Thistledown to request revised dates with a June 4 opening

Thistledown racetrack near Cleveland, Ohio, will submit a revised racing schedule to state regulators for a meet starting on June 4 and ending on Oct. 21, according to the state’s horsemen’s group.

The starting date is the same opening date for Belterra Park in Cincinnati, which on Tuesday received approval from the Ohio State Racing Commission to run a 75-day meet, spectator-free. Both Belterra and Thistledown will run on a four-day-a-week schedule, Monday through Thursday.

According to the Ohio Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, the barn area at Thistledown will open for ship-ins beginning May 26, with training to start on May 28.

:: To stay up to date, follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Thistledown’s director of racing, Patrick Ellsworth, did not respond to a message on Friday.

According to the Blood-Horse, Thistledown has scheduled its centerpiece stakes race, the Grade 3 Ohio Derby, for June 27, and the race will retain its $500,000 purse. This year, the Belmont Stakes will be held on June 20, while the Kentucky Derby will be run on Sept. 5.

Churchill Downs has not designated the Ohio Derby as one of the new races that will award points toward eligibility in the Kentucky Derby field.