FQHRA CLARIFIES HIALEAH PARK CONDITION BOOK QUESTIONS

November 6, 2009 - Florida Quarter Horse Racing Association President Steve Fisch, D.V.M., yesterday clarified concerns regarding the condition book and payment of purses at the upcoming Hialeah Park meet in Florida, which opens November 28.

"The condition book as it reads on the Hialeah website is based on what horses are anticipated to come to this first meet," Fisch said in a released statement. "The exact condition book will be written to best match the horses that are actually on the grounds when the meet begins. This is a new meet with no history so it is obviously more difficult for the racing secretary to predict the exact conditions for each race. It is in the best interest of Hialeah and the horsemen to fill the races, so the races will be written to get maximum use of the horses that come to the meet.

"The purse structure is a based on a contract that guarantees $4 million will be deposited by Hialeah into the horsemen’s bookkeeper account with an average of $400,000 per week for ten weeks," he continued. "The numbers may not hit precisely each week but it is a guarantee to the horsemen that by the end of the ten week meet that $4 million will have been paid into the account. This does not include the stakes race payments paid into the account by the horsemen. It is also guaranteed that there will be eight Quarter Horse races per day and four days of racing each week for ten weeks.

"FQHRA and Hialeah have a written signed agreement guaranteeing the purses," he said. "Both groups are working hard to make sure this is the beginning of a great tradition of Quarter Horse racing in Florida. FQHRA appreciates everyone working together to make this meet a success. It is my hope and belief that after February 2, 2010, rolls around that everyone that attends the meet will leave eagerly anticipating the next meet at Hialeah in the fall of 2010."