Michigan group conditionally awarded 26 race dates for 2019

The Michigan Gaming Control Board has awarded 26 days of live Thoroughbred racing next year to a group that plans to convert a shuttered harness track into a Thoroughbred track, the board said on Wednesday.

The group, which is planning to host racing next year at Sports Creek Raceway near Flint, will need to reach a lease or other contract to use the property “on or before Dec. 1” and fulfill other conditions in order to run the dates, the board said. If the conditions are met, Sports Creek’s operators will also be allowed to begin full-card simulcasting on Jan. 1.

The 26 race dates would be run on Fridays and Saturdays between June 15 and Sept. 7.

Thoroughbred racing in Michigan was dealt a blow this year when the state’s lone remaining track, Hazel Park, abruptly shut its doors.

The group seeking to reopen Sports Creek AmRace and Sports was approved as a license holder at a meeting on Wednesday of the gambling board. If the company does not meet the conditions set forth by the board, the license could be suspended or revoked, the board said.