Columbus, OH — The first qualifiers at Eldorado Scioto Downs were held in conjunction with Press Night on Thursday (May 4). Thirteen races went to post with stallion Racing Hill, at 10-years-old, taking the fastest qualifier, winning in 1:53 with a :27.3 last quarter.

“The track was a little deep,” said Jason Roth, Scioto’s Director of Racing. “But with our tremendous track crew and getting more horses on the track at Tuesday’s qualifiers, we’ll be ready for opening day on May 11.”

Taking part in the ribbon cutting ceremony were Bill Keckeis, Project Executive of Messer Construction Co., Jason Roth, Director of Racing at Eldorado Scioto Downs, Amy Ankerson, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Scioto Downs and Joe Morris, Senior Vice President of Racing at Caesars Entertainment. USTA/Mark Hall photo.

The official ribbon cutting of Scioto’s $27 million grandstand was held in the Three Diamonds room on the second floor of the grandstand. Media, industry professionals and high-level members of the construction team were on hand to celebrate the opening of the grandstand. Horsemen and fans were seen taking in the sights of the new grandstand as a soft opening for the first day of the live race meet.

“There’s a lot of history here on site; the old grandstand was the backbone of that history,” said Bill Keckeis, Project Executive of Messer Construction Co., the company that oversaw the construction of the grandstand. “There are a lot of people with memories, there’s memories all around. The old grandstand is still here on site, we used it as backfill for the foundation of the new grandstand. It was an honor to be here to preserve that past and build for the future.”

The 90-day Scioto Downs live racing season kicks off on Thursday (May 11). The typical race schedule will be Tuesdays-Saturdays with first post of 3:15 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 5:50 p.m. for Thursdays-Saturdays.

Follow @SciotoRacing on Twitter for all the details of the 2023 racing season at Eldorado Scioto Downs.

More information about the entire Scioto Downs racing season, including race schedule, wagering menu, VIP room reservations and more can be found at www.SciotoDowns.com.