CLAREMORE, Okla. (March 6, 2023) – The stakes are set for another season of live racing at Will Rogers Downs with the 2023 spring season set for March 6 through May 17.
The 29-day season will have daily live racing every Monday and Tuesday, adding Wednesdays in April and May. Oklahoma-breds make up six of the eight stakes races worth $430,000. Average daily purses are estimated around $185,000, about a 10% increase from last year.
“With the exception of 2020, last spring’s Thoroughbred meet resulted in the best overall handle in track history. In this time, we have found an audience that enjoys racing early in the week,” said John Lies, racing secretary, announcer and oddsmaker at Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs. “Starting earlier in the season is a gamble, but we are optimistic the schedule will be well received. The shift allows us to offer more opportunity to the horsemen.”
The new race schedule features the $55,000 guaranteed Miranda Diane Stakes on March 27, along with the TRAO Classic Sprint that also holds a $55,000 guarantee. April brings the $50,000 guaranteed Wilma Mankiller Stakes on April 17 and the Highland Ice Stakes on April 18. May holds the Will Rogers Stakes, Cinema Stakes, Cherokee Nation Classic Cup and More Than Even Stakes, each with a $55,000 guarantee.
For more information on the 2023 Will Rogers Downs spring racing season, visit https://www.cherokeecasino.
Located 3 miles east of Claremore on Highway 20, Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs is northeast Oklahoma’s home to on and off track betting, Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred races, live entertainment, and more. For more information, visit www.cherokeecasino.com and click on the Will Rogers Downs tab or call (918) 283-8800.
PHOTO CUTLINE: The 2023 Spring Racing season kicks off March 6 at Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs. 2022 Horse of the Meet honors were awarded concurrently last year to two Oklahoma-breds, Shannon C, pictured in foreground, with Dicey, pictured in background as they cross the finish line. Photo by Coady Photography.
About Cherokee Nation Entertainment:
Cherokee Nation Entertainment is the gaming and hospitality company of the Cherokee Nation. With three decades of expertise in providing exceptional gaming experiences, the company owns and operates Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa and nine Cherokee Casinos in Oklahoma, including a horse racing track, three resort hotels, three golf courses and other retail operations. In Mississippi, CNE operates Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica, home to one of the most recognizable gaming destinations in the region. For more information, visit www.HardRockCasinoTulsa.com, www.CherokeeCasino.com and www.GoldStrike.com.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.