Arapahoe Park in Aurora, Colo., will not run its traditional summer meet this year – that’s the conclusion from a special meeting of the Colorado Horse Racing Commission on April 22. There had been doubts about whether the suburban Denver track would open for training in time for the planned June 9 start date. Earlier this month, the commission issued conditional approval for the meet, requiring in part that the track get approval from Arapahoe County to make the barns and buildings on the backstretch safe for occupancy.
Officials from the county had inspected the property last year and flagged a number of plumbing and electrical problems they say made the buildings unsafe for occupancy. It’s not just that the buildings cannot be used as living quarters by stable employees, but the finding by the inspectors means they’re considered unsafe for humans or animals to enter. That meant the 20-odd seasonal employees hired by the Division of Racing Events could not be cleared to work there until the county issued a certificate of occupancy.
Following an April 10 racing commission meeting, Shannon Rushton, Arapahoe’s executive director of operations and racing, said he and the legal team at the track searched for documentation that the buildings were certified safe for occupancy at the time of their construction in 1984. That certificate was found, but Rushton was told it was irrelevant because county officials claim the wiring is not up to current code for agricultural buildings.
With that potential solution thwarted, Rushton said he has little choice but to rewire all the barns, and pull permits for that work, which he has not applied for yet. Permitting can take up to 16 weeks from time of application, and Rushton told the commission Monday that his most optimistic timeline has work crews finishing the project by mid- to late August at the soonest.
“I can tell you right now I don’t see any way of pulling this [all preparations for a live meet] together prior to September,” Rushton said.
Rushton also acknowledged that the track, which is owned by Bally’s Corporation, has a deadline of Sept. 11 to hold a live race or risk losing their simulcasting signal imports.
Commissioners and public commenters expressed confusion at the county’s stance, pointing out that residential buildings are not required to be rewired each time building codes change, which they interpret is the implication here. The Division of Racing Events staff plan to request further explanation from the county about what exactly needs to be changed and what the rationale is.
Rushton is scheduled to present alternate dates for the 2024 meet to the commission next week, but anticipates the track could run Sept. 7 through early November – if all the work and safety approvals progress efficiently.
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