Prairie Meadows Racing
Prairie Meadows is a horseracing track located ten miles east of Des Moines, Iowa. Prairie Meadows features seasonal live thoroughbred, quarter horse and harness racing typically from April to November. Prairie Meadows has had an eventful history that began with its first live horse race on March 1, 1989.
Prairie Meadows has 1,500 casino slot machines. Casino and simulcast facilities are open year-round.
Thoroughbred Stakes at Prairie Meadows
- Iowa Derby
- Iowa Sprint Handicap
- Iowa Oaks
- Prairie Gold Juvenile
- Prairie Meadows Breeders Cup Handicap
- The Saylorville
- The John Wayne
- The Bob Bryant
Quarter Horse Stakes at Prairie Meadows
- North American Central Challenge Champions
- Polk County Derby
- The Future of Iowa
- Valley Junction Futurity
Harness Racing Stakes at Prairie Meadows
- Heartlander Pace
- Keith Hopkins Memorial Pace
- Ledges Trot
- The Brooklyn Jet Trot
Prairie Meadows Facts
- Track Opened: March 1, 1989
- Speed Rating: 2:01
- Length of Homestretch: 990 feet
- Width of Homestretch: 90 feet
- Starters Behind the Gate: 10
- Hubrail: Yes
- "Open" Stretch: No
- Grandstand Capacity: 2,300
- Clubhouse Capacity: 2,600
- Parking Capacity: 3,500
- Record Handle: $214,257 June 10, 1989
- Record Attendance: 3,163 June 23, 1989
In addition to its one-mile racing oval, Prairie Meadows has a half-mile training track.
Prairie Meadows Records
Thoroughbreds
| DIST | HORSE | AGE | WGT | TIME | DATE |
| 4 Furlongs | Straight Fever | 2 | 117 | :46 -1/5 | Jul. 16, 1993 |
| 4 1/2 Furlongs | Southern Alert | 2 | 122 | :51.24 | May 7, 2002 |
| 5 Furlongs | Dayjob | 5 | 114 | :56.00 | May 1, 1999 |
| 5 1/2 Furlongs | Leaping Plum | 6 | 122 | 1:02.50 | Aug. 5, 1997 |
| 1 Mile | Coach Jimi Lee | 4 | 117 | 1:07.85 | Jul. 4, 2004 |
| 1 Mile & 70 Yards | Tartine | 4 | 117 | 1:35.00 | Aug. 11, 1998 |
| 1 Mile & 1/16 | Northwest Hill | 5 | 123 | 1:39.69 | Jul. 4, 2003 |
| 1 Mile & 1/8 | Excessivepleasure | 3 | 122 | 1:40.82 | Jul. 5, 2003 |
| 1 Mile & 1/4 | Beboppin Baby | 5 | 114 | 1:46.62 | Jul. 4, 1998 |
| One Mile | Famous Event | 5 | 119 | 2:02-3/5 | Jun. 23, 1995 |
| 1 Mile & 1/2 | Famous Event | 5 | 123 | 2:32.00 | Jul. 9, 1995 |
| 1 Mile & 5/8 | Sir Star | 9 | 118 | 2:44-3/5 | May 12, 1989 |
| 2 Mile | Gritti Marco | 6 | 114 | 3:26.00 | Jul. 28, 1995 |
American Quarter Horses
| DIST | HORSE | AGE | WGT | TIME | DATE |
| 100 Yards | Silver Concepts | 4 | 124 | :06.21 | Sep. 14, 2002 |
| 220 Yards | Duer Becky Chu | 3 | 119 | :12.10 | Nov. 2, 1989 |
| 250 Yards | Exclusive Memories | 5 | 124 | :13.24 | Aug. 13, 2001 |
| 300 Yards | Johnnys Will | 5 | 121 | :15.46 | Aug. 13, 1999 |
| 330 Yards | Callies Corona | 3 | 117 | :16.60 | Jul. 13, 2004 |
| 350 Yards | Ain't It Fun | 6 | 124 | :17.44 | Oct. 1, 1999 |
| 400 Yards | Past Performance | 5 | 120 | :19.63 | Sep. 19, 1997 |
| 440 Yards | Royalanon | 4 | 122 | :21.55 | Aug. 7, 1999 |
| 870 Yards | Bubba Episode | 5 | 124 | :44.83 | Aug. 15, 1998 |
| 1000 Yards | King Rick Rack | 5 | 127 | :52.28 | Sep. 27, 2002 |
Standardbreds
| DIST | HORSE | AGE | WGT | TIME | DATE |
| 1 Mile Race | Park Place | 7 | N/A | 1:52.00 | Nov. 3, 2001 |
| 1 Mile Trot | Homestead Dreamer | 3 | N/A | 1:56 -2/5 | Oct. 26, 2002 |
| 5 Furlongs Trot | Wenceslaus | 7 | N/A | 1:10 -3/5 | Nov.6, 2001 |
Prairie Meadows History
1989 - Prairie Meadows opened its doors to the public on March 1.
1995 - Prairie Meadows expanded its operations to include slot machines.
1996 – Driven by immediate success, the facility achieved financial independence by entirely clearing its initial development debt ahead of schedule.
2001 – To accommodate a rapidly growing visitor base, a multi-million dollar expansion project was completed to maximize the casino floor layout.
2004 – The entertainment lineup expanded significantly with the introduction of live, Las Vegas-style table games, including blackjack and poker.
2006 – A massive property-wide renovation debuted, completely redesigning the casino floor and laying the groundwork for a new entertainment complex.
2007 – The venue grand-opened the state-of-the-art Meadows Events Center, alongside premier casual and fine-dining restaurants.
2012 – Prairie Meadows transitioned into a full-scale stay-and-play destination resort with the grand opening of its luxury onsite hotel.
2019 – The property enhanced its gaming portfolio once again by launching a premier, state-of-the-art sports wagering lounge.