Hoosier Park

Hoosier Park is a racino including a thoroughbred and standardbred racetrack located in Anderson, Indiana, United States.

In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America. Of the top Ten, Hoosier Park was ranked #4.

History

In 1990, Virgil E. Cook, a prominent local businessman and longtime resident of Anderson, Indiana, donated 110 acres (0.45 km²) of commercial real estate to the city for the sole purpose of developing a pari-mutuel racing facility. In 1992, Churchill Downs Incorporated announced plans to purchase Indiana's only pari-mutuel license from The Anderson Park Group headed by Louis Carlo and open a racetrack on the site of the land donated by Cook. It was the first racetrack outside Kentucky owned by Churchill Downs since 1939. In February 1994 a contract was signed for the construction of Hoosier Park. The construction of the facility cost approximately $13 million. On September 1, 1994, the track finally opened. A crowd of 7,633 came to the grand opening of the standardbred season. The track announces plans to open four off-track betting facilities in Indiana. On October 7, 1995, the first Indiana Derby was run.

Hoosier

Hoosier /ˈhuːʒər/ is the official demonym for a resident of the U.S. state of Indiana. The origin of the term remains a matter of debate within the state, but "Hoosier" was in general use by the 1840s, having been popularized by Richmond resident John Finley's 1833 poem "The Hoosier's Nest". Anyone born in Indiana or a resident at the time is considered to be a Hoosier. Indiana adopted the nickname "The Hoosier State" more than 150 years ago.

"Hoosier" is used in the names of numerous Indiana-based businesses and organizations. "Hoosiers" is also the name of the Indiana University athletic teams and seven active and one disbanded athletic conferences in the Indiana High School Athletic Association have the word "Hoosier" in their name. As there is no accepted embodiment of a Hoosier, the IU schools are represented through their letters and colors alone.

Origin

In addition to "The Hoosier's Nest", the term also appeared in the Indianapolis Journal's "Carrier's Address" on January 1, 1833. There are many suggestions for the derivation of the word, but none is universally accepted.

Hoosier (disambiguation)

Hoosier most commonly refers to a person from the U.S. state of Indiana, known as The Hoosier State.

Indiana-related terms

Other

Hoosier Hundred

The Hoosier Hundred is a USAC Silver Crown Series race held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. The race was first held in 1953, and through 1970 was part of the National Championship.

Over the years, the Hoosier Hundred has been considered one of the richest and most prestigious open wheel Sprint car races in the United States. Seven winners of the Hoosier Hundred have also won the Indianapolis 500, led by A. J. Foyt, who has won six times. The event takes place at the historic one-mile (1.6 km) dirt oval at the fairgrounds complex, known as the "Track of Champions."

Qualifying and/or heat race(s) lead up to the main event, a 100-lap, 100-mile (160 km) race held under the lights. Currently, the Hoosier Hundred is held on Memorial Day weekend, the same weekend as the Indianapolis 500, which is held nearby at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

History

Racing at the fairgrounds oval dates back to the early 20th century. In June 1903, Barney Oldfield drove the first 60 mph (96.5 km/h) lap in automobile history at the circuit. The first AAA championship race took place in 1946, with Rex Mays sweeping the pole position and race.