River Downs
Encyclopedia
River Downs is a horse racetrack located in Anderson Township, Hamilton County, Ohio
, just outside the southeast limits of Cincinnati
.
in 1925. It was opened 15 years after the closing of a previous track in Cincinnati, Old Oakley Race Course. The race track sits right along the banks of the Ohio River
. The track was originally named Coney Island and is adjacent to Coney Island Amusement Park.
The famous horse Seabiscuit
made two appearances at River Downs in 1936. His trainer “Silent Tom” Smith shipped the horse in from Detroit with jockey “Red” Pollard for two consecutive starts. On October 3, 1936, he ran third in the Western Hills Handicap and two weeks later he ran third in the Eastern Hills Handicap.
The track managed to survive the disastrous Cincinnati flood of 1937
and re-opened under the name of "River Downs." Races were and still are held primarily in summer. The 7-furlong turf course was created in 1956, making River Downs the 13th track in America with a grass racing strip. The infield grass course has drawn rave reviews from horsemen across the country. Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay, Jr. once quoted, "This is the best turf course I've ever ridden on," after he rode Highland Crystal to victory in the Budweiser Breeders' Cup there.
On May 17, 1976 an apprentice jockey won the eighth race at River Downs aboard Red Pipe. It was the race that would launch the career of one of the world's most renowned riders, Steve Cauthen
. "The Kid", as he was called, went on to be the leading apprentice and overall rider at River Downs that season. He later rode Affirmed
to become the youngest rider to sweep the Triple Crown. He eventually became a champion rider in Europe and may forever be the only jockey ever to win the Irish Derby, French Derby, English Derby and Italian Derby in addition to capturing America's "Run for the Roses."
During the 1980s, the Miller Genuine Draft Cradle Stakes grew to become the richest race for 2-year-olds in the state of Ohio
. The 1983 winner, Coax Me Chad, went on to a second-place finish behind Swale in the Kentucky Derby
the following year. The 1984 "Cradle" winner did his predecessor one better – he won the Kentucky Derby
. Spend A Buck
not only won the Derby, but went on to win ten races and over $4.2 million, eventually being crowned Horse of the Year.
Over the decades, the wooden grandstand began to strain. River Downs Jockey Club Inc., who purchased the facility in 1975, elected to construct an entirely new grandstand, beginning immediately at the end of the 1988 racing season.
Management kept the style of the traditional open-air grandstand. Wooden benches were replaced with well-spaced stadium seats, a game room was installed next to a new gift shop, and escalators ferry the bettors to an expanded mezzanine level which features numerous concession stands and Finnigans Pub.
In addition to the $160 million grandstand, the paddock was doubled in size, accentuating the River Downs' philosophy that fans like to be close to the horses that they will gamble their money on. Following the 1989 reconstruction of the grandstand, several million dollars were invested in upgrading the Clubhouse. A new air-conditioning unit was installed, over 2500 television monitors were put in place, and the upper Clubhouse was extensively renovated with decor that included cherry wood and Italian marble.
On September 19, 1996, state legislation finally allowed Full Card simulcasting to take place in the state. In a matter of weeks after the live meet ended, the River Downs Clubhouse became the country's most modern simulcasting center – the River Downs RaceBook. Thoroughbred and harness racing from across the nation is broadcast over a 500 set semi-state-of-the-art television system that features over one hundred 40-inch, high-resolution direct-view televisions.
With the advent of increased simulcasting and the innovative Twin Seven Supercard, River Downs has installed a unique 110 channel in-house television system that allows the viewers access to race replays of every race on a single kiosk, advance viewing of upcoming simulcast race conditions and preview shows, and changing odds formats and program changes. River Downs is also the first track to feature a channel showing a "minutes to post" chronological display of all tracks.
Only months after the renovation of the River Downs RaceBook, the track fell victim to the Cincinnati flood of 1997. Waters flowed over the banks of the Ohio River in March at a rate that had not been witnessed for over 50 years. The entire lower level of the Clubhouse was flooded, as was the entire first level of the grandstand, office area and barn area. The track lost only 18 days of operation, however, before the upper level of the RaceBook was back in operation. The track was reopened on schedule for live racing in late April. In addition to a completely new lower-level Clubhouse, the backstretch underwent extensive improvements including a newly designed and renovated racing office and kitchen area. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:lo9KAs5CizoJ:www.riverdowns.com/history.htm+www.riverdowns.com/history.htm&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&source=www.google.com
In January 2011, the track was purchased by Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc., which currently owns and operates a total of seven casinos, located in Louisiana, Missouri, Indiana and Nevada. The Company is also developing a casino in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/28/idUS217410+28-Jan-2011+PRN20110128
Under new track management, the two biggest events on the stakes calendar, the Cradle and Bassinet, were canceled in 2011 to save purse money for the horsemen’s account. They are keeping open the option to reinstate both of them in future years. The highlight of the 2011 meet is the $75,000 Queen City Oaks on July 16. The 2011 meet was also reduced to 85 days of racing due to flooding of the Ohio River. http://www.drf.com/news/river-downs-set-open-shortened-meet-after-flood
weekend. Live racing is hosted by the Regular Guy, who along with Big Ed, perform the Regular Guy Show and handicap the cream of the crop from the Ohio racing stables.
of 9,350.
The track itself has two courses: the Main Track (dirt) is a 1 mile oval; inside of this is the turf (grass) course, spanning 7 furlongs. The Main Track is 80 feet wide and has two chutes. The barns consist of 1,350 stables.
Non-graded stakes races:
Anderson Township, Hamilton County, Ohio
Anderson Township is one of the twelve townships of Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. Located in the southeastern part of the county and less than 15 minutes from downtown, the township has been named one of the Cincinnati area's most desirable neighborhoods to live...
, just outside the southeast limits of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
.
History
River Downs opened in Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
in 1925. It was opened 15 years after the closing of a previous track in Cincinnati, Old Oakley Race Course. The race track sits right along the banks of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. The track was originally named Coney Island and is adjacent to Coney Island Amusement Park.
The famous horse Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse in the United States. From an inauspicious start, Seabiscuit became an unlikely champion and a symbol of hope to many Americans during the Great Depression...
made two appearances at River Downs in 1936. His trainer “Silent Tom” Smith shipped the horse in from Detroit with jockey “Red” Pollard for two consecutive starts. On October 3, 1936, he ran third in the Western Hills Handicap and two weeks later he ran third in the Eastern Hills Handicap.
The track managed to survive the disastrous Cincinnati flood of 1937
Ohio River flood of 1937
The Ohio River flood of 1937 took place in late January and February 1937. With damage stretching from Pittsburgh to Cairo, Illinois, one million persons were left homeless, with 385 dead and property losses reaching $500 million...
and re-opened under the name of "River Downs." Races were and still are held primarily in summer. The 7-furlong turf course was created in 1956, making River Downs the 13th track in America with a grass racing strip. The infield grass course has drawn rave reviews from horsemen across the country. Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay, Jr. once quoted, "This is the best turf course I've ever ridden on," after he rode Highland Crystal to victory in the Budweiser Breeders' Cup there.
On May 17, 1976 an apprentice jockey won the eighth race at River Downs aboard Red Pipe. It was the race that would launch the career of one of the world's most renowned riders, Steve Cauthen
Steve Cauthen
Steve Cauthen is a retired American jockey.Cauthen, the son of a trainer and a farrier, grew up in Walton, Kentucky around horses, which made race-riding a logical career choice. He rode his first race on May 12, 1976 at Churchill Downs; he finished last, riding King of Swat...
. "The Kid", as he was called, went on to be the leading apprentice and overall rider at River Downs that season. He later rode Affirmed
Affirmed
Affirmed was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the eleventh and most recent winner of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing...
to become the youngest rider to sweep the Triple Crown. He eventually became a champion rider in Europe and may forever be the only jockey ever to win the Irish Derby, French Derby, English Derby and Italian Derby in addition to capturing America's "Run for the Roses."
During the 1980s, the Miller Genuine Draft Cradle Stakes grew to become the richest race for 2-year-olds in the state of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. The 1983 winner, Coax Me Chad, went on to a second-place finish behind Swale in the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
the following year. The 1984 "Cradle" winner did his predecessor one better – he won the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
. Spend A Buck
Spend A Buck
Spend A Buck was an American thoroughbred race horse.-Background:Spend A Buck was sired by Buckaroo out of the dam Belle de Jour...
not only won the Derby, but went on to win ten races and over $4.2 million, eventually being crowned Horse of the Year.
Over the decades, the wooden grandstand began to strain. River Downs Jockey Club Inc., who purchased the facility in 1975, elected to construct an entirely new grandstand, beginning immediately at the end of the 1988 racing season.
Management kept the style of the traditional open-air grandstand. Wooden benches were replaced with well-spaced stadium seats, a game room was installed next to a new gift shop, and escalators ferry the bettors to an expanded mezzanine level which features numerous concession stands and Finnigans Pub.
In addition to the $160 million grandstand, the paddock was doubled in size, accentuating the River Downs' philosophy that fans like to be close to the horses that they will gamble their money on. Following the 1989 reconstruction of the grandstand, several million dollars were invested in upgrading the Clubhouse. A new air-conditioning unit was installed, over 2500 television monitors were put in place, and the upper Clubhouse was extensively renovated with decor that included cherry wood and Italian marble.
On September 19, 1996, state legislation finally allowed Full Card simulcasting to take place in the state. In a matter of weeks after the live meet ended, the River Downs Clubhouse became the country's most modern simulcasting center – the River Downs RaceBook. Thoroughbred and harness racing from across the nation is broadcast over a 500 set semi-state-of-the-art television system that features over one hundred 40-inch, high-resolution direct-view televisions.
With the advent of increased simulcasting and the innovative Twin Seven Supercard, River Downs has installed a unique 110 channel in-house television system that allows the viewers access to race replays of every race on a single kiosk, advance viewing of upcoming simulcast race conditions and preview shows, and changing odds formats and program changes. River Downs is also the first track to feature a channel showing a "minutes to post" chronological display of all tracks.
Only months after the renovation of the River Downs RaceBook, the track fell victim to the Cincinnati flood of 1997. Waters flowed over the banks of the Ohio River in March at a rate that had not been witnessed for over 50 years. The entire lower level of the Clubhouse was flooded, as was the entire first level of the grandstand, office area and barn area. The track lost only 18 days of operation, however, before the upper level of the RaceBook was back in operation. The track was reopened on schedule for live racing in late April. In addition to a completely new lower-level Clubhouse, the backstretch underwent extensive improvements including a newly designed and renovated racing office and kitchen area. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:lo9KAs5CizoJ:www.riverdowns.com/history.htm+www.riverdowns.com/history.htm&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&source=www.google.com
In January 2011, the track was purchased by Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc., which currently owns and operates a total of seven casinos, located in Louisiana, Missouri, Indiana and Nevada. The Company is also developing a casino in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/28/idUS217410+28-Jan-2011+PRN20110128
Under new track management, the two biggest events on the stakes calendar, the Cradle and Bassinet, were canceled in 2011 to save purse money for the horsemen’s account. They are keeping open the option to reinstate both of them in future years. The highlight of the 2011 meet is the $75,000 Queen City Oaks on July 16. The 2011 meet was also reduced to 85 days of racing due to flooding of the Ohio River. http://www.drf.com/news/river-downs-set-open-shortened-meet-after-flood
Live racing
Live racing is held at the track from the beginning of April until Labor DayLabor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
weekend. Live racing is hosted by the Regular Guy, who along with Big Ed, perform the Regular Guy Show and handicap the cream of the crop from the Ohio racing stables.
Physical attributes
River Downs has seating capacitySeating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 9,350.
The track itself has two courses: the Main Track (dirt) is a 1 mile oval; inside of this is the turf (grass) course, spanning 7 furlongs. The Main Track is 80 feet wide and has two chutes. The barns consist of 1,350 stables.
Races
The following are stakes races run at River Downs:Non-graded stakes races:
- Bassinet Stakes
- Buckeye Native Stakes
- Cradle StakesCradle StakesThe Cradle Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-olds held annually at River Downs in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is currently an ungraded stakes race run over a distance of 8.5 furlongs on turf....
- Hoover Stakes
- Miss Southern Ohio Stakes
- Queen City Oaks
- Vivacious Handicap