Forget the animosity between the Benton County Commissioners and the Tri-City Horse Racing Association, about the horsemen being locked out of the stables at Sun Downs for nine months.
That's on the backburner.
It's time to race, as Sun Downs opens its 10-day meet Saturday with a nine-race card, with post time at 1:30 p.m.
The track will run every Saturday and Sunday over the next five weeks -- April 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25 and May 1-2.
At first glance, Sun Downs doesn't seem to be that busy. There are just half the normal number of horses (100) staying in the barn stalls on the backside of the track.
That's a result of the lockout and a raise in stall rates from the county. The track was only opened Feb. 1 to the horsemen. Trainers usually need 90 days to get a horse ready to run, so many of them left town to set up a new base of operations.
There are enough horses being trained in Waitsburg, Dayton, Hermiston and even Yakima that racing secretary Shorty Martin still expects a strong meet.
"To be honest, I was quietly concerned in the beginning," Martin admitted. "But then my wife and I started getting the (entry) papers (from trainers), and we have the same amount as last year."
The TCHRA's Cliff Schellinger was also worried about the numbers.
"I was really concerned about us having enough horses, especially with Portland Meadows running," Schellinger said. "But Shorty told me not to worry."
Martin is right.
While Sun Downs runs every Saturday and Sunday over the next five weekends, Portland Meadows runs on Mondays and Wednesdays.
"That's helped us a lot," said Martin, "because 60 percent of our jockey colony comes from Portland. And they can work four days a week."
Last season, Sun Downs averaged a $45,000 betting handle. That's up 2.5 percent over the previous year, and both Martin and Schellinger agreed that was a good year.
"For us to have a good year, we need to average between $45,000 and $50,000 of handle a day," said Martin.
To help that handle, Sun Downs looks to have more big races than usual this meet.
There's the annual $10,000 Pot O'Gold Futurity. But there are also three American Quarter Horse Association Challenge Finals -- the Maiden, the Pfizer Starter Allowance and the Distaff.
All three of those should be at least $10,000 races -- and the Pfizer Starter Allowance will be at least $20,000.
With their race faces on, TCHRA members have three stated goals for this meet.
"Our goals are to race each day, to have at least eight races each day, and to fill those races with enough horses," Martin said.
Schellinger has said horsepeople are survivors, and Martin agrees.
"People come here to race. They're in it for the long haul, to live or die with it," said Martin. "The bottom line is we want to just race -- and put on a good show for the people."