Horse racing is one of the most popular sports to attend in the United States. The sport is popular across the nation, with the biggest events on the calendar typically attracting casual bettors to get in on the action.
Following the opening leg of the Triple Crown at Churchill Downs, many will begin to look for the best Preakness betting angles to take advantage of.
Ohio is one of the most underrated states in terms of options available for visiting horse racing fans, with a number of tracks available to visit. But, what are some of the best venues for horse racing within the state?
Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course
One of the most visited racetracks within the state of Ohio can be found in the form of Mahining Valley Race Course. The site is owned by Gaming and Leicester Properties, and features over 100,000 sq ft of gaming space. However, one of the main reasons that visitors attend the track is to take in some of the best thoroughbred racing in Ohio.
The track has become popular year on year since it was opened for racing for the first time in 2014. Some of the biggest names in racing have travelled to Mahoning Valley to compete in races, including Irad Ortiz Jr, Florent Geroux, and Paco Lopez. Racing is staged regularly at the track, with the action being staged between October and April. Doors are open to visitors to watch the action between Monday and Wednesday, meaning that it is one of few venues that doesn’t host racing on the weekend.
A total of 17 stakes races are included on the schedule at the track, including three lucrative Open Stakes races. The most lucrative of these is the Steel Valley Sprint, which offers a purse of $250,000. However, the most popular date in the diary is the Best of Ohio Day, which features five local stakes races in the region. All five of these races boast purses of $100,000.
Thistledown
Visitors looking to attend racing at one of the most iconic venues in the state for racing would be hard-pressed not to visit Thistledown. This track has been in operation for racing since being regulated in 1931. However, further gaming options were added at the casino in April 2013 in order to compete with Mahoning Valley.
This track is located on the outskirts of Cleveland, and is owned by Vici Properties. Thistledown is one of two tracks that works in unison, with racing action being staged at this track and Belterra Park throughout the summer. One of the most famous things about Thistledown is the fact that it is home to the only graded stakes race that is held annually in Ohio.
The G3 Ohio Derby is staged annually in late June, with horses aged three competing over 1 1/8 miles. A purse of $500,000 is made available to connections, and there have been some famous winners of the race throughout history. Black Gold became the first Kentucky Derby winner to win the race in 1924, while Smarten holds the speed record following his victory in 1979. The race continues to be one of the most competitive to be staged in the state, and leading trainers typically target success in the Ohio Derby with their second string runners.
Belterra Park
Belterra Park is one of the most historic tracks that is located in Ohio, with racing having been staged at the location since 1925. The track was previously known as River Downs, and it was opened 15 years after the closure of Old Oakley Race Course. It is a picturesque location for visitors to enjoy, as it is located opposite the banks of the Ohio River.
One of the most famous stories surrounding the track is the fact that the legendary Seabiscuit made two appearances at Belterra Park, winning on both occasions. However, he would also suffer one defeat at the track when finishing third in the Western Hills Handicap. Racing at the track previously ran between April until Labor Day, but this was altered in 2017 with racing scheduled between April 29 and the start of October. Quarter racing is also held at the track between September and October.
Nowadays, there are no graded stakes races on the calendar. However, there are still seven high-quality race days available to visitors. Among those include the Cradle Stakes. This race has been held annually since 1977, with the most famous winner in the 80s coming in the form of Spend a Buck, who would later claim victory in the Kentucky Derby. The race would later be moved onto the turf in 2007 to serve as a final prep for runners that were aiming for success in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.