×

Horses get started on track Friday

AUSTINTOWN — And they’re off. Well, they will be on Friday.

The 2016-17 fall/winter meet at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course begins Friday with an eight-race program, to be followed Saturday by the “Best of Ohio Day” featuring five six-figure championship events.

A daily purse structure of $90,000, along with a bulked-up stakes schedule, has led to a backstretch that is filled to capacity. Approximately 2,000 applications were received for the 988 available stalls on the Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course backstretch.

That stakes schedule includes the “Best of Ohio,” the year-end series of five $150,000 championship events for horses bred in the Buckeye State, as well as the $200,000 Steel Valley Sprint.

Mark Loewe, vice-president of Ohio Racing Operations for Penn Gaming, said the $200,000 Steel Valley Sprint, a part of the Penn Gaming Racing Challenge, will be run on Nov. 21, as will the $75,000 Mahoning Distaff.

“Trainers based in the Midwest and Northeast have already inquired about the two stakes and we are looking forward to bringing some of the top sprinters to our track,” Loewe said.

Nominations for both the Steel Valley and the Mahoning Distaff close on Nov. 7. The two races anchor the stakes schedule which features a total of 14 events worth $1.55 million.

At press time entries have been drawn for the first two days and horsemen filled the entry box with a total of eighty-six horses listed for the eight-race card on Friday, an average of more than 10.75 horses per race. Saturday’s Best of Ohio program features double-digit fields in seven of the eight events.

New to the wagering menu is a pick 6. Named the Buckeye Pick 6, this wager will have a minor pool and carryover with a unique winning ticket. On days when there is no single winning ticket, the majority of the pool will carry over. The Buckeye Pick 6 will have a 20-cent minimum.

Also new for horse players is Penn Gaming’s new online wagering website. Launched earlier in 2016, conveniences and advantages include the ability to make deposits and withdrawals from your account via several options, including on property, along with being able to watch and wager on live races from your PC or mobile device.

The 2016-17 fall/winter racing season will feature primarily a four-day-a-week schedule, Monday through Wednesday, and Saturdays, with a first post of 12:45  p.m. during the week and 12:15 p.m. on Saturdays.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
     

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.85/week.

Subscribe Today