What JACK Thistledown racino is
JACK Thistledown racino pairs a working thoroughbred track with a lottery-terminal gaming floor built into the main level of the grandstand. Under Ohio law the floor offers video lottery terminals only, so there are no dealers, no table games and no poker room. The racetrack, its simulcast area and the gaming space all share one building on Emery Road.
The property belongs to VICI Properties, which bought it together with JACK Cleveland Casino in a 2020 sale and leaseback, and JACK Entertainment operates both under one clubJACK rewards program. That link matters for visitors: points earned on the racino terminals, on racing and at the sportsbook count toward the same four tiers, named J, A, C and K.
JACK Thistledown horse racing schedule for 2026
Thistledown raced from April 20 to October 8, 2026, according to the national race-date calendar. Ohio coordinates its thoroughbred dates, so Thistledown takes the warm months while Mahoning Valley Race Course near Youngstown runs through the winter. That rhythm means live racing in Northeast Ohio rarely stops, it just moves between two tracks about an hour apart.
Cards at Thistledown are built mostly from claiming, maiden and allowance races for horses based in Ohio and neighboring states, with Ohio-bred stakes on selected weekends. The racing page posts the condition book, scratches and program changes during the day, plus entries, results and charts. Before planning a trip, check that the day is a live date.
Once the meet ends, the horse racing schedule switches to simulcasting, and guests can bet on tracks across North America in the racing area. The national horse racing schedule on this site shows which tracks are live, and the pari-mutuel betting guide explains the bet types and how the pools are split among winners.
The Ohio Derby at Thistledown
The Ohio Derby is the signature race at Thistledown and the only graded stakes in Ohio. The 2026 edition, a $500,000 Grade 3 at 1 1/8 miles on dirt, ran on June 20. Chip Honcho, trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Jose Ortiz, stalked the pace and ran down Ocelli by a length, with Trendsetter third.
Both top finishers came out of the Preakness Stakes, where they ran third and fourth, which shows the kind of field the purse can attract. For Chip Honcho it was a first graded win. Derby day is the busiest afternoon of the season at the track, and it is the race most casual visitors plan a trip around.
The gaming floor, Revel Oak and the betJACK sportsbook
The racino opened in April 2013 with about 1,100 video lottery terminals on a 57,000-square-foot floor carved out of the grandstand. A $70 million JACK expansion three years later added 235 more machines, a high-limit area and a VIP lounge. Denominations run from small to high limit, with linked progressives such as Dragon Link, Lightning Dollar Link and Phoenix Link.
Revel Oak is the outdoor gaming patio, built over two storeys and fitted with air conditioning, radiant and in-floor heat and exhaust fans, so it stays usable through a Northeast Ohio winter. It is the place for smokers who want to keep playing. Indoors, the betJACK sportsbook offers theater-style seats facing the screens and staffed betting counters.
Lottery tickets can be cashed at the cage at any hour for prizes up to $25,000, and instant ticket machines sit on both the gaming and the racing floors. Win and loss statements are available through the rewards program. As at any racino, setting a budget before arriving is a sensible habit, and the Ohio helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET.
JACK Thistledown restaurants and drinks
Millcreek Grille is the main sit-down choice among the restaurants at JACK Thistledown. It serves dinner from Wednesday to Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and brunch on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is closed on Monday and Tuesday. The menu runs from shrimp cocktail and salads to steaks and chef’s dishes, with reservations taken through OpenTable.
The other restaurants are counter-service: OneKitchen serves steak burgers and dogs, sandwiches and wraps, breaded chicken tenders, tacos and bowls, and flatbread pizza and pasta. The Bakery opens earlier for morning pastries and breakfast. Military veterans and active-duty members get 20 percent off one order a day once a military designation is added to the rewards card.
Hotels near JACK Thistledown
The racino has no rooms of its own, so overnight guests stay nearby. The closest choices are in Beachwood and Warrensville Heights, about two miles away, where the Aloft Beachwood and the Cleveland Marriott East on Harvard Road sit among several chain hotels. A budget motel on Northfield Road sits closer still, about half a mile from the gate.
Visitors who also want downtown Cleveland can stay near Public Square, about nine miles away, and split the trip between the track and JACK Cleveland Casino, where table games and poker are available. Downtown also puts the lakefront, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the sports stadiums within walking distance of most hotels.
Getting there, parking and group visits
The track sits at 21501 Emery Road in North Randall, a short drive from Interstate 271 and Interstate 480 on Cleveland’s southeast side. Parking is free, available around the clock and mostly on surface lots, but there is no valet service at Thistledown and no room for tractor trailers, unlike the downtown casino with its two garages.
Bus groups are welcome all year. A group of 30 or more can request a proposal, with five business days’ notice, and receives bonus play if every passenger is 21 or older, signs up for clubJACK and stays on the floor for at least four hours. Walk-in groups do not qualify, and the manifest must be returned within three days.
JACK Thistledown photos and visitor reviews
Many people look up JACK Thistledown photos and reviews first. The operator’s pages show the floor, the Revel Oak patio and the sportsbook, and replays sit in the racing section. For a fair picture, read recent reviews from several sites and check the date of each, because the floor, menus and patio have all changed over the years.
History: from Magna to Caesars to JACK
Thistledown came under Ohio Racing Commission oversight when the commission formed in 1931. In 2007 its owner Magna Entertainment, deep in losses, put the track up for sale, and Harrah’s Entertainment, now Caesars, bought it in 2010 for $43 million. In 2012 the track went into the Rock Ohio Caesars venture, which announced an $88 million racino build.
Rock Gaming bought out Caesars’ stake in 2015 and rebranded its Ohio properties as JACK in 2016, closing the racino for a day to switch signs and systems. The $70 million expansion opened the same year. In 2020 JACK sold the real estate of Thistledown and its Cleveland casino to VICI Properties for $843 million and leased both back.
Nearby racinos
Northfield Park is the harness racino a short drive south, with racing more than 200 nights a year and a concert hall. Mahoning Valley Race Course is the winter thoroughbred partner, and Belterra Park runs a summer thoroughbred meet near Cincinnati. Every track in the state is listed on the Ohio racinos page.