Thistledown Horse Racetrack
Thistledown Horse Racetrack is a one-mile thoroughbred racetrack in North Randall, Ohio. The track is located on 128 acres approximately 10 miles southeast of downtown Cleveland.
Thistledown Horse Racetrack holds live horseracing in a season that typically starts either in March or April and ends in December. In fact, the track has one of the longest racing seasons of all North American thoroughbred racetracks, covering approximately 185 racing days.
Thistledown Horse Racetrack hosts the Ohio Derby every year. The Derby is the premier graded stakes race in the state and one of the top races for three-year olds in the country. Aside from the Derby, other Stakes events hosted by Thistledown Horse Racetrack include:
One of the peculiar aspects of horseracing at Thistledown Horse Racetrack is that they consider some simulcast races from the nearby Ohio track of Beulah Park as being "theirs". This is the reason why many betting schedules and guides often put the names of these two tracks side-by-side on their materials.
- Merry Time Stakes
- Cleveland Gold Cup
- Rose DeBartolo Memorial
- George Lewis Memorial
- North Randall Stakes
- Cleveland Kindergarten Stakes
- Miss Ohio Stakes
- Ohio Debutante Handicap
- The Emerald Necklace Stakes
- The Best of Ohio Endurance
- The Best of Ohio Distaff
- The Best of Ohio Sprint
- The Juvenile Stakes
- The John W. Galbreath
Thistledown Racetrack Facts
- Main Track: One mile, oval
- Distance from last turn to finish line: 978 feet
Thistledown Track Records – Main Track
| Distance | Horse | Age | Weight (lbs) | Time | Date Set |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Furlongs | Phonemyposseagain | 6 | 130 | 20.68 | Jul 27, 2021 |
| 4 Furlongs | Ride That Ticket | 4 | 120 | 44.80 | Sep 19, 2012 |
| 4 ½ Furlongs | Duty Calls | 6 | 125 | 51.04 | Oct 1, 2014 |
| 5 Furlongs | Jet Bupers | 7 | 118 | 57.40 | Jun 4, 1978 |
| 5 ½ Furlongs | Purity | 3 | 119 | 1:03.02 | Sep 7, 2022 |
| 6 Furlongs | Fancy Threat | 6 | 115 | 1:08.40 | Nov 21, 1987 |
| 1 Mile | Setting Limits | 5 | 118 | 1:35.60 | Nov 19, 1989 |
| 1 Mile, 40 Yards | Ifthisbe Britches | 5 | 116 | 1:38.60 | Dec 8, 1989 |
| 1 Mile, 70 Yards | Wisdom Seeker | 5 | 122 | 1:40.92 | Jul 22, 1995 |
| 1 1/16 Miles | Entitled to Star | 5 | 112 | 1:41.32 | Nov 25, 1995 |
| 1 1/8 Miles | Smarten | 3 | 124 | 1:47.40 | Jun 17, 1979 |
| 1 3/16 Miles | Smoke Screen | 5 | 116 | 1:55.60 | Jul 17, 1954 |
| 1 ¼ Miles | Pert Near | 6 | 117 | 2:03.00 | Dec 1, 1979 |
| 1 ½ Miles | Martha's Wave | 6 | 115 | 2:31.80 | Jun 16, 1955 |
| 1 Miles | Alsang | 3 | 101 | 2:46.00 | Aug 8, 1936 |
| 1 ¾ Miles | Mala Kee | 4 | 116 | 2:57.60 | Jul 19, 1957 |
| 2 Miles | Likely Advice | 5 | 115 | 3:27.00 | Dec 15, 1980 |
| 2 Miles, 40 Yards | Winning Mark | 4 | 107 | 3:29.40 | Jul 20, 1940 |
| 2 Miles, 70 Yards | Lonely Cloud | 8 | 118 | 3:41.60 | May 13, 1990 |
| 2 1/16 Miles | Bunker | 8 | 112 | 3:32.80 | Jul 13, 1955 |
| 2 1/8 Miles | Lonely Cloud | 10 | 116 | 3:52.65 | Jul 3, 1992 |
| 2 3/16 Miles | Current Data | 4 | 125 | 3:54.60 | Dec 5, 1981 |
| 2 ¼ Miles | Son Richard | 6 | 110 | 3:54.60 | Aug 27, 1938 |
| 3 Miles, 40 Yards | Bea Beauty | 8 | 128 | 5:31.80 | Sep 22, 1973 |
History of Thistledown Horse Racetrack
1925 - Thistledown Horse Racetrack racetrack opened.
1993 - Onion Roll reached 43.26 mph in a race at Thistledown Horse Racetrack on Sept. 27. This was the fastest speed recorded by any horse in a single race.
1999 - Magna Entertainment, one of North America's biggest owners, operators and managers of horseracing tracks, acquired Thistledown Horse Racetrack in November.
2002 - Five barns with 34 stalls each opened on the Thistledown Horse Racetrack backstretch, increasing the Cleveland-area track's stable capacity to 34 barns and 1,598 stalls.
2010 - Caesars Entertainment purchased the racetrack for $43 million following corporate restructuring by the previous ownership group.
2013 - The historic venue underwent an $88 million modernization project, reopening on April 9 as a premier racino featuring video lottery terminals, an upgraded facade, and a new 1,000-space parking structure.
2016 - Rock Ohio Ventures assumed full control of the facility and rebranded the property to JACK Thistledown Racino.
2020 - The physical real estate of the track was acquired by VICI Properties as part of a massive dual-property transaction, while JACK Entertainment maintained full operational and management control of all racing and gaming activities.
2023 - The venue celebrated its 10-year anniversary as a racino, highlighting more than $150 million in total site upgrades since 2013, including a new 12,000-square-foot outdoor gaming area and a dedicated physical sportsbook.
2024 - The track's centerpiece event, the Grade III Ohio Derby, solidified its position as a critical summer stop for elite three-year-olds and Triple Crown alumni, drawing top-tier national contenders to the Cleveland area.
2026 - Operating under modern safety and regulatory frameworks, the historic track continues to serve as the anchor of the regional racing calendar, hosting live dirt racing action from April through October.