The state Racing Commission has given sponsors of horse racing in Fargo and Belcourt only a fraction of the money they requested this year.

The Fargo group sought $350,000 for the 2008 racing season, and the Belcourt group that operates Chippewa Downs sought $160,000 from the commission's promotion fund.

The Racing Commission, at its meeting Monday, awarded $169,000 to Fargo and $31,000 to Belcourt.

Jim Tilton, president of Horse Race North Dakota, said this summer's race meet in Fargo will run on weekends from Aug. 1 through Sept. 1. Before Monday's meeting, the track had been planning to start racing July 25. It will also have harness racing Sept. 12-14.

Chippewa Downs in Belcourt will race on weekends beginning June 7 and ending June 23.

The commission also cut a request for a state subsidy to boost jockeys' payments in Fargo races - from $4,100 to $2,000 - and cut the tracks' requests for funds from the commission's purse fund and breeders' fund.

Money that goes into commission funds comes from taxes assessed on horse and dog racing wagers at off-track betting locations.

As of Jan. 1, the breeders' fund, which rewards horsemen in the state for raising winning horses, had $742,784. The purse fund, which awards prizes to jockeys and owners of winning horses, had $917,610 and the promotion fund, which helps the tracks sponsor racing seasons, had $556,131. The amounts have been declining since 2003.

The commission denied requests from other horse racing groups and sponsors of off-track betting sites in Grand Forks, Williston and Bismarck, for money from the promotion fund.

- Associated Press