Harrah's Hoosier Park Racing & Casino will begin its 32nd season of live harness racing on Friday, March 14 with a 14-race card. A total of 104 horses have been entered for the season opener, which gets underway with a first post of 6:15 p.m. (EDT).
The card will get going with $16,000 non-winners of $15,000 last five (Indiana-Sired $16,500) where Noblesville makes his 4-year-old debut, taking on the likes of classy veterans Low Rider and General Dolan. Last year, Noblesville secured victory in the $250,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings, upsetting Milstein champion Sabonis. Leaving from the rail, Noblesville is trained by Ron Burke while driver Brandon Bates gets the call on the 5-2 second choice who has banked $534,493 lifetime.
The Friday feature will be the $18,000 Open Pace in race nine which sees a short field of six set to go postward, and the event is headlined by 8-5 morning-line favorite Brookview Bullet. The career half-million dollar earner from the Henry Graber Jr. barn will be driven by Marvin Luna from post five as he takes on annual Open performers Rip Wheeler and Crooked Smile, who will each be making their first start of 2025 after six-figure campaigns last season.
When racing returns on Friday, fans will notice the absence of the Harrah's Hoosier Park passing lane in the final eighth mile of the homestretch. In partnership with the Indiana Standardbred Association, Harrah's Hoosier Park will conduct a 60-day trial period without the passing lane in efforts to promote more early movement and competitive racing on the seven-eighths-mile oval.
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The Friday card will also be the debut for the brand-new wagering menu at Harrah's Hoosier Park, seeing reduced takeout rates across several wagers.
Updates and additions for the 2025 wagering menu include the following:
-Early Pick 5 sequence in races 1-5 with the Late Pick 5 being moved to races 8-12 - takeout lowered to 15%.
-Pick 3 wagers throughout the card in races 2-4, 9-11 and last three races of the evening - carryovers enabled for Pick 3 sequences.
-Jackpot Pick 6 replaced with a traditional Pick 6 (takeout lowered to 15%) sequence in races 4-9 - should there be a carryover, 75% of the pool will carry over to the next Pick 6 sequence, while 25% will be paid to those with the most winners.
-Early Pick 4 sequence now in races 6-9 with the Late Pick 4 taking place in the last four races on the card - takeout lowered to 12%, the lowest in the entire sport.
-An additional Hoosier High 5 added to race seven nightly, to go along with the traditional Hoosier High 5 in the last race of the card - there is an industry-low takeout of 12% on both pools.
To go along with the return of live racing and updated wagering menu, fans who make their way to the track will be greeted with Fan Appreciation Weekend, seeing a host of giveaways, handicapping contests, and promotions over the course of each of the first two cards of the season.
On Friday, Harrah's Hoosier Park will feature drawings for both a $100 MegaBet giveaway, as well as a game show style Puck Drop Drawing with up to $250 in Visa Gift Cards available. Guests will swipe at a Trackside Promotional Kiosk to receive their entry for both drawings beginning at 5 p.m., before depositing in the contest drawing drum located at Trackside Promotions & Events next to the Program Stand. Five winners will be drawn for the Puck Drop after each of the first five races on the Friday card, while five MegaBet winners will be drawn following the conclusion of race three.
Race fans can also take home a complimentary Harrah's Hoosier Park quarter zip (while supplies last) by being one of the first 150 guests to show their Caesars Rewards Card and proof of a $5 wager on a Hoosier Park race made on-track at Trackside Promotions & Events beginning at 6 p.m.
On Saturday (March 15), the first 200 guests to swipe at a Trackside Promotional Kiosk beginning at 5 p.m. will go home with a Mystery Voucher worth up to $250. Mystery Vouchers may then be redeemed at the Main Mutuel line across from the Pegasus Bar between 5-10 p.m.
On both days, guests may receive a free Harrah's Hoosier Park racing calendar at the Program Stand beginning at 5 p.m.
The Saturday card will also see a 14-race card with 97 horses dropped in the box and a post time of 6:15 p.m.
Harrah's Hoosier Park will once again offer a free handicapping contest each night of the week for on-track customers. In addition, racing fans will receive double Reward Credits for wagering on live races at both Horseshoe Indianapolis and Harrah's Hoosier Park when they wager using their Caesars Rewards card, which can be used for complementary offers throughout the season.
Harrah's Hoosier Park will operate on a two-day Friday and Saturday schedule for each of the first two weeks of the season. From there, Harrah's Hoosier Park will add Thursdays on March 26, before beginning a four-day Wednesday-Saturday schedule in April. Standard post time nightly for the 2025 racing season will be 6:15 p.m.
Harrah's Hoosier Park will yet again offer a very lucrative open stakes program throughout the season, highlighted by the 32nd edition of the Dan Patch Stakes (Aug. 8), Grade 1 Peter Haughton and Jim Doherty Memorials (Sept. 12), Caesars Trotting Classic (Sept. 19) and Hoosier Champions Night (Oct. 10).
For more information on the 2025 live racing season at Harrah's Hoosier Park, guests are encouraged to visit www.harrahshoosierpark.com.
--press release (Harrah's Hoosier Park)--