Tuesday, November 25, 2014AUSTINTOWN, Ohio -- Were you to ask Robert Schmitz three years ago whether horse racing would thrive in the Mahoning Valley, or even throughout Ohio, he'd have given you slim odds.
"Horse racing was at the bottom of the barrel," says the chairman of the Ohio State Racing Commission. "We couldn't have gone any lower than what we were."
However, the passage of legislation approving video lottery terminals, or VLTs, to operate within these racinos proved a turning point for the industry, as evidenced Monday at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course, Schmitz said.
"With the supplement that's provided with the video lottery terminals to increase purses and increase breeding funds, Ohio is on its way back to a place where we were 30 to 35 years ago," he observed.
Hollywood Gaming reintroduced live thoroughbred racing to the Mahoning Valley Monday as hundreds packed the house to watch the first race begin at the mile long oval track at 12:45 p.m. (CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO)
The thoroughbred Baby Time won in a field of 12.
"There was a thoroughbred track operating here 100 years ago," Schmitz said, referring to the Southern Park racetrack that opened in Boardman in 1914. "This area is ripe for the reintroduction for racing.
Representatives from the state racing commission, Hollywood Gaming's operator -- Penn National Gaming Inc., and local officeholders gathered on a warm but very windy day to welcome the return of racing to the region with a ribbon-cutting.
"It's absolutely wonderful," Schmitz said of the track. "It's an economic engine. The breeding business is experiencing a resurgence."
Austintown Township Trustee Jim Davis said he anticipated a large crowd, but was surprised at the even stronger-than-expected turnout. "I knew it was going to be big. I didn't know it would be this big," he said. "You can see by the response in the Mahoning Valley today that this is in their blood. They love to come out and be entertained."
While the area can expect its share of renewed economic benefits such as additional tax revenue, new hotels and restaurants, most don't realize the many jobs created as a result of thoroughbred racing, others say.
"There are a lot of jobs involved with every horse on the backside," said Dave Basler, executive director of the Ohio Division of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association. "You have grooms that take care of each horse. You have exercise riders for each horse as well as the trainer, and the bigger barns' assistant trainer."
There are about 75 trainers on the grounds at the racecourse with more than 900 horses that will be stabled here, he noted.
"Some will live in the region. Some will transfer back and forth," Basler said of the support staff. "You get a lot of benefit to the local economy from the guys who are stabled at the track, in terms housing, and they tend to like to eat out."
Restaurants, laundries, nearby car and truck dealers -- all are likely to see business rise during the racing season, he said.
Many of the horses have raced at Thistledown just southeast of Cleveland, which ended its season last week, Basler said. On average, the field at Mahoning Valley will number about 10 horses per race.
"It's a big economic boost to the community whenever you've got live racing," Basler said. "Our guys by and large spend a lot of time in the local community where we race, and that trickles down to all of the local businesses."
Twenty-one race days are scheduled the reminder of this year and races will run Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesday and Saturdays until Dec. 30. In 2015, the track will host 100 race dates split into two segments. The first will run Jan. 5 through April 25. The second part of the season will run from Oct. 30 through Dec. 29.
The racing season at Hollywood Gaming is coordinated so it doesn't conflict with race days at Thistledown, Basler noted. "You don't want to compete with a track that's 40 minutes away," he explained.
Mark Loewe, vice president of Ohio Racing Operations for Penn National, observed that the large turnout bodes well for the new racino. "We were hoping for a larger turnout, and the community has certainly supported us. We hope it's the first of many days like this."
Patrons began filing in around 10 a.m. in anticipation of the first race. "It's been exciting all morning," Mike Galle, vice president and general manager of Hollywood Gaming, said. "You can just see the air of excitement around the whole facility at this point and time."
Galle reiterated that the venue is a big draw and likely to encourage further economic development in the region. "We're already seeing construction on [state Route] 46,” he said. “We've seen some restaurants pop up in the area too, so it just adds to the excitement in Austintown and we're happy to be a part of it."
Pictured: Thoroughbreds leave the starting gate in the first race at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course.
Copyright 2014 by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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