Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino will kick off its 31st season of live harness racing on Friday, March 22 with a 15-race card. A total of 140 horses have been entered for the season opener, which gets underway with a first post of 6:15 p.m.
Harrah’s Hoosier Park will welcome fans back to the track with Fan Appreciation Days – a variety of giveaways, food and drink specials, and promotions on Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23.
Five lucky race fans each day will win a $100 USD MegaBet to place on any Hoosier Park race that day. Guests may enter by swiping in at a Trackside Promotional Kiosk beginning at 5 p.m. In addition, be one of the first 200 guests to swipe in at the Trackside Promotional Kiosk to receive a free Hoosier Park ice cream key chain. The key chain entitles guests to free ice cream throughout the entirety of the 2024 racing season at any trackside dining outlet with the purchase of an entrée. Guests returning to the racetrack will also receive a free Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing calendar at the program stand while supplies last.
Also on Friday night, guests can enter on a Trackside Promotional Kiosk for an opportunity to spin a prize wheel, which offers up to $500 USD in race wagering along with other Hoosier Park swag offerings. Guests will receive a drawing entry through the kiosk beginning at 5 p.m. and can deposit their entry slip into the drawing drum located at Trackside Caesars Rewards prior to the start of the evening’s third race. The 10 winners will be announced following the conclusion of the third race live on the Hoosier Park simulcast.
Along with the MegaBets and calendar giveaway, the first 200 fans to swipe in at a Trackside Promotional Kiosk on Saturday beginning at 5 p.m. will go home with a mystery voucher which may be worth up to $500 USD. First post on Saturdays for the entirety of the 2024 racing season will remain 7 p.m.
All of Hoosier Park’s familiar betting options are back for the 2024 season. In partnership with the Unites States Trotting Association Strategic Wagering program and the Indiana Standardbred Association, Hoosier Park is proud to offer the $10,000 guaranteed Hoosier High-5 pool every live racing night with the exception of Saturdays. With an industry low takeout of 12 per cent and a minimum wager of 20 cents, the Hoosier High-5, which requires a bettor to select the first five finishers in a race in exact order, will be offered on the last race each night, provided there are at least seven entrants. If there are no winning tickets sold, the net money wagered that day will be carried over to the next day’s Hoosier High-5 pool. Hoosier Park will continue to feature a $10,000 guaranteed Late Pick-4 pool on Thursday nights in the final four races of the evening.
Hoosier Park will once again offer a free handicapping contest each night of the week for on-track customers. In addition, racing fans will receive double Reward Credits for wagering on live races at both Horseshoe Indianapolis and Hoosier Park when they wager using their Caesars Rewards card, which can be used for complementary offers throughout the season. For those who can’t make it to the track, Hoosier Park will offer a free, live racing program online every live racing night on the track’s website along with several additional handicapping tools for those that are new to the sport of harness racing.
Live racing at Hoosier Park will follow a Friday and Saturday schedule the first two weeks of the season, before going to a Wednesday through Saturday schedule beginning in April. The 160-day meet will be conducted through Nov. 30 this season.
Entering 2024 off three consecutive record-breaking seasons for handle, Hoosier Park will once again host an extended stakes schedule worth over $6 million USD. Hoosier Park’s signature event, the $300,000 USD Dan Patch Stakes presented by Indiana Standardbred Breed Development, is slated for Friday, Aug. 9. The signature trotting event of the season, the $200,000 USD Caesars Trotting Classic presented by Kountry Lane Standardbreds, is tabbed for Friday, Sept. 20. Other highlights include the return of the Jim Doherty and Peter Haughton Memorials on Sept. 13 along with the Hoosier Champions card on Oct. 11.
(Hoosier Park)