While the grandstands are still empty at Fairmount Park, horses, with riders mounted, gallop around the dirt track, which is muddy from the previous night’s rain.

 

There are about 475 horses that train at any one time at the racetrack as they get ready for the 2019 season that starts on April 16. By opening day, 600 to 700 horses will be registered at the racetrack before reaching the 900-horse capacity, said Brian Zander, president of Fairmount Park.

 

“We should have a total of about 41 racing days, and those should be enough horses for that and we’re actually looking forward to a really good year,” Zander said. The season runs through Sept. 14.

 

But as in previous years, the racetrack is continuing to ask the legislature for an additional revenue source to help fund purses and attract more horses to the track. Even though that revenue source, which has remained out of reach, has been video gaming or slot machines, there is a new potential source that may be on the horizon: sports gambling.

 

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