Indiana Grand plans Monday-Thursday racing schedule in 2021

Indiana Grand in Shelbyville, Ind., will race next year on the weekly schedule it adopted this year to take advantage of lack of competition in the simulcast market during the coronavirus pandemic.

The track will run largely on a Monday-through-Thursday schedule, while also holding eight live race cards on Saturday, during a meet running from April 13 to Nov. 4, for a total of 120 live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing dates. The schedule was approved by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission on Thursday.

Prior to this year, Indiana Grand raced on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The track shifted its schedule to days earlier in the week after the coronavirus disruption led to widespread closures of racetracks and new opportunities in the simulcast market.

Total handle this year on the track’s signal was a record $199.0 million on 96 dates of racing, up 60.9 percent compared to total handle last year of $123.6 million on 120 race dates in 2019. During the pandemic, most wagering has been conducted through account-wagering operations, and handle on days earlier in the week this year has increased significantly.

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“We worked off our successful schedule from 2020 in cooperation with our horsemen’s groups to determine the best possible days of the week for racing for both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing,” Eric Halstrom, the track’s general manager, said in a press release. “We feel we have found our niche during the week in those mid-afternoon start times.”

First post on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays will be 2:25 p.m. Eastern, while first post on Thursdays will be 3:25 p.m.

Six of the eight Saturday cards will be devoted exclusively to Quarter Horse racing. First post for the Saturday cards will be noon.