Hoosier Park Racing & Casino will kick off the 2017 Breeders Crown with a full week of events leading up to the championship races on Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28.

Events include an ‘Art-rageous’ charity auction, the Indiana Horse Racing Association’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Breeders Crown Live Post Position Draw on Monday, Oct. 23, ‘Fright Night at the Races’ on Wednesday, Oct. 25, and ‘Crowning Our Heroes’ veterans’ appreciation on Thursday, Oct. 26.

On Monday, Oct. 23, the Indiana Horse Racing Association, Inc. will hold its fourth annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Hoosier Park Racing & Casino’s Homestretch dining area. The 2017 inductees include the Honorable Howard ‘Luke’ A. Kenley, Lynn Wilfong, and Raymond J. ‘Steve’ Panke (posthumously). The invitation-only event will start at 5:30 p.m. with a welcome reception, and is not open to the general public. The event will be hosted by Centaur Gaming President and COO Jim Brown, and the official induction ceremony will start at 7:00 p.m.

A special Breeders Crown live post position draw will be conducted during the hall of fame event at 6:15 p.m. in The Terrace Showroom and will be open to the public. The draw will feature four marquis Breeders Crown races.

‘Fright Night at the Races,’ a family night at the track, will take place on Wednesday, October 25 at 6:00 p.m. The family-friendly event will include a children’s costume trick-or-treat with free treat bags, free pumpkins and decorating station, games, a horse costume contest, and $2 hotdogs and beers. The first live race begins at 6:30 p.m.

Then on Thursday, Oct. 26, ‘Crowning Our Heroes’ will honour veterans and active service members with $10 in free slot play and $5 buffets all day with official military identification. Hoosier Park guests may donate $10 to Hoosier Park’s ‘Crowning Our Heroes’ official charities and receive a chance to spin a wheel with a top prize of $1,000. The charity beneficiaries include Helping Hands for Heroes, Wish for Our Heroes, Blue Star Mothers, and Hoosier Veterans Assistance Foundation. Each organization will also participate in a charity exhibition race at 6:20 p.m. and receive a $500 MegaBet to be used on their charity’s named race. The organizations are guaranteed to win a minimum of $500. The first live race of the evening begins at 6:30 p.m.

Hoosier Park will also host a welcome party for Breeders Crown horsemen, as well as National FFA Career Success Tours in Breeders Crown Village. FFA students will be given a tour of Hoosier Park’s backside to gain knowledge about the various components necessary to get a race horse to the track.

The Breeders Crown’s ‘ART-Rageous Culture for a Cause’ is a charitable silent auction featuring original works of art created by Anderson Community School students. Crafted from a variety of mediums, the art made its debut on Monday, Oct. 9. The art is on display at Hoosier Park and available for online bidding by visiting charityauctionstoday.com/auctions/art-rageous-2923. The silent auction bidding will conclude on Breeders Crown weekend, Saturday, Oct. 28.

Proceeds from the auction will directly support the official 2017 Breeders Crown charity beneficiaries: New Vocations Racehorse Adoption, Standardbred Retirement Foundation, Harness Horse Youth Foundation, and The Animal Protection League.

“It’s truly an honor to host Indiana’s debut of the Breeders Crown right here at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino,” said Rick Moore, Hoosier Park’s vice president and general manager of racing. “Our team has worked tirelessly for the past year preparing for North America’s harness racing championship weekend and we’re ready. We’re excited.”

The Breeders Crown is harness racing’s $6 million championship event with six Crown races on both Friday, Oct. 27 and Saturday, Oct. 28. As one of the Hambletonian Society’s richest and most prestigious events, the Breeders Crown features competition among the greatest harness racing athletes in the world.

Originally conceived and executed as a travelling series, the Breeders Crown has travelled to racetracks across North America. Not only will the Breeders Crown take place in the Midwest for the first time in three decades, it will take place for the very first time on Indiana soil. The Breeders Crown is the richest series in harness racing, disbursing purses of $183 million over 33 years and is a conclusive factor in Horse of the Year voting.

The first race on both Breeders Crown evenings will take place at 6:00 p.m. (EDT). More information on the 2017 Breeders Crown can be found at hoosierpark.com/2017breederscrown. Live harness racing at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino continues through Friday, Nov. 17 with a regular first post time of 6:30 p.m.

(Hoosier Park Racing & Casino)