Indiana Downs re-named Indiana Grand Racing and Casino

Indiana Downs, the Shelbyville, Ind., racetrack and casino that was converted to the sole Thoroughbred track in Indiana last year, has been re-named Indiana Grand Racing and Casino, the track’s parent company announced Thursday.

The re-naming of the track is part of a larger scheme to “rebrand” the entire property, Centaur Gaming Inc., the track’s owner, said in a press release. Centaur, which also owns Indiana’s other horse racing track, Hoosier Park, bought Indiana Downs out of bankruptcy early last year, and after closing the agreement, the company consolidated the state’s Thoroughbred racing dates at Indiana Downs and its Standardbred racing dates at Hoosier Park.

Following the sale, the Indiana legislature approved a bill allowing Centaur to operate table games at its two racetrack properties, in addition to the thousands of slot machines that had been legal to operate at the tracks since 2008. The approval of the legislation put the tracks on equal competitive footing with standalone casinos in the state.

Centaur also said that live racing will be held at Indiana Downs on a four-day per week schedule, with live racing on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons and twilight racing on Fridays and Saturdays. The live meet is scheduled to open May 6 and run for 120 dates, with six of those cards for Quarter Horses, the company said.