Thistledown (racecourse)
Encyclopedia
Thistledown is a thoroughbred
race
track
in North Randall, Ohio
at the outskirts of the city of Cleveland
. It is owned by Harrah's Entertainment
.
, the only graded stakes race in Ohio.
The track races under the Ohio 7/7 Program which means that live racing is held at two locations in the state at the same time. During the summer Thistledown races seven races on a card and River Downs
races the other seven. In September, Beulah Park takes over for River Downs. Ohio racing is dark January to March. The track has declined in recent years due to summertime competition and the lack of slot machines that neighboring tracks have.
In 2007, Thistledown's parent company, Magna Entertainment, announced that the racetrack was for sale. As a result of staggering losses in which Magna Entertainment reported net losses of $87.4 million in 2006, $105.3 million in 2005 and $95.6 million in 2004, and has an accumulated deficit of $393.8 million as of March 31, 2007, Magna Entertainment stated: "Accordingly, the company's ability to continue as a going concern is in substantial doubt and is dependent on the company generating cash flows that are adequate to sustain the operations of the business, renew or extend current financing arrangements and maintain its obligations with respect to secured and unsecured creditors, none of which is assured...". Once-thriving Thistledown, which hosts the $300,000 Ohio Derby, posted a pretax loss of $4.5 million in 2006. Thistledown and parent company, Magna Entertainment, recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Thistledown was purchased in 2010 by Harrah's Entertainment for $43 million.
Ohio Derby
. The track also hosts numerous overnight handicaps and minor stakes during its April to September racing season. Ungraded handicaps and stakes run in 2010 are:
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
race
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
track
Race track
A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
in North Randall, Ohio
North Randall, Ohio
North Randall is a village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1027 at the 2010 census.-Geography:North Randall is located at ....
at the outskirts of the city of Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. It is owned by Harrah's Entertainment
Harrah's Entertainment
Caesars Entertainment Corporation is a private gaming corporation that owns and operates over 50 casinos, hotels, and seven golf courses under several brands. The company, based in Paradise, Nevada, is the largest gaming company in the world, with yearly revenues $8.9 billion...
.
History and Information
The track came under the regulation of the Ohio Racing Commission in 1931 when it was formed. The track is the home of the Ohio DerbyOhio Derby
The Ohio Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early June at Thistledown in North Randall, Ohio.The Grade III Stakes race for three-year-olds is run on dirt over a distance of 1 and 1/16 miles....
, the only graded stakes race in Ohio.
The track races under the Ohio 7/7 Program which means that live racing is held at two locations in the state at the same time. During the summer Thistledown races seven races on a card and River Downs
River Downs
River Downs is a horse racetrack located in Anderson Township, Hamilton County, Ohio, just outside the southeast limits of Cincinnati.- History :...
races the other seven. In September, Beulah Park takes over for River Downs. Ohio racing is dark January to March. The track has declined in recent years due to summertime competition and the lack of slot machines that neighboring tracks have.
In 2007, Thistledown's parent company, Magna Entertainment, announced that the racetrack was for sale. As a result of staggering losses in which Magna Entertainment reported net losses of $87.4 million in 2006, $105.3 million in 2005 and $95.6 million in 2004, and has an accumulated deficit of $393.8 million as of March 31, 2007, Magna Entertainment stated: "Accordingly, the company's ability to continue as a going concern is in substantial doubt and is dependent on the company generating cash flows that are adequate to sustain the operations of the business, renew or extend current financing arrangements and maintain its obligations with respect to secured and unsecured creditors, none of which is assured...". Once-thriving Thistledown, which hosts the $300,000 Ohio Derby, posted a pretax loss of $4.5 million in 2006. Thistledown and parent company, Magna Entertainment, recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Thistledown was purchased in 2010 by Harrah's Entertainment for $43 million.
Racing
The track's premier race is the Grade IIIGraded stakes race
A 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...
Ohio Derby
Ohio Derby
The Ohio Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early June at Thistledown in North Randall, Ohio.The Grade III Stakes race for three-year-olds is run on dirt over a distance of 1 and 1/16 miles....
. The track also hosts numerous overnight handicaps and minor stakes during its April to September racing season. Ungraded handicaps and stakes run in 2010 are:
- The Angenora Stakes
- The Dr. T.F. Classen Memorial Stakes
- The Mike Rowland Memorial Handicap
- The J. William (Bill) Petro Memorial Handicap
- The Cleveland Gold Cup
- The Rose DeBartolo Memorial Stakes
- The George Lewis Memorial Stakes
- The Cleveland Kindergarten Stakes
- The Ohio Derby
- The Miss Ohio Stakes
- The Governor's Buckeye Cup
- The Best of Ohio Distaff
- The Best of Ohio Endurance
- The Best of Ohio Sprint
- Juvenile Stakes
- The Honey Jay Stakes