With an overall all-sources handle of $27,313,164, Hollywood Dayton Raceway enjoyed its best season ever. The 2021 figure at the recently-concluded 70-day meet represented a 14.6 per cent increase over the 2020 number.
The southwest Ohio track broke its all time daily handle record on December 23 when $850,522 was wagered on the Hollywood Dayton program. Six of the top 12 handles in the eight-year history at Dayton were recorded in 2021.
“We had a really excellent meet,” said Jason Bluhm, Director of Racing. “We made some changes prior to the meet and they all seemed to help.”
Major changes included sending the simulcast signal in High Definition (HD), which lead to regularly being on TVG, which in turn allowed new viewers to get introduced to the Dayton product.
Additionally, the track moved to a new regular post time with a new betting format. The 4 p.m. post time allowed horsepeople to finish their morning barn duties before heading to the track, and put the simulcast of the races in an opportune position with less competition.
Hollywood Dayton followed the lead of its Ohio summer racing partner by adding 100 per cent carryover provisions to many of its popular exotic wagers, which was received well by the patrons.
The racetrack itself was in top shape the entire season under the supervision of new Track Superintendent Jimmy Shelton. A total of nine new track records were set and two others tied, attesting to the fine job done by the entire track crew.
“Brisk VLT business in our Hollywood Casino contributed to the highest purse structure in our eight-year history,” explained Bluhm. “All in all, we couldn’t have asked for much more!”
Racing will resume at Hollywood Dayton on the day after the Little Brown Jug in Delaware in September. The highlight of the 2022 meet will undoubtedly be on Saturday, Oct. 2, when the track will host Ohio Super Night for the first time in its history. In addition to showcasing the eight $300,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championships, the track will present four $250,000 Dayton Derbies, one for each sex and gait, which are now included in the lucrative TVG series hosted by the Meadowlands. These races annually attract the finest older harness horses in North America to Hollywood Dayton.
(With files from Dayton)