About Us
About Hoosier Park
Hoosier Park opened its doors as the first pari-mutuel horse racing facility in the state of Indiana Sept. 1, 1994. The route to legalizing pari-mutuel racing stems back to Nov. 5, 1968 when a statewide advisory referendum on pari-mutuel wagering was conducted. The referendum failed at the state level, but the Madison County voters supported the measure by a slim margin.
Madison County continued its support of pari-mutuel wagering through the next two decades, and pari-mutuel gambling was made legal in the General Assembly March 16, 1989. Anderson became the first city in the state to submit an application for a pari-mutuel racetrack Oct. 31, 1990.
Although Churchill Downs was the primary owner of Hoosier Park heading into the final stages of construction in 1994, Pegasus Group, Inc. purchased a substantial amount of stock in the track Feb. 15, 1994. Pegasus Group, Inc. was later reorganized as Centaur, Inc., which became sole owner of Hoosier Park in March 2007.
Today, Hoosier Park is recognized in the horse racing industry nationally by several of its marquee events, both in Standardbred and Thoroughbred racing. The $200,000 Dan Patch Invitational Pace for older horses is the highlight of the Standardbred season. The race began in 1994 as a $40,000 event and has grown over the years to include some of the sport’s finest names, including Pacific Fella, who set a world record at the time and continues to hold the current track record of 1:48.2 during the 1998 edition of the race.
To complement the Dan Patch Invitational, the $500,000-est. Hoosier Cup was added to the schedule in 1997. The event for three-year-old pacers has lured some of the top sophomores in North America into the race each year and remains the richest Standardbred race in the state of Indiana.
The first Thoroughbred meet was held Sept. 1, 1995 featuring two marquee events of its own. The $35,000 Indiana Oaks for three-year-old fillies was held along with the $100,000 Indiana Derby for three-year-olds. Today, both races have been recognized nationally for the past talent in each event and garnering a Grade II tag. The Indiana Oaks now offers a purse of $400,000-added while the Indiana Derby, at $500,000-added, is the richest Thoroughbred race in the state of Indiana.
Quarter Horse racing was also added to the state in 1997, featuring three stakes. Today, sprinters can be seen during the Thoroughbred meet almost every weekend with a schedule that includes the $60,000 Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana Futurity, which is a Registered Grade III event for two-year-olds.
In addition to the Hoosier Park facility in Anderson, the track owns and operates three off-track wagering facilities located in Fort Wayne, Indianapolis and Merrillville. Each facility is open year round – providing racing fans with a local destination in those areas for all of the top horse racing action in the nation.
