Horse racing has a history in Ohio dating back almost two centuries, and continues to thrive today. Though tracks like Glenville, Ascot Park and Beulah have come into and out of existence over the years, seven racetracks in the state make sure there is always a place to hear the call to the post.
Thoroughbred racing happens at Thistledown in North Randall (a suburb of Cleveland), Belterra Park in Cincinnati, and Mahoning Valley Race Course in Youngstown. Those who enjoy Standardbred racing can see it live at Dayton Raceway in Dayton, Miami Valley in Lebanon, Northfield Park in Northfield, and Scioto Downs in Columbus.
With so many tracks in the state, there is never a shortage of live racing happening in Ohio. With three Thoroughbred tracks and four harness tracks across the state, fans of all kinds of racing always have a place to go for a day out, and bettors always have great opportunities to play the local ponies.
Recommended Online Racebooks
There are only eight places for simulcast wagering in Ohio: the seven racetracks as well as the Cedar Downs OTB in Sandusky. This may be convenient if you live in any of these places, but if you're far from them or you're just too busy to go out and bet, it's good to have a better option.
Your best bet is to play the races at an online racebook. At an online racebook, you can bet horse races in Ohio and all around the world from home or on the go, anywhere with an internet connection, on your computer, tablet, or phone. Online racebooks offer market-leading odds as well as futures bets and prop bets on major races around the world.
If you bet online, you can also take advantage of bonuses that you'll never find at a track or a live off-track betting location, like sign-up bonuses, deposit bonuses, referral benefits, and even rebates that pay you cash or bet credit for every wager you make. You can build your bankroll faster than ever by betting online!
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Ohio Horse Racing Tracks
There are seven tracks in Ohio where fans and bettors can attend the races. Three of them specialize in Thoroughbred racing, while the other four host exclusively harness racing.
Thistledown hosts live thoroughbred racing from late April through the middle of October, typically on weekdays except for Ohio Derby day. Belterra races through a similar part of the year, late April through early October, on mainly a Wednesday through Saturday schedule. Mahoning Valley bears the standard of Ohio racing through the winter, starting in late October and drawing to a close in the middle of April.
On the harness side, Northfield Park is one of the most active racetracks in the country, racing three or four days a week all year long. Miami Valley does a winter and spring meet, starting in early January and ending at the beginning of May. Scioto Downs does a long summer meet, starting in early May after Miami Valley closes and ending the meet in mid-September.
Horse Races in Ohio
There is horse racing to bet on in Ohio almost every day, though each track does have its premier cards.
The most famous race in Ohio is the Ohio Derby (G3), the only graded-stakes race in the state. The $500,000 race, typically run in late June, draws a mix of contenders from the Triple Crown series as well as later-blooming horses getting ready to make an impact in the latter half of the season.
The flagship race at Mahoning Valley is the $300,000 Steel Valley Sprint, a six-furlong dash for sophomores that they run on a stakes-laden card in mid-November. At Belterra, there are $75,000 stakes events like the Babst/Palacios Memorial, the Cydney Gendelman Memorial, and the Queen City Oaks spread throughout the racing calendar.
Looking to harness racing, Scioto Downs hosts several $120,000 Grand Circuit races including the Nadia Lobell for sophomore pacing fillies and the Moni Maker for 3-year-old trotting fillies. Both Northfield and Miami Valley have series for Ohio-sired runners, as well.
OTB Locations in Ohio
Aside from the seven live race tracks in Ohio, which offer simulcast betting on races all over the world all year long, the only other off-track betting establishment in the state is Cedar Downs in Sandusky. Without a lot of local restaurants and bars hosting off-track wagering, getting out to a venue to be the races can take a lot of time. This makes signing up for an online racebook a particularly attractive option in the Buckeye State.