Churchill will buy, rebuild Turfway

[Alydar]

The problem the way I see it is that Churchill is now a casino operator first and aside form the Derby horse racing is a secondary concern at best. I can't blame them, they are a publicly owned company that needs to show its shareholders as good a return as possible. As anybody who follows the industry knows, there are better investments out there than a horse racing track. Just ask Frank Stronach. What some tracks can offer is a gateway to other gaming, which clearly what is going on here. Bottom line is, what is good for Churchill is not necessarily good for horse racing.

The Turfway purchase is all about historical racing and the revenue derived from the Cincinnati market. Will the track benefit from it? In the short term yes, long term I am doubtful. Just look at Calder, Hollywood and now Arlington. As gaming laws become more permissible, it is likely that Turfway as a racing venue may be just a found memory.