by Emily Gaskin for Hoosier Park

Anderson, ID — Harness racing will once again take center stage at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino as the 23rd season is set to unfold Friday, April 1. With a daily post time of 5:45 p.m., a total of 14-races have been carded for Hoosier Park’s opening night that will be highlighted by full fields and quality racing.

Hoosier Park remains committed to giving fans and customers the very best racing experience to be found anywhere. That commitment has led to quite a few changes and the beginning of the 160-day live racing season marks not only the start of a variety of new promotions but also marks the unveiling of a number of facility enhancements as well.

In addition to offering full fields and competitive racing, in late 2015 Hoosier Park initiated a fair start pole 1/16 of a mile from the start, ensuring all starters have the opportunity to be at or close to the gate for each race. For the 2016 meet, a much anticipated passing lane and high definition broadcast equipment have been added.

All of Hoosier Park’s familiar betting options are back, with a few exciting additions. New for 2016, Hoosier Park is proud to introduce the Hoosier High-5, which requires a bettor to select the first five finishers in a race in exact order. With a minimum wager of 10 cents, the Hoosier High-5 will be offered on the last race each night, provided there are at least seven entrants. If there are no winning tickets sold, the net money wagered that day will be carried over to the next day’s Hoosier High-5 pool.

Hoosier Park will also feature a $10,000 Guaranteed Pick-4 pool on Thursday nights. In partnership with the Unites States Trotting Association Strategic Wagering program and the Indiana Standardbred Association, Hoosier Park will offer this signature wager beginning on Thursday, April 7.

Hoosier Park has once again partnered with Twinspires.com and will be pulling out all the stops for opening weekend, Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2. For the first time-ever, Hoosier Park is offering Twin Spires Club (TSC)players the opportunity to compete for their share of 2 Million Elite Points in a handicapping contest against Hoosier Park’s Racing Commentator, Emily Gaskin. Each night, Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2, is a separate contest worth 1 Million TSC Elite Points, entrants must wager on the last seven races at Hoosier Park.

Additionally, TwinSpires is marking the occasion by giving players the opportunity to earn 30 TwinSpires Elite Points for every dollar they wager, both opening night and Saturday night. Racing fans are encouraged to visit www.twinspires.com for more information.

A concerted focus will once again be placed on an expanded social media campaign to raise awareness and engagement around this year’s racing season at Hoosier Park. Racing fans now have the ability to ask questions, post comments and participate in promotions using social media. Utilizing the hashtag #PlayHP, racing fans and participants are encouraged to follow Hoosier Park on Facebook and Twitter for up to date information and promotions.

Live racing at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino will follow a Friday and Saturday schedule the opening week, a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday schedule the second week and then resume a Tuesday through Saturday schedule through the end of the meet on Nov. 12, 2016.