CHESTER, W.Va. --

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The State Racing Commission on Tuesday approved Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort's request to cut horseracing back to 10 months per year.

The Hancock County track will no longer hold races in January and February.

Mountaineer Gaming CEO Bob Griffin previously said the move is a matter of money because it's expensive to keep the track open when they can't hold races in bad weather.

Mountaineer officials initially asked the State Racing Commission for permission to close the track down from November through February.

Mountaineer spokeswoman Tamara Pettit said she is pleased with the commission's approval. She said last year the track only held races 15 out of 60 days.

Local horsemen had opposed any cutbacks in horseracing. They argued that Mountaineer has had year-round racing for 30 years and cutting back on live racing will devastate their business and hurt the local economy.

Calls to the horsemen's association for their response were not immediately returned.

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