ROCK SPRINGS — Live horse racing at Sweetwater Downs is covered by a lease believed to run until 2035, but the track’s new owners have not said what their plans are for Rock Springs’ only horse racing track.

Global Gaming Solutions bought Wyoming Funding LLC., doing business as Wyoming Horse Racing, the operator of Sweetwater Downs and the Horse Palace off-track betting (OTB) gaming parlors, on Oct. 20. The Wyoming Gaming Commission approved the transfer of the live event and simulcast permits on Oct. 16.

According to Shaundra North of KochComm, which represents Global, the race dates for the upcoming season will be those in the application. She said the company is not yet ready to discuss future plans.

North did not answer questions about facility upgrades, the number of race days next year, or whether the company plans to continue Sweetwater Downs’ emphasis on Wyoming-bred horses.

Kandi Pendleton, executive director of the Sweetwater Events Complex, where Sweetwater Downs runs, said the racing operator rents the facilities under a use agreement, similar to those held by the stock car track and the Red Desert Roundup Rodeo. She said she believes the lease currently runs through 2035.

“They don’t own any piece of our property,” Pendleton said.

She said Sweetwater County owns the complex and the Sweetwater County Fair Board manages it.

Eugene Joyce, founder of Wyoming Horse Racing and president of Sweetwater Downs, said the buyer takes on all the company’s existing agreements and that the sale should not change racing in Sweetwater County.

“That should not affect the horse racing in Sweetwater County going forward,” Joyce said.

Joyce said he is stepping aside as operator after 16 years but will stay in racing as an owner and breeder.

Past Investment

Pendleton said the agreement includes protections for the county, including the rental terms and required capital investments in the track. She estimated that Wyoming Horse Racing has spent anywhere from $500,000 to $750,000 on the facility over the last five years.

She said Wyoming Horse Racing built a horse racing building at the track, which also served as the VIP area during the National High School Finals Rodeo. Pendleton said she believes the company has spent more than the contract required.

When asked if the new owners would invest in the track at the same level, Pendleton said it was too early to say. She said she had not yet been in contact with anyone from Global, but the on-site management team has not changed.

Out-of-State Ownership Concerns

Asked whether an out-of-state owner might put OTB profits ahead of live racing, Joyce said Global has experience in both and that live racing “is not going to be treated as a second-class citizen.”

“I’m not the new owner, so I’ve got to be careful what I attribute to them,” Joyce said.

Global also owns Remington Park in Oklahoma City and Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. According to North, both tracks run quarter horse and thoroughbred seasons, a mix similar to Sweetwater Downs’.

Joyce said he has been involved in managing both tracks and called the sale “a really good fit.”