Presque Isle Downs
Encyclopedia
Presque Isle Downs and Casino is a casino
and horse racing track complex located south of Erie, Pennsylvania
. The owner, MTR Gaming Group
, broke ground in October 2005 for its new facility, which opened on February 28, 2007. It contains 2,000 slot machines. The 1 miles (1.6 km) oval track opened on September 2, 2007. It is paved with the synthetic material Tapeta Footings (a mixture of sand
, rubber
, fiber
with a wax
coating). It's the first synthetic horse racetrack that is longer than 1 mile (2 km) in the Northeast
and the first racetrack paved with Tapeta in the United States
. Simulcast
ing was transferred from its former upper Peach Street
location and became operational in August 2007.
Some of the races at Presque Isle Downs include:
Gaming
revenue
is split between the operator (45%) and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (55%), the latter of which will use the funds for property tax relief, economic development and tourism, and the horse racing industry. Revenue from table games goes to the state's general fund and the local government.
The property is located on a 272 acres (1.1 km²) site off Exit 27 on Interstate 90
in Summit Township
.
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
and horse racing track complex located south of Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
. The owner, MTR Gaming Group
MTR Gaming Group
MTR Gaming Group Inc. is a hospitality company based in Chester, West Virginia. The company holds, mostly through several subsidiaries, hotels, casinos and sports facilities...
, broke ground in October 2005 for its new facility, which opened on February 28, 2007. It contains 2,000 slot machines. The 1 miles (1.6 km) oval track opened on September 2, 2007. It is paved with the synthetic material Tapeta Footings (a mixture of sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
, rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
, fiber
Fiber
Fiber is a class of materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces, similar to lengths of thread.They are very important in the biology of both plants and animals, for holding tissues together....
with a wax
Wax
thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...
coating). It's the first synthetic horse racetrack that is longer than 1 mile (2 km) in the Northeast
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
and the first racetrack paved with Tapeta in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
ing was transferred from its former upper Peach Street
Peach Street
Peach Street, part of U.S. Route 19, is a main artery serving downtown Erie, Pennsylvania. Once surrounded by nothing but rolling hills and farmland, "Upper Peach Street" , is the most significant center of urban sprawl in Erie and is now home to numerous strip plazas, a major shopping mall and...
location and became operational in August 2007.
Some of the races at Presque Isle Downs include:
- Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes, Grade IIGraded stakes raceA graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
- Presque Isle Mile
- Tom Ridge Labor Day StakesTom Ridge Labor Day StakesThe Tom Ridge Labor Day Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually on Labor Day at Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Pennsylvania. First run in 2007, the year the racetrack opened, it is a six-furlong event for three-year-old horses and is raced on Tapeta synthetic dirt...
Gaming
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
revenue
Revenue
In business, revenue is income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. In many countries, such as the United Kingdom, revenue is referred to as turnover....
is split between the operator (45%) and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (55%), the latter of which will use the funds for property tax relief, economic development and tourism, and the horse racing industry. Revenue from table games goes to the state's general fund and the local government.
The property is located on a 272 acres (1.1 km²) site off Exit 27 on Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
in Summit Township
Summit Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania
Summit Township is a township in Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,529 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 23.9 square miles , all of it land.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were...
.