Harness: Hambletonian moved to Harrah's Hoosier Park starting in 2027

The Hambletonian Society voted on Thursday (August 13) to move the $1 million Grade 1 Hambletonian to Harrah's Hoosier Park in Anderson, Ind., after a 46-year run at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.

The Hambletonian Society owns and administers 164 of the most important events in harness racing, including the $1 million Hambletonian, $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, $400,000 Hambletonian Maturity and the $7 million Breeders Crown series. The board of directors that governs these events consists of 26 of the sport's stakeholders and president and CEO John Campbell.

The Hambletonian Stake has had six venues in its 100-year history. The seventh, Hoosier Park, came with an incentive-laden contract to relocate to the Midwest's premier racino. In partnership with the Indiana Horse Racing Commission and Indiana Standardbred Association, Hoosier Park's bid to host the event from 2027 through 2029 was accepted.

Entertaining proposals to host the Hambletonian became necessary when the Meadowlands did not exercise its exclusive right of renewal for the Hambletonian in September 2025. Under Society by-laws, the Hambletonian must then be opened annually to prospective bidders unless already secured by contract. The race must also be conducted in daylight hours and on a track no smaller than seven-eighths of a mile.

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"No decision regarding the Hambletonian is taken lightly by the board," said Campbell. "The Hambletonian has enjoyed a long and successful run at the Meadowlands since 1981. All Meadowlands management teams have been great partners in promoting the race and the surrounding events. However, the board received a proposal, that it accepted, from Harrah's Hoosier Park, with the support of the Indiana Racing Commission and Indiana Standardbred Association that will only guarantee continued opportunity and growth for the Hambletonian and the sport."

Hoosier Park opened its seven-eighths-mile racetrack with a Standardbred meeting on Sept. 1, 1994. The casino floor with slots and gaming spaces was added in June 2008, and in 2018 was rebranded as Harrah's Hoosier Park Racing & Casino. Now part of Caesars Entertainment Inc., the complex is one of the Indianapolis area's premier entertainment destinations with nearly three million visitors each year. Besides a state of the art casino floor, the property features a sports book, world-renowned harness racing, premier dining and first-class entertainment.

"We are thrilled and honored to be awarded the Hambletonian Stakes," said Joe Morris, Senior Vice President of Racing for Caesars Entertainment. "This was a statewide effort from the Indiana Sports and Tourism Board, the governor's office, the city of Anderson and the Madison County Visitors Board. Our industry organizations, the Indiana Horse Racing Commission and Indiana Standardbred Association got together on what was truly a collaborative effort. Along with Caesars' commitment to the event, our staff, horsemen and farms all across the state worked hard to make this happen.”

Harrah's Hoosier Park has year-round simulcasting and 160 days of live harness racing from March through December. The track is currently home to more than $4.3 million in Grand Circuit and other stakes events. Indiana is also home to a thriving $8.3 million state-bred program with more than 83 resident stallions and 1,159 broodmares.

--press release (Hambletonian Society)--