Missoula Considers Cost, Practicality of Horse Racing in 2016

Horse racing might return to Missoula if county commissioners decide to approve a request put before them last Thursday.

"Representative Kimberly Dudik presented a proposal to the Board of County Comissioners regarding horse racing, they are looking to bring it back to the 2016 fair at the county fairgrounds," said Missoula County Chief Operations Manager Chris Lounsbury.

County commissioners will likely decide this week whether or not to put the proposal up for public comment. Lounsbury says that many aspects of the proposal, including the cost, are being analyzed now.

"We will kind of right up what we're seeing as the cost and everything else as we go through the proposal in depth," Lounsbury said. "The Turf Club did provide a full budget of what they're expecting the expenses to be, and the piece, which they are expecting the county to contribute, which is about $30,000. The Turf Club also did an inspection of the track and they feel that they will be able to bring it up to the standard it will need to be at to do that one year of racing."

In May of 2013, Missoula County Commissioners voted unanimously to end horse racing. Two of those three county commissioners are no longer in office.