Mahoning Valley Opens Inaugural Meet Nov. 24
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Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Racecourse kicks off its inaugural racing season Monday, Nov. 24, with an eight-race program that begins at 12:45 p.m. EST.
The 2014 season at the track in the Youngstown, Ohio, area is comprised of 21 racing days through Dec. 30 and will feature a four-day-a-week schedule, Mondays through Wednesdays as well as Saturdays with a 12:45 p.m. post time each day.
"We are optimistic; horsemen from several racing jurisdictions outside of Ohio have stated their interest and our backstretch is near its 988 capacity," said Mark Loewe, vice president of Ohio racing operations for Penn National Gaming Inc. "The influx of new horses and horsemen to Ohio will make our already competitive product more exciting and will be a major plus to our fans, both locally and across the country."
Entries for both Monday and Tuesday bear this out. A total of 150 horses are set to compete, an average of more than 9.37 entrants a race, well above the industry average.
While there are many new faces, local racing fans will see many of their favorite horsemen and jockeys based in Ohio including T. D. Houghton, Jeffery Skerritt, Luis Gonzalez, Jason Lumpkins, and Christian Pilares.
In the training ranks, there are many familiar names such as Radosevich, Spiess, Gorham, Faulkner, and Allen.
Ed Vomacka, the racing secretary at Mahoning Valley Racecourse said: "Our first condition book is out and our daily overnight purse average will be between $55,000 and $60,000, and our stakes races will be worth a minimum of $50,000."
Highlighting the wagering menu is the Pick 3 & Pick 4. There will be five Pick 3's and one Pick 4 on each 8-race program featuring a 50-cent minimum and 15% takeout. In addition, Mahoning Valley Racecourse will also offer a 10-cent minimum wager on superfectas on each live race with a minimum of eight horses entered. Other wagers include trifectas with a 50-cent minimum. The early and late double, as well as win, place, and show bets, feature a $2 minimum.
Starting in 2015, Mahoning Valley Racecourse will offer 100 racing dates during two meets, January-April, and October-December. The new track will complete a circuit with Thistledown Racetrack, which is located in nearby North Randall, Ohio.
The facility, which had its grand opening Sept. 17, is open 24/7 every day of the year and currently features 850 video lottery terminals regulated by the Ohio Lottery Commission. Off-track wagering is available seven days a week in the simulcast theater located on the second floor of the grandstand.