With the return of live harness racing at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino just two weeks away, final preparations are well underway throughout the property. The 160-day race meet is set to kick off on Friday, March 22 as part of Harrah’s Hoosier Park’s annual Fan Appreciation Weekend, which will consist of a host of giveaways, racing contests and additional on-track promotions.
Live racing at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino will begin with a Friday and Saturday schedule for the first two weeks of the season, before racing a Wednesday through Saturday schedule for the months of April and May. First post for the weekday cards will once again be 6:15 p.m., with the Saturday cards getting underway at 7 p.m.
For those who have not stabled at Harrah’s Hoosier Park during the winter months, the barn area opened on Friday, March 1 to horsemen allotted stalls to begin moving in horses and equipment. The main track remains open for training on Monday through Saturday from the hours of 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the remainder of the 2024 season. All days of training will be subject to weather permitting. The paddock and ship-in area will also be open for those horsemen wishing to ship in and train. All horses entering the grounds must have all valid paperwork required before being allowed entry to the grounds.
Harrah’s Hoosier Park will host its first qualifier of the season on Saturday, March 9 with 13 qualifying races set to go behind the gate beginning at 10 a.m. Qualifiers will continue to follow a Wednesday and Saturday schedule throughout the entirety of the season at that 10 a.m. post time, with the exception of Wednesday, March 20 where qualifiers will begin at 5 p.m. and serve as the track’s “Dress Rehearsal” prior to opening night. The entry box closes for qualifiers one day prior at 12 p.m. Condition sheets and stakes schedules are posted on the Harrah’s Hoosier Park website.
In a joint effort between Harrah’s Hoosier Park and the Indiana Standardbred Association, horsemen will return to the racetrack to a host of facility enhancements meant to benefit the horsemen’s experience at the track. Horsemen moving in were greeted to new LED lighting above every individual stall in the barn area to allow for better visibility while working in the stall. Boosters have been added to the water heaters in each barn as well.
Improvements made as well to the main racing paddocks include the addition of tankless water heaters along with expanding the existing radiant heater system in both paddocks to help fend off the early/late season chill during racing. Horsemen will also have access to Wi-Fi throughout the barn area, including in the Racing Admin building, paddocks, dormitory and driver’s lounge.
“The capital projects that we have undertaken during the off-season are projects that were jointly agreed to by the Indiana Standardbred Association and Harrah’s Hoosier Park and approved by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission,” said Rick Moore, Vice President and General Manager of Racing. “We, the collective we, believe that the addition of these backside improvements will make the barn area at Harrah’s Hoosier Park an even better one for horsemen and horsewomen to live, operate and race their horses out of, in what we believe is the best barn area in harness racing.”
Entering 2024 off three consecutive record-breaking seasons for handle, Harrah’s Hoosier Park will once again host an extended stakes schedule worth more than $6 million USD. Harrah’s 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.
(Harrah's Hoosier Park)