Tyler Bacon Equitable Relay, (Fonner Park, Courtesy)
GRAND ISLAND — Fonner Park CEO Chris Kotulak has something he likes to call the “Fonner vibe.”
It’s a combination of racing, family and friends and a lot of good clean fun.
“It is a very special experience here at Fonner Park,” Kotulak said. “A Saturday at the Fonner Park races is really something not to be missed, whether you’re the experienced horseplayer or simply someone out looking for a fun time. Special promotional events add to the incredible atmosphere.”
This year has featured things like music in the Skyline Pub on Saturdays after the races, $1 hotdog and popcorn on Family Day on Sundays — along with Vicki Pflasterer and her miniature pony Shortstack on some Sundays — and the Ace Winner’s Box every day of the live meet.
Now coming up April 19 is the Pony Express Relay Race Fundracer sponsored by Equitable Bank. Four-person high school teams, each including one jockey, will race down the stretch.
The first two legs will be 110 yards, which will equal one furlong. The third leg will be about 70 yards and the fourth leg will be approximately 40 yards.
“It’s my hope that this will gain some momentum,” Kotulak said. “It’s sometimes difficult to get people to agree to do a new promotion when it’s something they haven’t seen before, but I know once we get it done this year, we’ll probably be turning people away in 2026 for this promotion.
“So it’s slowly gaining momentum, but I think it’s going to be something that people will look forward to in years to come.”
This promotion is kind of a spinoff from the T-Rex races Fonner put on the last couple of years. Kotulak said those were fun, but incredibly difficult to pull off.
“It took a lot of brow-beating and tail twisting to get people to get into the costumes,” Kotulak said. “So I wanted to try something different.”
Kotulak and Fonner Park certainly tried something different in 2019 with the first camel and ostrich races at the Grand Island. To say it was a success would be a huge understatement.
The inaugural year drew an estimated crowd of 11,000. People were packed elbow to elbow in the grandstands and parking was at a premium to say the least.
Kotulak said it was arguably the largest crowd ever assembled at Fonner Park.
COVID interrupted the 2020 racing season, but the camels and ostriches returned in 2022.
“We promoted it and marketed it so much by saying be prepared for large crowds and lines that we only had 7,500 come,” Kotulak said. “We were still packed to the gills, but it was a much better working crowd.”
Kotulak said he thinks the camels and ostriches will return at some point, but not until the casino construction is all completed.
“It takes not only parking for the event, but we have to find a place for these animals,” he said. “By 2026 we’ll have the parking all resolved and maybe we’ll consider it again.”
This weekend will be the inaugural German Day at the races, which was coordinated in conjunction with the Liederkranz in Grand Island .
The German beer club from Lincoln will have some German beer for sale and Angie Kriz and the Polkatunes will perform at the Skyline Pub all afternoon.
You can bet Kotulak will continue working on that “Fonner vibe” which now includes the casino that officially opened Thursday.
“Certainly people have an attraction to the anticipation and thrill of gaming, but being at the racetrack it’s the group experience that really sets horse racing apart,” Kotulak said .”It’s where people can come with their friends and family, and you don’t have that same experience at a casino, you don’t have that same experience at a at a ball game, because everybody’s sitting in a row or at a line.
“You know, when you’re at the racetrack, you can spread out and enjoy the sights and the sound and the vibe is incomparable.”
Bosselman nominations
A total of 33 horses have been nominated for the 66th running of the $75,000 Bosselman Pump and Pantry/Gus Fonner Stakes. The 1 1/16th-mile race will be held on April 26 at
Fonner Park.
The nominees include numerous horses from trainers at Fonner Park.
David Anderson has nominated Dowd Mile winner Arthurian and Princeismyboy.
Mark Hibdon has nominated Tondi winner Drivehappy, Ogataul winner General Shipman, My Buddy Mell, Spring Tradition and Bold Accent winner Tennessee Moon and Time Muse.
Isai Gonzalez has nominated Deanos Cape, Leos Wish and Will Take Cash.
Schuyler Condon has nominated Absolute Chaos, Forced Ranking and Medicine Tail.
Stetson Rushton has nominated Just Plain Ornery while Temple Rushton nominated Subsidize.
Bosselman Nominations
With Trainers
Absolute Chaos (Schuyler Condon);Arthurian (David Anderson); Bricklayer (Larry Gourneau Jr.); Brownstone (Dan McFarlane); Buck Owens (Chad Story); C W Prize (Joe Offolter); Creative Minister (Abel Ramirez-Rodriguez); Deanos Cape (Isai Gonzalez); Diamond Rim (Dan McFarlane); Drivehappy (Mark Hibdon); Forced Ranking (Condon); General Shipman (Hibbon); Hot Gunner (Scott Young); Jokestar (Gary Scherer); Just Plain Ornery (Stetson Rushton); Momorebino Omoide (Robertino Diodoro); Leos Wish (Gonzalez); Mandolin Wind (Alex Hartman); Mazuma (Scott Young); Medicine Tail (Condon); My Buddy Mel (Hibdon); Northwind (Condon); Number One Dude (Young); Princeismyboy (Anderson); Roya (Gonzalez); Runwiithheart (Hutch Holsapple); Subsidize (Temple Rushton); Tennessee Moon (Hibdon); Time Machine (Condon); Time Muse (Hibdon); Unified Dreams (Gary Scherer); Will Take Cash (Gonzalez); Zarara (Doug Anderson).
Fonner Park Standings
Jockeys
Name;Sts;1st;2nd;3rd;Win%;$%
Kevin Roman;159;39;40;21;25;63
Jose Medina;147;30;23;16;20;47
David Cardoso;95;28;11;7;29;48
Ronald Hisby;116;15;13;14;13;36
Victor Bailon;110;12;7;16;11;32
Travis Cunningham;112;11;10;18;10;35
Nathan Haar;103;7;13;13;7;32
Scott Bethke;72;7;3;12;10;31
Blake Nunnally;86;5;15;14;6;40
Jayden Ironeyes;115;5;13;12;4;26
Trainers
Name;Sts;1st;2nd;3rd;Win%;$%
Mark Hibdon;111;32;16;12;29;54
Isai Gonzalez;110;25;28;14;23;61
David Anderson;109;22;16;13;20;47
Kelli Martinez;93;12;11;11;13;37
Marvin Johnson;49;12;8;6;24;53
Jason Wise;42;9;5;6;21;48
Schuyler Condon;53;7;6;5;13;34
Stetson Rushton;56;4;8;5;7;30
Troy Bethke;30;4;1;4;13;30
Gerald Big Hair;24;4;1;2;17;29
Owners
Name;Sts;1st;2nd;3rd;Win%;$%
Mark Hibdon;106;31;16;11;29;55
GSH Stable LLC;64;17;17;7;27;64
JL Racing LLC;35;5;7;5;14;49
D and L Farms;41;4;7;8;10;46
Garald Wollesen;25;4;2;2;16;32
Troy Bethke;19;4;0;3;21;37
Landis Stables LLC;12;3;3;2;25;67
Steven Keplin, Jr.;13;3;2;2;23;54
Martinez Racing;14;3;2;1;21;43
Ryan Belgum 8 3 2 1 38 75 $33,320
