Grants Pass Downs Concludes 2020 with Record-Breaking Fall Meet
Boasting record wagering and bigger fields, the track continues to see interest in racing locally, regionally, and nationally
GRANTS PASS, Ore., Nov. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Grants Pass Downs, Oregon's premier horse racing track, capped its 2020 fall commercial meet on November 10 with a banner final week that saw more than $1.3 million wagered, including a record-shattering $868,632 on closing day. The meet, which featured 16 race dates and 144 races, boasted a daily average of $67,086 in purses and an average field size of 8.03 starters per race. It was Grants Pass Downs' most successful commercial meet yet, with a total handle exceeding $6 million – a new record for the track.
Spotlighting several prominent races including the Grants Pass Mile, the Luckii Sprint Series, the Far West Quarter Horse Futurity, and the Autumn Quarter Horse Derby, the meet broke all major track records in spite of COVID restrictions limiting the number of spectators.
The meet's leading jockey was Joree Scriver (21 wins in 82 starts), followed by Jose A. Figueroa (17 wins in 116 starts). Quinn Howey took top honors as the meet's leading trainer (12 wins in 46 starts) and owner (5 wins and 5 second place finishes).
"The success of this fall meet is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff, our strong partnerships with the Oregon Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association, Oregon Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders Association, Oregon Quarter Horse Racing Association, the Oregon Racing Commission and the dozens of horsemen and women who participated," said Randy Evers, president of Grants Pass Downs. "We are ecstatic about the record-breaking numbers from our fall meet, breaking almost every metric we keep including a 386% increase in average race day wagers from our 2019 fall meet. We are focused on making further improvements to our facilities and investments in our communities. Our focus remains on building a safe and sustainable racing program to ensure Grants Pass Downs is here for years to come. Thank you all for an incredible season of racing and we are looking forward to starting back up in the spring of 2021.'"
Grants Pass Downs' 2021 racing schedule is still being determined and evaluated in response to local and national conditions surrounding the pandemic. Fans can find the latest details on 2021 race dates, training schedules, terms, and information about fees and regulations, at https://gpdowns.com/.
ABOUT GRANTS PASS DOWNS
Located at the Josephine County Fairgrounds, Grants Pass Downs has hosted live pari-mutuel horse racing since 1968 and is now home to the largest race meet in the state of Oregon. More information about Grants Pass Downs can be found at www.gpdowns.com.
Media Contact:
Pete Johnson, FINN Partners
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(503) 546-7880
SOURCE Grants Pass Downs
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