The stage is set for the 19th standardbred season opener at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino
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The 80-day meet will kick off on Tuesday, March 27 with 13 races on the card. Over 187 entries flooded the box for opening night, which features four legs of the Miss Windfall Series. With three $10,000 legs and a $15,000 final, the series is open to three and four-year-old Indiana sired fillies and mares that are non-winners of $7,500 lifetime.
The start of the meet also marks the start of many exciting promotions for harness racing fans. Patrons are encouraged to participate in the free handicapping contests that will be taking place weekly. Hoosier Park, in conjunction with the Indiana Standardbred Association and the U.S. Trotting Association, are excited to offer the Strategic Wagering program, a special $5,000 guaranteed Pick 4 pool on Thursday nights.
The stakes schedule will kick-off on April 21 with Hoosierdega, a night full of fun and racing action. The Indiana Sire Stakes will begin May 8, which will be followed by extreme racing featuring the Thrillyard 200. The $200,000 Dan Patch Invitational will be the featured event on Saturday, June 2, which always attracts some of the top older pacers in North America. The evening will also be part of the national ‘Back To The Track’ promotion organized by the U.S. Trotting Association. The close of the meet will culminate with the night of Hoosier Champions on July 14.
This last Saturday of live standardbred racing will have some of the fiercest racing with purses topping more than $1 million.
“As always, I’m looking forward to full and competitive fields for our patrons,” said Racing Secretary Kevin Mack. “We have a great staff of dedicated employees, from both the casino and racing staff. Along with that, we have great leadership from our President and COO Jim Brown, Vice President and General Manager of Gaming Jahnae Erpenbach, and our Vice President and General Manager of Racing Brian Elmore. I think that reflects a very positive and enthusiastic light on our racing product.”
Hoosier Park will follow a Tuesday-Saturday live racing schedule through July 14 with a 5:30 EST post time daily.
(Hoosier Park)