Prairie Meadows facts for kids
Prairie Meadows Logo
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| Location | Altoona, Iowa, United States |
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| Owned by | Polk County, Iowa |
| Operated by | 13-Member Board of Directors |
| Date opened | March 1, 1989 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse |
| Notable races | Cornhusker Handicap |
| Attendance | 2.7 Million Annually |
Prairie Meadows is a fun place in Altoona, Iowa, where you can watch exciting horse races and enjoy a casino. It's a special kind of place called a "racino" because it combines horse racing with casino games. From May to September each year, you can see amazing Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse races here.
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Discovering Prairie Meadows: A Fun History
Prairie Meadows started its journey in 1984. That year, it received a special permission, called a license, to open a horse racing track. This happened after the state of Iowa made a type of betting called parimutuel betting legal. In parimutuel betting, all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool. Then, taxes and the track's share are taken out, and the remaining money is divided among the winners.
Construction for Prairie Meadows began in 1987. The very first horse race took place on March 1, 1989. However, the track faced some challenges in its early years. It lost money and had to pause live racing for the 1992 season. Luckily, money from "off-track betting" helped it recover. Off-track betting means people could place bets on races even when they weren't at the track itself. This allowed racing to start again the next year.
Growing with New Games
In 1994, the people of Polk County voted to allow slot machines at Prairie Meadows. Slot machines are popular casino games where you put in money and try to match symbols to win prizes. The slot machine casino opened on April 1, 1995. This new addition was a big success! By the end of 1996, Prairie Meadows was able to pay back all the money it had borrowed to build the facility.
Prairie Meadows continued to grow. On December 14, 2004, it added more casino game tables. These tables offered games like poker, roulette, and blackjack. Because so many people enjoyed these new games, Prairie Meadows decided to make its building even bigger. A large expansion project started in September 2005. New parts of the casino opened in August 2006. Then, in February 2007, two new restaurants and a big concert hall called "The Meadows" also opened.
Helping the Community
Prairie Meadows is special because it's owned by Polk County. It's run by a group of 13 people who work for a non-profit organization. This means that the money Prairie Meadows earns doesn't just go to a few owners. Instead, a lot of it goes back into the community! The money helps fund many projects in the Des Moines area. For example, it helped build the Iowa Events Center complex in downtown Des Moines.
In 2008, Prairie Meadows earned almost $193 million. This made it one of the top casinos in Iowa. More recently, in 2019, Prairie Meadows teamed up with a company called William Hill. This partnership was to get ready for when sports betting became legal in Iowa. Sports betting lets people bet on the outcomes of different sports games.
What You'll Find at Prairie Meadows
Prairie Meadows has a one-mile dirt track where the horses race. It also has a special chute for quarter horses, which are known for their speed over short distances. Inside the casino, there are about 1,900 slot machines and many tables for games like poker, roulette, and blackjack. Besides racing and casino games, the track area has also hosted free concerts by famous music groups.
Exciting Races at Prairie Meadows
Prairie Meadows hosts many exciting races and competitions from April to October. These races are called stakes and handicaps.
Top Races to Watch
Some of the most important races held at Prairie Meadows are called "Graded events." These are races that are recognized as being very high quality.
Grade III Races
- Iowa Oaks
- Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap
Prairie Meadows is also home to other popular races like the Iowa Derby, the Iowa Sprint stakes, the Iowa Distaff, and the Iowa Breeders Derby. Sometimes, you might even see other animals, like ostriches, racing at the facility for fun!
