Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway, which will open in October, is the latest Ohio track to announce new Grand Circuit races in the state where the “Roarin' Grand" got its start in the 1890s.
Grand Circuit President John Campbell, speaking at the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association annual awards banquet in Dublin, Ohio on Sunday night, said, "We are really happy about getting all four Ohio tracks back on our schedule now that you are enjoying a well-deserved racing resurgence in this state. It gives us an increased midwest presence and at the same time gives these new races immediate prestige as Grand Circuit events."
The new Dayton Raceway races, with estimated 2014 purses of $100,000 each, are for four-year-old and older Open-class horses and geldings. They have been named the Dayton Pacing Derby and Dayton Trotting Derby, although a contest to rename them is likely to take place later this year. Both races are scheduled for Friday night, October 24 over the new five-eighths-mile oval.
The Hambletonian Society will service the races, including advertising and acceptance of nomination and sustaining payments which begin March 15.
The Grand Circuit has been an integral part in the success of harness racing over the last 50-plus years," said Mark Loewe, VP of Ohio Racing Operations for parent company Penn National Gaming. "It is both an honour and a pleasure for Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway to host two new Grand Circuit events. With the Ohio purses rising thanks to new revenues from casinos and VLT facilities, it is vital that we bring the best quality of horses in to the state to race, and the Grand Circuit is the perfect venue."
(Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway)