Emerald Downs reports steady attendance, higher purses per starter but shrinking field sizes

A representative from Emerald Downs (identified in the meeting as Phil) gave the commission a season recap, saying attendance remained solid and that purses per starter rose about 20% in 2026. "Over 3,200 people a day show up for racing in Emerald Downs," he said, citing average daily attendance figures and noting the track saw very good weather and competitive closing-weekend cards.

Phil told commissioners the meet ran 395 races with 2,516 starters in 2026 compared with 418 races and 3,074 starters in 2025, and he identified field size as the biggest operational challenge. "One of the biggest challenges is 61% of our races had a field size of 6 or less," he said, adding that the commission and track will explore options, including adding 0.25- and 0.5-horse race formats, to attract more entries. The representative said those shorter formats performed well at other venues and could be trialed to boost the overall product and field sizes.

Commissioners asked whether canceling some Friday cards improved weekend field sizes; Emerald Downs staff said removing some Fridays helped avoid canceling days outright and allowed better cards on remaining days. The track said it will analyze the data and return with recommendations ahead of next season.