How Sweet Is It!
Sweetwater LogoThanks to instant racing pari mutual racing returned to Sweetwater downs after a seventeen year hiatus, in 2011. Although called Sweetwater Downs the track is more typical of a western fair meet. Featuring an open air grandstand at the local fairgrounds, the racing is predominately quarter horse with a handful of thoroughbred contests thrown in.
In 2015, nine days of racing were held Friday thru Sunday over three weekends. The first two weeks are filled with quarter horse trials leading up to the meets final and feature race, The Western States Breeders Futurity.
The math on these races has always amazed me. On the first two trial weekends, the horses run for a $2,000 purse, while the final at this small track is worth about $100,000, a purse that some larger thoroughbred tracks never come close to.
An even more astounding number is that on that final day of racing, the eight races carded had a value of $190,000 in purse money. Total on track handle was $22,354, ok they make it up on off track betting, not so much that total was $3,723. I don't know about you, but futurities sound more like lotteries to me.
From what I can tell simulcasting and instant racing are not available at the track, but can be found a miles away in downtown Rock Springs, at Bomber's Sports bar.
This probably isn't a surprise, but i have never been to Sweetwater Downs and the chances of me making it there are about as great as winning the Western States Breeders Futurity, but you never know!