Hoosier Park facts for kids

Harrah's Hoosier Park Racing & Casino is an exciting place in Anderson, Indiana. It's about 30 miles northeast of Indianapolis. This spot is special because it's a "racino," which means it has both horse racing and casino games. Caesars Entertainment owns and runs it.

You can watch live harness racing here from April to November. A harness race is where horses pull a driver in a two-wheeled cart called a sulky. Besides racing, there are casino games, restaurants, a gift shop, and fun entertainment.

Hoosier Park hosts important races like the $300,000 Dan Patch Stakes. This race started in 1994 and features some of the best harness racing horses. In 2017, Hoosier Park also hosted the Breeders Crown. This is a big event with 12 championship races and $6 million in prize money.

You can also place bets on races at Hoosier Park. They offer "off-track betting" (OTB) at three other places in Indiana. These are in Clarksville, Indianapolis, and New Haven. You can also bet on races happening at other tracks all year round.

Many famous musicians have performed at Hoosier Park. These include The Beach Boys, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and Billy Currington.

The Story of Hoosier Park: How it Started

The idea for Hoosier Park began in 1990. A local businessman named Virgil E. Cook gave 110 acres of land to the city of Anderson. He wanted the land to be used for a horse racing track.

In 1992, Churchill Downs Incorporated decided to buy the racing license for Indiana. They planned to build a racetrack on the land Cook had donated. This was the first time Churchill Downs owned a racetrack outside Kentucky since 1939.

Construction of Hoosier Park began in February 1994. It cost about $13 million to build. The track officially opened on September 1, 1994. A large crowd of 7,633 people came to see the first standardbred racing season. Soon after, the track announced plans for four off-track betting locations in Indiana.

On October 7, 1995, the first Indiana Derby race was held at Hoosier Park. This was a big event for horse racing in the state.

Changes and Growth of the Racino

In April 2007, Churchill Downs sold Hoosier Park to Centaur Group for $8.2 million. Not long after this sale, a new law was passed. This law allowed slot machines at both horse racing tracks in Indiana. This change turned them into "racinos."

The law meant that the tracks would get a large share of the money from the slot machines. This extra money helped to increase the prize money for the races. Hoosier Park Casino officially opened its doors to the public on June 2, 2008.

Another horse racing track, Indiana Downs, opened in 2001. It was first in Fairland, Indiana, and later moved to Shelbyville, Indiana. The Indiana Derby race, which used to be at Hoosier Park, is now held at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino.

In 2018, Caesars Entertainment bought Hoosier Park from Centaur Holdings. They also bought Indiana Grand at the same time. Caesars Entertainment said they might change the name of the property to Harrah's Hoosier Park.

What the Track Looks Like

The racing track at Hoosier Park is an oval shape made of dirt. It is seven-eighths of a mile long. There is no grass track for racing.

Exciting Races at Hoosier Park

Hoosier Park hosts many important Stakes races. These races feature top horses competing for big prizes. Some of the well-known stakes races include:

• The Dan Patch Stakes
• The Nadia Lobell
• Kentuckiana Stallion Management
• Centaur Trotting Classic
• The Hoosier Park Pacing Derby
• The Elevation
• The Jenna's Beachboy
• The Moni Maker
• The Circle City
• The Madison County
• The Pegasus
• The Monument Circle
• The Carl Erskine
• The USS Indianapolis Mem.
• The Crossroads of America