Live horse racing returns to Prairie Meadows Casino, Racetrack, & Hotel on April 30 when the Altoona, Iowa facility opens its 32nd season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse action.
On Thursday, January 21, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) approved an 84-day 2021 race meet for Prairie Meadows.
The season begins with 26 days of Thoroughbred-only racing from April 30 - June 14 and continues with a mixed Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse schedule for the remaining 58 race days through Sept. 25.
Live racing will be offered on a Friday - Monday schedule, with post times set for 6 PM CDT on Fridays and Saturdays, and 4 PM CDT on Sundays and Mondays, with exceptions for special race days, events, and holidays.
The barn area is scheduled to open for horses on April 2 and training is set to begin on April 4, weather permitting.
Prairie Meadows will offer 32 Thoroughbred stakes races in 2021 (including overnight stakes) worth an estimated $2.92 million. The highlights of the Thoroughbred stakes calendar are the Iowa Festival of Racing on July 2 and 3 and the traditional Iowa Classic stakes races on Sept. 25.
