receive 60 percent of the package while all other runners receive a portion based on a sliding scale.
“Right now we are at $78,000 a day,” Basler said. “When we were last running at River Downs two years ago, it was approximately $45,000 a day.”
Purse money is generated from revenue produced from bets on horse racing and a portion of the casino wagering. Prizes are directly proportional to betting—the more money that is wagered, the bigger the purses.
Statistics from The Jockey Club indicate that members of the Ohio Thoroughbred industry are optimistic that the addition of casinos will enhance the state’s breeding and racing programs that offer bonuses to Ohio-born horses. There were 217 Thoroughbreds born in the Buckeye State in 2012 after three consecutive years with crops of less that 200.
New and old
When doing business as River Downs, the track was focused on Thoroughbred racing with a touch of country charm. Belterra Park is an integration of live racing and an entertainment facility that includes casual and fine dining, VIP lounge and simulcast wagering on out-of-state tracks.
Racegoers often gravitate to the casino side and Belterra management strives for the reverse effect to interest VLT players in Thoroughbreds.
“We continue to see many new guests who are interested in learning more about horse racing,” Kaufman said. “To assist with the learning curve that is often associated with understanding our betting and wagering options, we offer free monthly seminars to help educate guests about the sport. These seminars feature speakers from various aspects of horse racing and teach guests important information about wagering.”
During the inaugural season, there have been many reminders of the past. Perhaps most notably is the presence of leading jockey Ouzts, a River Downs mainstay who won the first-ever Belterra Park race. At age 60, he continues to add to his win totals that place him among the top 20 jockeys of all time in North America. Among active jockeys, Ouzts is ranked fourth. (See KyForward profile of Ouzts here.)
Another reminder of bygones days occurred on opening day when legendary jockey Steve Cauthen greeted Ouzts—his former rival—in the winner’s circle. Cauthen, best known for winning the 1978 Triple Crown on Affirmed, launched his Hall of Fame career at River Downs.
Cauthen was not the only well-known name to spend time at River Downs since its 1925 beginning. The first horse to ceremoniously gallop past the finish line was Black Gold, winner of the Kentucky Derby the previous year. Through the decades famous horses competed there, including the legendary Seabiscuit (twice) in 1936 and Spend a Buck, who won the Cradle Stakes in 1984 as a springboard to Kentucky Derby victory the next year.
Trainers who rose to prominence after honing their skills at River Downs include Ken McPeek and Larry Jones, who later had horses finish second in the Kentucky Derby.
“We respect and honor the tradition of River Downs,” Kaufman said. “However, we remain focused on building upon our position as the best integrated racing and entertainment facility in the region.”
Liane Crossley is a Lexington-based freelance writer.