Scarborough Downs' opening day condition sheet will show a 20% purse cut when it is published within the next couple of weeks. The track issued the following press release this afternoon.

To The Horsemen and Women of Maine:

Financial reports from Hollywood Slots have shown a sharp decline in play at the Racino during the months of January and February this year. This combined with the fact that Scarborough Downs paid out all but $47,000 of the purse money available for 2010 translates to a decrease in the amount of money available to fund the purse account this season at The Downs.

A purse structure has been established to open the season which reflects roughly a 20% decrease from last season’s structure. Purses have been reduced across the board with the bottom purse set at $1800 and the top purse offered at $5400. The number of race days and dashes remain untouched. To keep purse cuts to this level, Scarborough Downs has decided to call off the 2011 editions of the Joseph Ricci Memorial and the Mid-Summer Classic in order to put all available resources toward overnight purses.

We will continue to monitor Racino figures in hopes that the purse structure can be improved as the season progresses.

News of this nature is neither easy to give nor to receive but it is always best to be upfront and honest. We will keep you posted (hopefully with good reports) in the coming months.

 Scarborough horsemen did not feel the luck of the Irish today as a memo was handed out earlier today to horsemen stabled at the Downs. It stated that for the first time in many years, Scarborough Downs will be charging stall rent to those horsemen stabled at the seaside oval.