Hoosier Park Horse Racing Track in Indiana
Located in Anderson, Indiana, Hoosier Park is a racetrack that caters to the needs of both thoroughbred and standardbred racing. A relatively new track, Hoosier Park was opened on 1 September 1994 after a few years of planning and organising, as well as roughly $13 million dollars which was spent on construction. Hoosier park was opened to a crowd of 7,633 in the middle of the standardbred racing season.
Hoosier Park is owned and operated by Churchill Downs Incorporated. When the idea of building the track was initially proposed, there were fears that there would not be enough interest in racing in the area to recover costs. This, combined with disputes with the Indiana racing authorities, made the establishment and construction of Hoosier Park a lengthy business. However, despite fears, the track has proved to be immensely popular – so popular in fact, that there are plans for expansion.
The racetrack itself is a 7/8-mile dirt oval that is very straightforward and simplistic in design. There is no turf course available at present though if support increases, this could definitely be a feature in the future. The first Indiana Derby was run on the track in 1995 and the track has hosted several thoroughbred stakes every year since. These include The City of Anderson Stakes, the Richmond Stakes, The Indiana Breeder’s Cup Oaks, the Indiana Derby, The Merrillville Stakes, the Indiana Futurity, the Indiana Stallion Stakes for fillies and the Indiana Stallion Stakes.
Thus far the Hoosier Park has certainly proved to be a popular addition to the horse racing fraternity. It is a popular destination for gamblers; a popular track amongst jockeys and is especially great for young horses. However, the track is still young and it has a long journey ahead to catch up to some of the legendary tracks that are currently in existence.
