In mid 1990, Virgil Cook, a well-known local entrepreneur and longtime dweller of Anderson, Indiana, gave 110 acres (0.45 km2) of profitable real estate to the municipality for the exclusive use of building a pari-mutuel sporting facility. Around1992, Churchill Downs Incorporated publicized plans to buy Indiana's only pari-mutuel permit from The Anderson Park Group chaired by Louis Carlo and open a racecourse on the venue of the land bequeathed by Cook. These developments help firmly establish the racing arena into the ubiquitously recognized facility it is today.
It was the very first major track found outside Kentucky managed by Churchill Downs since the late months of 1939. In mid February 1994 a pact was ratified to set up Hoosier Park. The setting up of the amenity cost an estimated $13 million. On 1st September 1994, the racetrack ultimately launched. A large crowd of over 7,633 people came to the pompous opening ceremony of the standardbred gaming season. Shortly after, the racetrack announced elaborate plans to start four off-track wagering amenities in Indiana. A year after these developments, on 7th October 1995, the inaugural Indiana Derby was held at the Hoosier Park Racecourse.
Churchill Downs put up the racecourse for sale in April 2007 for a price of $8.2 million to Centaur Group. The needed legislations were passed soon after mid 2007 to allow slot machines at both racetracks, fundamentally changing them to what is technically referred to as a "racino". The two racetracks were set get a fifty five percent share of the approximated $325 million the 2,000 slots at every one of the state's two racecourses were anticipated to generate yearly. This move would also boost the purse amounts of the races at both facilities.
Hoosier Park Casino opened its gates to the general public on 2nd June 2, 2008. Early 2001, Indiana Downs made history the second horse sporting venue in the whole state. Formally positioned in Fairland, the amenity was later incorporated into the neighboring Shelbyville, Indiana. Nevertheless, stiff competition ultimately affected the operations of the Hoosier Park equestrian sporting venue.
When Indiana Downs launched its operations, Hoosier Park was coerced to subdivide the state subsidy awarded when the state had to give out two important permits. Again for the very first occasion, Hoosier Park Racecourse faced a tough challenge since the two racetracks are about forty minutes away from each other. Additionally, both racing grounds are located about fifteen minutes on Indianapolis’ borderlines. Nevertheless, both facilities steadily overcame these stark inconveniences and continued providing top quality sporting services to soaring crowds of excited fans. Also, Hoosier Park has played host to various high-ranking field functions involving top-notch jockeys and widely celebrated horses from the region as well as many other record-breaking champions from the neighboring states.