Last weekend was a maiden for me. I took my first trip to Thistledown to see the Ohio Derby. It was as thrilling as I had anticipated. I loved the full day of racing and especially the feature that included 4 horses from this year’s Kentucky Derby. The race was a photo finish for Girvin and the winner, Irap. I can not forget the roar of the racing fans as the two approached the finish line. You just can’t beat live racing!
Jack Thistledown Racino is owned by Jack Entertainment and located in North Randall, Ohio, right outside of Cleveland. The racetrack opened on 7/20/1925. It was constructed by John H. McMillen on the property of William B. Chisholm. Many have owned the racetrack since. The Jack Entertainment name is as recent as March, 2016. Thistledown has suffered through many trials and tribulations including legal woes and fire. Currently, the track features live racing from 5/1 thru 10/21/17. The Racino also features gaming machines, live entertainment and several restaurants.
The premier race held at Thistledown is the Grade III Ohio Derby. I was there for the 83rd edition of the race. The track is a 1 mile dirt oval. The Ohio Derby is a 1 and 1/8 mile (9 furlongs) race for 3 year-old male Thoroughbreds. The purse is $500,000. Nine horses were entered. The order of finish was:
- Irap
- Girvin
- Untrapped
- Sorry Erik
- Game Over
- Hinton
- Talk Less
- Vibe
- Fast and Accurate
On a fast track in perfect weather, Irap finished at 1:50.48 paying $7.60 to win. It was a very close finish over the morning-line favorite, Girvin.
I had front row views of the finish line, paddock and winners circle without excessive crowding. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the presentation in the winner’s circle. Irap is the offspring of Tiznow and Silken Cat. He was bred in Kentucky by Aaron and Marie Jones. Irap is trained by Doug O’Neill, his jockey is Julien Leparoux and he is owned by Reddam Racing, LLC. Several of his connections were on hand to take the winning photo and receive the trophies. Irap looked great draped in a blanket of Ohio’s state flower, red carnations. Leparoux appeared to be beaming. Irap moved up to 6th place among North American 3 year-old Thoroughbreds. He has $1 million dollars in earnings for 2017. He may aim for a race in California next or the Indiana Derby.
I was a bit overdressed for the occasion, which is fine by me. The track is very casual. The racino is clean and updated. I had a nice time at the gaming machines and I enjoyed the buffet lunch at Silks. Silks restaurant is a glass front, 500 seat room with views of the track and paddock. The staff was very polite and friendly. They helped me to get a closer look at the winner’s circle merely by sensing my interest and then took free portraits of myself and other fans with the Ohio Derby trophy by a professional photographer shortly after the race. I was given black and red beads in honor of the Ohio Derby Day upon my free entry and two T-shirts for signing up for the gaming. There was live music throughout the racino and a children’s play area too. No fees to park, no fees to enter and plenty of fun.
I had a great time at Thistledown. I always enjoy taking in a different track. The Ohio Derby features some fantastic 3 year-olds. I would recommend the event and the racino to any horse racing fan. Let me know what track you like best? I hope to make it to many more and when I do, I’ll be sharing with you as I do each week or more. Be sure to click on the gallery photos to enlarge them and get the full view.
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