Canterbury Park ponders solutions to get stables, racing up and running

Canterbury Park has requested approval from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to open stables on May 4th with an eye on potentially starting the 2020 racing season at some point in the coming weeks.

Click the video box to see KSTP Sports’ story on the challenges Canterbury Park faces as they hope to have at least a limited opening for the 2020 season in the coming weeks

If successful, the commissioner of the Department of Agriculture could request an exemption from the Governor’s office that would allow the track’s stabling facilities to open.

The Shakopee racetrack faces several complex questions as it considers what a racing season might look like under the current health crisis.

It’s a certainty the 2020 season would begin with "closed-door racing" without any fans in the stands.

Seven racetracks around American continued running in front of empty stands despite the vast shutdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Closed-door racing is far from ideal at Canterbury due to a relative lack of online and off-site wagering revenue compared to other tracks.

While some larger, higher-profile tracks turn a significant profit from external wagering, the bulk of Canterbury Park’s revenue typically comes from in-person attendance in the form of admission fees, concessions and in-person wagering.

Last year, Canterbury Park averaged around 6,500 fans per opening with crowds as large as 20,000 on peak days.

Closed-door racing also wouldn’t help the majority of the track’s 850 employees return to work.

Hoping to turn a profit without fans is one issue Canterbury faces in re-opening, but there’s additional motivation to do so.

With racing meets set to conclude at southern tracks in the next couple weeks, those facilities will close. Thousands of horses and the associated horsemen, trainers and handlers currently based at the active tracks will need a place to go.

Canterbury Park has room for 1,500 horses each summer along with dorm space for handlers and support staff. Applications for stable space this summer have already exceeded capacity.

Once stables open, handlers and trainers will be required to follow strict CDC guidelines that have been in place at the tracks that have remained open during the pandemic.

Canterbury Park expects to get word any day if they’ll be permitted to open their stables.

At that point, they can begin to target a potential opening day for racing.