Hoosier Park

Hoosier Park race track is one of the Midwest's premier horse racing venues. This Anderson, Indiana facility has a 7/8 mile horse track that features thoroughbred, harness and quarter horse racing.

Hoosier Park race track hosts high-profile Stakes events every year - a testament to its importance in the Midwest's racing scene. Among these are:

Hoosier Park Race Track Facts

Hoosier Park Race Track Records

Standardbred Records

Thoroughbred Records

Quarter Horse Records

Hoosier Park History

1994

• On September 1, Hoosier Park race track opened to a crowd of 7,633. B K Bentley won the very first race. The evening's handle was $406,485.
• On November 12, Hoosier Park race track hosted the $40,000 Dan Patch Invitational. It attracted an impressive field of top horses and was the first race held in Hoosier Park race track that was simulcast to other venues. The race was won by Ready to Rumble with a time of 1:53.1.

1995

• On January 25, Hoosier Park race track opened its first off-track betting facility at 7610 Broadway in Merrillville.
• On April 26, the Park opened an off-track betting facility in Fort Wayne.
• On September 1, Hoosier Park race track celebrated its first anniversary with the introduction of thoroughbred racing. A crowd of 5,283 turned out to see Minnatoga win the first race.
• On October 25, the Park opened another off-track betting facility, this time in downtown Indianapolis.
• On November 17, Hoosier Park race track had its first-ever million dollar evening as $1,085,338 was wagered on its twelve-race card.

1996

• On November 29, the largest trifecta payoff in the history of the track was recorded. The payoff brought $31,775.20 for a $2 ticket.

1997

• On August 22, the inaugural $500,000 Hoosier Cup for three-year-old pacing colts was won by Perfect Art with a time of 1:51.0. The total amount paid for purses that evening was $676,900, establishing a new record.

1998

• On September 12, Hoosier Park race track's all-time winningest jockey, Jon Court, won six races, marking a new record for most wins in one night by a jockey at the track.

1999

• On April 9, Hoosier Park race track's sixth season of harness racing opened to a crowd of 3,635. It was the largest opening for standard bred racing since the 1994 season.
• On October 2, Forty One Carats won the $300,000-added Indiana Derby with the nation's third leading rider, Jorge Chavez, aboard. A crowd of 10,063 was in attendance, the largest crowd in the track's history.

2002

• On May 4, a record handle of $2,029,066 was accumulated for the afternoon and evening cards. This included simulcast wagers for the 128th running of the Kentucky Derby. This also marked the first time the state of Indiana saw single-day handle from all its tracks combined exceed $2 million during harness season.
• On September 21, the richest night in quarter horse racing was held. It featured the $45,000 QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Futurity, the $25,000 QHRAI Stallion Service Auction Derby, and the $15,000 Indiana Breed Development Stake.

2008

• On June 2, Hoosier Park entered a new era when casino gaming was introduced at the property. Following changes in Indiana law that allowed slot machines at racetracks, the track opened a large gaming facility featuring thousands of slot machines. The racino expansion greatly increased visitor traffic and boosted purse money for horse racing, strengthening Hoosier Park's status as one of the leading harness racing venues in the Midwest.

2010

• The 2010 racing season featured one of the fastest performances in the track's history. In the $200,000 Dan Patch Invitational Pace, Shark Gesture set a new Hoosier Park track record with a time of 1:48.1. During the same season, purse distributions for harness racing exceeded $11.9 million, reflecting the continued growth of the racing program.

2017

• Hoosier Park hosted the prestigious Breeders Crown, one of harness racing's most important championship events. The series brought many of the sport's top horses, drivers, and trainers to the Anderson, Indiana track, with millions of dollars in championship purses contested over multiple races.

2018

• A major ownership change occurred when Caesars Entertainment acquired the property and rebranded it as Harrah's Hoosier Park Racing & Casino. The acquisition marked the beginning of several property improvements and expanded entertainment offerings.

2019

• Sports betting arrived at the property after Indiana legalized the activity statewide. Harrah's Hoosier Park opened a sportsbook, adding another wagering option alongside casino gaming and live horse racing.

2020

• Table games were introduced to the casino floor, expanding the gaming experience beyond slot machines and electronic games. During the same year, Hoosier Park again hosted the Breeders Crown championship races, reaffirming its importance in the world of harness racing.

2023

• The property unveiled the Hoosier Outdoor Pavilion (HOP), a large open-air venue designed for concerts, festivals, and major public events. The year also saw the return of the Breeders Crown championships, drawing national attention to the track.

2024

• Harrah's Hoosier Park completed a $40 million expansion project that added more than 30,000 square feet of new gaming and entertainment space. The upgrades included new restaurants, improved gaming areas, and a redesigned casino floor, representing the largest renovation since Caesars took ownership.

Place a bet on your favorite horse now.

Select A Track

• Balmoral Park
• Cal Expo
• Dover Downs
• Hawthorne Racetrack
• Hazel Park
• Hoosier Park
• Maywood Park
• Meadowlands Racetrack
• Mohawk Racetrack
• Monticello Raceway
• Northfield Park
• Pocono Downs
• Pompano Park
• Rockingham Park
• Saratoga Racetrack
• Scioto Downs
• The Meadows
• The Red Mile
• Woodbine Racetrack
• Yonkers Racetrack

Place a bet on your favorite horse now.