Horse track for Dayton to be for harness racing

Penn National Gaming Inc.’s plans to relocate a horse racing track to Dayton have switched from a thoroughbred facility to harness racing track.  

Penn announced, nearly a year ago, its intent to relocate Raceway Park, a harness-racing facility in Toledo, to a 186-acreas site in Austintown, just west of Youngtown in north-central Mahoning County. A second track, Beulah Park, a thoroughbred track in the Columbus suburb of Grove City, would be relocated to a 125-acre in Dayton.

Peter M. Carlino, Penn’s chairman and chief executive officer, said Thursday in the company’s 4th quarter earnings news release that the plans have flip-flopped.

“The State of Ohio has approved the placement of VLTs at the state’s seven racetracks and while we await the final regulatory framework, we are actively pursuing the relocation of our existing racetracks in Toledo and Grove City to Dayton and Youngstown, respectively, subject to the satisfaction of regulatory and other approvals,” Carlino said.

The State of Ohio Racing Commission must approve the relocations.

Stay with whiotv.com for more details on this developing story.