Scioto Downs is set to open its 54th season of harness racing on the evening of Thursday, May 10
and will continue through September 8.
Simulcast wagering is already underway at Scioto.
Live racing will be held on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings with a 6:30 p.m. first-race post time.
“This will certainly be the most exciting year ever at Scioto Downs because we’ll see the opening of our new facility with video lottery terminals,” said Stacy Cahill, the track's general manager of racing. “That should take place about a month after the racing starts and it will give our patrons new gaming opportunities at Scioto Downs.”
The new building is adjacent to the north end of Scioto’s innovative grandstand and ample parking will be available for customers.
Cahill is also excited about the racing schedule for 2012 because the track will host Ohio Sires Stakes events on five different occasions, featuring the best horses from all corners of the Buckeye State.
“Then we cap off the season again by showcasing Ohio Super Night on Saturday, September 8, with eight championship finals of the Ohio Sires Stakes,” said Cahill. “That’s the biggest single night of racing in Ohio. Last year Scioto had an exciting program of racing on Super Night and a great crowd.”
Dan Noble, the leading harness driver in North America in 2011, will be a regular at Scioto Downs again in the coming season. Last year the Xenia native drove the winners of 773 races in his championship season.
Noble, who turned 29 earlier this year, was the leading driver at Scioto Downs the past two seasons. Last year Noble won 120 races at Scioto, far outdistancing runner-up Kayne Kauffman who steered 75 winners. Kyle Ater finished third in the drivers’ race with 55 wins.
Noble’s driving percentage (or 'batting average') at Scioto was a remarkable .425.
Virgil Morgan Jr. of Grove City, the perennial leading trainer at Scioto, will once again have a powerful stable when the season starts on May 10.
(Scioto)