Indiana Grand set to open backstretch, with racing resuming in June

Indiana Grand announced Thursday it will open its backstretch to outside horses on Monday and plans to start its 2020 racing season on or around Sunday, June 14.

Indiana Grand, in Shelbyville southeast of Indianapolis, was scheduled to begin its racing season April 14 but closed its stabling area when the track’s casino ceased operations March 16 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Indiana Grand initially asked horse people already stabled at the track to leave, but reversed course and permitted the 100 or so horses already at the track to remain.

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Thursday’s announcement said horses already in Indiana would have first preference for available stalls. Trainers granted stall space will be assigned specific arrival slots over a period of several days, with training to commence next Wednesday.

Indiana Grand’s press release said a specific opening day, a racing calendar for the rest of 2020, and a stakes schedule would be released in the next week.

Indiana Grand had been scheduled for a 120-day racing season. The track, owned by Caesars Entertainment, heavily subsidizes with revenue from an attached casino and sports book, which remains shuttered because of COVID-19.

Indiana Grand is the second track in the region to announce plans to restart racing, following Churchill Downs in Kentucky. Canterbury Park in Minnesota this week opened its stables but has not set a date for racing’s resumption. Prairie Meadows in Iowa hasn’t released any news regarding its plans, and Arlington outside Chicago has indefinitely delayed not only the 2020 racing season, which was supposed to start May 1, but the opening of its backstretch.