Horse racing returns to Austintown racino

AUSTINTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – When Hollywood Gaming opened in Austintown, the slots were first and the horse racing started two months later. The bet was the Valley would like horse racing, and it has. Saturday, the horses are back.

Are you ready for horse racing season? Rhapsody is. The support horse is behind the scenes for the races, which begin Saturday at Hollywood Gaming.

“These horses are very intelligent animals. They walk around. They know when they want to race. You watch them coming back to that winner’s circle. You can see the pride in their eyes. They love it,” said Candy Wetzel, assistant director of racing.

This will be the eleventh season of racing at Mahoning Valley Race Course. There were 1,800 applicants for 1,000 stalls this season. The track’s reputation continues to grow and you should notice it at the races.

“If you’ve looked at our first two cards, you’ll see we’ve got full field sizes, so competition will be stronger,” said Hugh Drexler, director of racing.

Not just the number of horses but also the quality. The season is 100 dates, Monday through Thursday and then Saturdays. This is the time of the year when the sounds of racing are just feet away.

“You’re seeing the horses in person. You’re hearing it. You’re getting the thrill of it. You can go outside, watch them in the paddock, watch the ponies up close. So there’s nothing like it,” Wetzel said.

There are usually eight races each day. Bigger fields can create more wagering, so there’s a bigger chance bettors can win large prizes for a winning ticket.

“You can get as in-depth as you’d like, or you can go out to the paddock and pick the prettiest horse,” Drexler said.

Children are welcome to watch the horse races, too. They just can’t go on the casino floor.

The first race is Saturday at 12:05 p.m.

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