Corporate Name: Youngstown Real Estate Ventures LLC.
Mailing Address: 655 North Canfield Niles Road, Austintown, OH 44515 (click for map)
Telephone: 330-505-8700
Fax: 330-505-8661
Web site: www.hollywoodmahoningvalley.com
On November 24, 2014, at 12:45 p.m., history was made in Northeast Ohio as a field of 12 broke from the gate in the inaugural Thoroughbred race at Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course. The winner of the first race, a one mile and 70-yard event, was Baby Time, owned by Sola Dei Gloria Stable and Edward and Linda White, trained by Hugh McMahon, and ridden by Luis Colon. The abbreviated 21-day fall meet in 2014 was met with great interest by horsemen and well supported through the entry box and at the pari-mutuel windows.
The first open stakes race in track history, The Hollywood Gaming Mahoning Sprint, was run on November 29. Star Harbour, a 6-year-old son of Indian Charlie with lifetime earnings in excess of $435,000, won the six-furlong event in 1:12.89.
Racing continued in 2015 with 100 days split between January through April and October through December. Overall wagering for the year reached $60,995,727. The field size for the second half of the meet averaged 10.03 per race. The highest wagering day was December 28, when $1,182,492 was bet on the nine-race card.
Three open stakes were contested at the track in 2015. Justalittlesmoke won the $75,000 Austintown Filly Sprint on April 18, 2015. The 3-year-old daughter of Smoke Glacken covered the six furlongs in 1:13.84 for owner Marion Gorham and trainer Robert Gorham.
In the fall, the track hosted the $75,000 Hollywood Gaming Mahoning Distaff Sprint and the $200,000 Steel City Sprint for 3-year-olds.
In the Distaff Sprint, Heykittykittykitty finished in a dead heat with Donita’s Ruler. Donita’s Ruler was later disqualified and Heykittykittykitty declared the official winner. The 4-year-old daughter of Tactical Cat covered the six furlongs in 1:12.51 for owners Westrock Stables, LLC and trainer Ron Moquett.
Eight 3-year-olds entered the gate for the $200,000 Steel Valley Sprint with Lewys Vaporizer assuming command early and never looking back on his way to a 1½-length victory for jockey Irad Ortiz Jr, trainer Larry Rivelli, and owners V-Leaf Stables LLC and Richard Ravin. The 3-year-old gelded son of Lewis Michael covered the six furlongs in 1:12.05
The 2016 calendar consists of 100 racing days from January 2 through April 23 and October 29 through December 28. First post is 12:45 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 12:15 on Saturdays.
The state-of-the-art facility has a backstretch consisting of 13 barns with a total of 988 stalls, plus a 54 stall receiving barn. The two-tiered racing grandstand includes seating for more than 1,000 guests, trackside dining options, and the SkyBox Sports Bar. Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course also features 940 video lottery terminals, live entertainment at the H Lounge, and a three-outlet food court.
Mahoning Valley Race Course’s parent company, Penn National Gaming, Inc. (PNGI), is the largest operator of pari-mutuel facilities in North America. PNGI operates 12 pari-mutuel facilities in 10 different states, including Thoroughbred tracks Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Racing (host of the Grade II Charles Town Classic and Grade III Charles Town Oaks), Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course (host of the $200,000 Steel City Stakes), Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course (host of the Grade III Penn Mile), Sam Houston Race Park (host of the Grade III John B. Connally and Grade III $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic) and Zia Park Casino, Hotel and Racetrack (host of the $300,000 Zia Park Oaks).
PNGI’s portfolio also includes four off-track wagering facilities and two regional account wagering operations. In 2015, PNGI facilities conducted more than 1,150 live racing dates and processed nearly $1 billion in on-track, import and export wagers. In 2016, PNGI tracks will host the third edition of the Penn Gaming Racing Challenge, featuring 20 stakes races with $5 million in purses with starting incentives for owners and trainers and a year-end award for the leading owner, trainer, and jockey in the series.
Previous winners of the Penn Gaming Challenge include nationally recognized racing stars such as Jockey Javier Castellano (winner both years), owners Fox Hill Farms and Ken and Sarah Ramsey, and trainers Mike Maker and Chad Brown.
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Corporate Vice President of Racing: Christopher McErlean |