by Lenny Calderone, for Plainridge Racecourse

Plainville, MA — Those doubting the resilience of Massachusetts harness racing were put on notice Thursday (May 12) when Plainridge Racecourse held the first draw of the 2011 season.

Earlier this year, track management and the Harness Horsemen’s Association of New England restructured the 2011 schedule, pushing opening day back a few weeks, which could have contributed to the unease among the industry. Instead, faith was rewarded on Thursday when the entry box was flooded with nearly 200 horses — all of them entered by regulars at the Massachusetts track.

“The commitment of Plainridge Racecourse and the horsemen that race here should not go unnoticed,” said Mike Perpall, president of the horsemen’s association. “Through creative thinking and a proactive approach Plainridge has addressed some of the main issues facing horse racing in Massachusetts today, without reducing race days which has been a concern of horsemen. I am optimistic that the high level of cooperation between us has insured an exciting harness racing meet for this year.”

Plainridge general manager Steve O’Toole gave the credit for the healthy number of entries to race secretary Paul Verrette.

“Paul’s creative approach to attract interest in our racing is unmatched industry wide, there is a buzz about our opening cards which is a great indicator for the success of our meet,” O’Toole said.

Given the overwhelming show of support, Plainridge management felt it had no choice but to add races to each of its Monday and Tuesday cards in an attempt to get all the horses raced. Thirteen races will go to post each day.

As a result of the restructuring of this year’s schedule, purses were increased and the vast majority of the horses racing opening week will compete for roughly $1,000 more per class than they did in 2010. Perpall said it was “refreshing to be able to sit with management and think outside the box” to put an increase of purses in the pockets of the horsemen he represents.

The racing schedule was not the only component of the meet that was restructured at Plainridge during the off season. Believing that the current industry model is broken, the track drastically reduced takeout rates to 15 percent on all wagers, making it the lowest overall rate in the country in an attempt to return more money to the wagering public. Also, the fee to purchase the simulcast signal has been adjusted to deal with the inequities of simulcast sites that do not offer or support live racing; those sites will be charged up to 11 percent for the Plainridge signal.

The 2011 meet at Plainridge Racecourse begins this coming Monday, May 16, with a 4 p.m. post time. Racing will take place on Mondays and Tuesdays in May and June before the track expands its schedule in the summer months.