Two More Horse Barns Completed at Presque Isle Downs
By: Lou Baxter
Updated: January 5, 2013
January 4, 2013 - Presque Isle Downs & Casino
announced that two more state-of-the-art barns have been completed that consist
of 48 stalls apiece. The 1.3 million dollar project gives the facility a total
of 764 stalls including a 48 stall receiving barn and a 24 stall stakes
barn.
This new addition will potentially allow races to run with larger
fields of horses. In 2010 race fields averaged 7.95 per race... in 2011 that
number rose to 8. With the two additional barns that were in place for the 2012
live meet that number rose to 8.2. Property officials are hopeful the fields
will grow even larger this year - though quality not quantity is the bigger
concern.
"With the addition of two more barns we will be able to
accommodate more horses," said Mike Tamburelli, Presque Isle Downs & Casino
VP and General Manager. "We hope the fields will be larger but more importantly
to us is that we will continue to attract national-level
competition."
Currently the venue's premiere race is the Grade II Masters
Stakes. "Our races have featured horses that have gone on to win Breeder's Cup
races, such as Groupie Doll, Musical Romance, Informed Decision and Dubai
Majesty. Gayego, who won the 2010 Presque Isle Mile and Noble's Promise, winner
of the 2009 Fitz Dixon Memorial Stakes here both ran the Kentucky Derby in their
3-year-old season," says Presque Isle Downs & Casino Racing Director Debbie
Howells.
Wise Dan who won the 2011 Presque Isle Mile has been mentioned as a nominee for an Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year and Male Turf Horse of the Year. Both Groupie Doll and Musical Romance are nominees for Female Sprinter of the Year.
"In a very short span we
have gone from an ungraded race to Grade II, which is remarkable," said
Tamburelli. "Our live racing product becomes better every year."
For more
information about the upcoming horse race meet please visit
www.casinoinerie.com
