Prairie Meadows

Prairie Meadows

Prairie Meadows is a Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racetrack and racino in Altoona, Iowa.

History and information

In 1984, Prairie Meadows received a license from the Iowa Racing and Gaming commission to operate a horse racing facility after parimutuel betting was legalized by the state. In 1987, groundbreaking ceremonies were held for Prairie Meadows.

Prairie Meadows conducted its first day of racing on March 1, 1989. However, the track lost money during its first few years of operation and filed for bankruptcy in 1991. Live racing was suspended for the 1992 season before revenues from off-track betting allowed racing to resume the following year.

On May 17, 1994, Polk County voters approved a referendum allowing the installation of slot machines at Prairie Meadows. On April 1, 1995, the slot machine casino opened at Prairie Meadows, and by the end of 1996, Prairie Meadows was able to pay off the bonds that were issued by the Polk County Board of Supervisors. [cite book|first=Barbara Beving Long|last=Henning|coauthors=Patrice K. Beam|title=Des Moines and Polk County: Flag on the Prairie|location=Sun Valley, California|publisher=American Historical Press|year=2003|id=ISBN 1-892724-34-0]

On December 14, 2004, Prairie Meadows added casino game tables after receiving state approval to do so. As a result of the high demand for these tables, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission approved Prairie Meadows' plans to expand its facility on January 25, 2005. [cite news|first=William|last=Petroski|title=Board approves Prairie Meadows growth|work=The Des Moines Register|date=2005-01-26|page=1B] Construction on the $60 million expansion began in September 2005. An addition to the casino opened in August 2006, while two new restaurants and a 1,200-seat concert hall known as "The Meadows" opened in February 2007. [cite news|first=William|last=Petroski|title=New Prairie Meadows areas are smoke-free from start|work=The Des Moines Register|date=2006-12-13|page=7B]

Prairie Meadows is owned by Polk County and operated by the non-profit Racing Association of Central Iowa, a 13-member board of Polk County residents. The revenues generated by Prairie Meadows are given to various community projects in the Des Moines area, including construction of the Iowa Events Center complex in downtown Des Moines.

Physical attributes

Prairie Meadows has a one mile dirt track with a chute for quarter horses. On site is a casino with 1,750 slot machines [cite web|author=Prairie Meadows|title=FAQ|url=http://www.prairiemeadows.com/faq.php|accessdate=2007-02-23] and casino game tables featuring games such as poker, roulette, and blackjack. The track area has also hosted free concerts by national musical acts in recent years.

Racing

Prairie Meadows runs many stakes and handicaps during its April to October season. The April to July season is all thoroughbred and the July to October season is mixed thoroughbreds and quarter horses. The track runs two graded stakes races during the thoroughbred season. They are:
*Grade 2 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Breeders' Cup Handicap
*Grade 3 Iowa Oaks Stakes
* Iowa Derby

References

External links

* [http://www.prairiemeadows.com Prairie Meadows' official website]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino — (Altoona,США) Категория отеля: 4 звездочный отель Адрес: 1 Prai …   Каталог отелей

  • Prairie Meadows 250 — is a Automobile Racing Club of America race that takes place at the Iowa Speedway. The 2007 Event will take place on June 2, 2007. The inaugural event was in 2006 and was the finale for the series. Past Events External links*… …   Wikipedia

  • Meadows, Illinois — Meadows Village Cou …   Wikipedia

  • Meadows Township, Wilkin County, Minnesota — Meadows Township, Minnesota   Township   …   Wikipedia

  • prairie — Synonyms and related words: Lebensraum, agricultural region, air space, alkali flat, alluvial plain, arable land, back country, basin, billiard table, black belt, bottomland, bowling green, bushveld, campo, champaign, champaign country, citrus… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • Delta Meadows River Park — Location Sacramento County, California, United States Nearest city Locke, California Governing …   Wikipedia

  • Gunnison's prairie dog — Conservation status Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) …   Wikipedia

  • Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge — was established in 1992 to preserve a large, natural wetland complex. The refuge is located in central Minnesota and serves as an important stop for many species of migrating birds. Located within a large watershed that includes Rice, Skunk and… …   Wikipedia

  • Crex Meadows — is a wildlife area that consists of marshes, wetlands, brush prairies, and forests. Crex Meadows is located in near the village of Grantsburg, Wisconsin, in Burnett County, Wisconsin. Its 30,000 acres (120 km2) are home to 270 species of… …   Wikipedia

  • Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge — was established to provide a means of working with individuals, groups, private organizations, and government entities to permanently preserve a portion of the remaining remnant tracts of northern tallgrass prairie in Minnesota and Iowa. The… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”