Edited Press Release
Calder racing officials have recently announced that they will be charging rental fees for stalls in their off season according to a statement released by the track Friday.
In the past, stall space and training facilities at Calder Casino & Race Course have been provided to thoroughbred owners and trainers for free over the course of the calendar year, including the months when Calder does not conduct live racing. However, as with other racetracks across the country, Calder is faced with a decision to either close its stable area or to apply a stabling fee for those horses training at Calder during its ‘off-season.’
To keep the stable area open and operating with training services when Calder is not running live races, Calder must charge a stabling fee of $10 per stall per day beginning Dec. 1, 2012 and continuing through April 5, 2013. The $10 fee will assist with offsetting a portion of stable area operating costs when there is no live racing.
The horses that use Calder as a training facility when there is no live racing are able to compete at other racetracks, generating revenue for their owners and trainers and those racetracks. Meanwhile, Calder must continue to pay for the operating and maintenance costs associated with keeping its stable area open. Current economics no longer afford the luxury of free stabling and training facilities during the period when there is no opportunity for participants to generate revenues for Calder’s racing program.
While some racetracks close their stable areas at the conclusion of their race meets, there are several thoroughbred circuits around the country that maintain stable areas without stall rental at “dark” tracks. Both Santa Anita and Hollywood Park in Southern California remain open for training in the off season as does Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Calder realizes that it is beneficial to South Florida racing to remain open for stabling and training during the months when there is no live racing.
There are several other training facilities in South Florida that charge stall rentals, but none conduct live racing. Palm Meadows in Boynton Beach charges $15 per day while Palm Beach Downs in Palm Beach charges $10 per day.
Photo by Coady
