Indiana Grand

He grew up on the racetrack, mainly at the old Latonia, spending many a morning and afternoon there with his father Daryl, who worked as a jockey agent, an exercise rider and a racing official. And everywhere he went, Deshawn Parker saw people just like him. Young, Black and eager to make a name for themselves in the sport. It was the '70s and the '80s and at whatever track you went to, the majority of backstretch workers were African Americans. Today, they make up a small fraction of a...

Indiana Grand Racing & Casino recorded its best wagering week ever in handle. Over the first four days of racing, a total of $9,867,445 was wagered on 35 Thoroughbred and 10 Quarter Horse races. The previous best week of handle was recorded during Indiana Derby Week in 2019. A total of $8,673,496 was wagered over four days to establish a new record for most handle recorded in one week of racing. "The reception of our racing program on a national level has been outstanding," said Eric Halstrom, vice president and...

Three jockeys, Agustin Gomez, Albin Jimenez and Joe Ramos, were involved in a racing incident just after the start of the fourth race at Indiana Grand Wednesday, June 17. As a result, Jimenez and Gomez were each transported to IU Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis with non-life-threatening injuries for further evaluation. Ramos walked back to the jockey's quarters following inspection by on-track medical personnel. Lichita, ridden by Agustin Gomez, fell after clipping heels along the inside rail, unseating Gomez. The incident caused a chain reaction with Ramos being unseated from Five Pics...

Indiana Grand Race Course will host a 94-day meeting in 2020, beginning Monday, June 15 through Wednesday, Nov. 18, on a Monday-Thursday schedule, after the Indiana Horse Racing Commission formally approved the schedule Thursday. There will also be four special Saturday programs for Quarter Horses only over the course of the meet. Also approved was a Pick 5 wager on the final five Thoroughbred races each day which will offer takeout of 11.99%, believed to be the lowest takeout on any wager in the country. The Pick 5 will be...

Indiana Grand Racing & Casino has released its revised condition book and stakes schedule for the 2020 season. Both are contingent upon the approval of the Indiana Horse Racing Commission on the recently proposed racing dates of a 94-day season beginning Monday, June 15 and finishing Wednesday, Nov. 18. The Thoroughbred stakes calendar is highlighted by the GIII Indiana Derby and GIII Indiana Oaks that will move to July 8 as a part of a six-stakes program. The Indiana Derby purse has been changed to $300,000, and the distance changed...

Fitting into a five-phase reopening plan for the state of Indiana outlined by its governor, the Indiana Horse Racing Commission has announced four major dates to pay attention to for the reopening of the state's racetracks. The dates are as follows: May 11--Essential travel restrictions are lifted (local non-essential travel allowed). Horses currently located in Indiana will be allowed to begin moving onto the backside of both racetracks. This applies only to those trainers with horses currently located in-state. Please contact Harrah's Hoosier Park or Indiana Grand's racing office to...

Harrah's Hoosier Park Racing & Casino, Indiana Grand Racing & Casino and Winner's Circle Race, Sports, Pub locations in Downtown Indianapolis, New Haven and Clarksville, Indiana will be closing for at least 14 days beginning at 6:00 a.m. Monday. parent company Caesars Entertainment announced. The Indiana Gaming and Indiana Horse Racing Commissions also announced that all licensed gaming and racing operations in Indiana will close at 6:00 a.m. Monday. "There have been no reported cases of COVID-19 at Caesars Entertainment's Indiana gaming and racing properties to date. This decision is...

Eric Halstrom, who has served in a variety of executive position at racetracks predominantly in the Midwest and Mid-south regions, has been named vice president and general manager of racing at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino, pending all regulatory approvals. Halstrom, who begins his new roles Monday, Feb. 17, is just the second individual to hold that position and succeeds Jon Schuster, who passed away late last year. "I'm very excited to begin a new chapter at Indiana Grand," said Halstrom. "This is such an amazing time for this facility...

The 18th season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing at Indiana Grand will begin Tuesday, Apr. 14, but for the first time in the history of the track, one person will be noticeably missing. Jon Schuster, longtime vice president and general manager, passed away in late 2019 and Indiana Grand will hold several tributes to him when racing resumes. "Jon was such an integral part of the progress of Indiana Grand dating back to the very first season," said Mike Rich, senior vice president and general manager. "He was very...