Altoona, IA –  Prairie Meadows Casino, Racetrack, & Hotel is pleased to announce our 2024 horse racing season schedule along with the release of the first condition book and stakes schedules for both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses. 

Prairie Meadows’ 2024 live racing season will begin on Friday, May 10 and will conclude on Saturday, September 28. A total of 80 racing days will be scheduled with both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing. The season begins with 20 days of Thoroughbred-only racing from May 10 – June 15 and continues with a mixed Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse schedule of 60 race days from June 16 – September 28. 

Live racing will be offered on a Friday – Monday schedule with the following exceptions: Opening week of racing which will feature racing on Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11 with no racing on Sunday or Monday May 12-13 and also no racing on Monday, July 1. During the week leading up to Independence Day there will be a special Wednesday racing performance on July 3 highlighted by central Iowa’s favorite fireworks display taking place after the races with post time set for 4:00 p.m. 

Standard post times for Friday and Saturday programs will be 6:00 p.m.while post times for Sunday and Monday programs will begin at 4:00 p.m. Special post times are scheduled for Saturday, May 18 (Preakness) and Saturday, June 8(Belmont) at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, September 28 at 4:00 p.m. for the Iowa Classic.  

Prairie Meadows Condition Book #1 is now available and features the first 14 days of racing for Thoroughbreds only from May 10 – June 3 along with a preview section starting on page 70 for Quarter Horses with the first 10 days of racing from June 16 – July 3.

“Overnight Thoroughbred purses have been increased approximately 5% across the board for the upcoming 2024 season,” noted Quarter Horse Racing Secretary Chad Keller.

The Iowa Festival of Racing will take place on July 5 and 6 and feature the Grade 3 $300,000 Cornhusker Handicap for ages 3 and up going 1 1/8 miles, the $250,000 Iowa Derby and $225,000 Iowa Oaks for 3-year-olds.

The closing night card on September 28 will feature all Iowa bred races for both breeds including a new addition for 2024 on the Thoroughbred schedule with the Iowa Classic Distaff Sprint overnight stake for Iowa bred fillies and mares going 6 furlongs with a purse of approximately $51,400.

“The Quarter Horse overnight purses will be similar to last year, with a few stakes seeing increased purses and we’ll average around $13,500 per open overnight purse in 2024 – matching our highest level set last year and offering 4 Quarter Horse races on Sundays and Mondays once again” Keller explained.

The 2024 Quarter Horse stakes schedule continues a similar format to last year and with some additional monies added to the stakes program, the 2024 program features 22 stakes worth an estimated $1,850,000 with the following Futurities and Derbies estimated to surpass $100,000 in value:

• Hawkeye Futurity (IA) $115,000 est.
• Prairie Meadows Gold Futurity $175,000 est.
• Prairie Meadows Gold Derby $100,000 est.
• Grade 3 – Valley Junction Futurity $250,000 est.
• Altoona Derby $125,000 est.
• Jim Bader Futurity (IA) $175,000 est.
• Polk County Derby (IA) $120,000 est.

Open and Iowa bred aged Quarter Horse runners will be featured throughout the season highlighted with the Grade 3 $40,000g Keokuk Stakes, $40,000g Cy-Hawk Stakes (IA), Grade 3 $30,000a PRM Distaff Challenge, Grade 2 $45,000a PRM Championship Challenge, Grade 3 $35,000 Covered Bridges, Grade 3 $50,000g Two Rivers, $70,000g Future of Iowa (IA) and $70,000g Terrace Hill (IA).

Additional information released by Prairie Meadows Racing Department:

• Barn Area Opens for Horses on Friday, April 12, 2024 at 8:00 a.m.
• Training begins on Sunday, April 14, 2024 (weather permitting)
• Stall applications for both breeds are due to the Racing Office by Tuesday, April 2, 2024
• Quarter Horse Futurity & Derby nomination forms are available online at Prairie Meadows websitehttps://www.prairiemeadows.com/racing/horsemens-info/quarter-horse-racing and payment schedules start March 1 for some races.
• Horse health requirements for both breeds and ponies are available online, on the stall application form, or on page 6 in the condition book.