by Frank Angst

Horsemen hope to persuade Mountaineer Race Track officials to not eliminate year-round racing at the track in West Virginia’s northern panhandle.

Mountaineer would not conduct racing in January and February, which would begin a proposed schedule in which the track would be dark from November through February each year. Mountaineer officials told the West Virginia Racing Commission that it would maintain its 210 dates a year by moving to six-day weeks in the eight months it offers racing.

Track officials and horsemen met to discuss the proposal on October 31 and another meeting has been scheduled for November 10. The commission plans to consider the change at its December 7 meeting.

Mountaineer Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association Executive Director Maria Catignani said year-round racing has been a selling point for many of the horsemen who support Mountaineer.

“They like it because they can live here in the community and raise a family,” Catignani said. “This plan could really break up families and force horsemen to make some tough decisions. They’ll have to find somewhere to make a living during those months.”

Catignani added that the area is economically depressed and cutting out racing for four months will hurt local businesses.

Horsemen also believe it will be difficult to fill fields six days a week in the summer.

“They’re concerned that they’ll have to bring their horses back on short rest,” Catignani said. “Also, you have a lot of area tracks running that time of year and we think that competition will make it difficult to fill fields.”

Catignani hopes the two sides can work out a plan that is agreeable to both parties.

Frank Angst is senior writer for Thoroughbred Times