Eureka Downs Set For Inaugural Mixed-Breed Race Meet Beginning October 17

Live horse racing will return to Eureka, Kansas, this fall when Eureka Downs conducts its inaugural mixed-breed race meet beginning Saturday, October 17.

The six-day meet is scheduled for October 17, 18, 24, 25, and 31, with the season finale set for Sunday, November 1. The Kansas Quarter Horse Racing Association has released information for both horsemen and fans preparing to attend the new meet.

General admission to Eureka Downs will be $5 and will include access to outside seating, covered seating and bleachers.

Fans looking for an upgraded experience can purchase seating in the Turf Club for $25 per chair, with tables accommodating four people. General admission is waived for those purchasing a table upstairs.

Food trucks will be available on the grounds throughout the meet, while a buffet-style food service will be offered upstairs. Beer and mixed drinks will also be available.

Preparations for the inaugural meet will begin well before opening day. The Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission will be on site for licensing beginning Monday, October 5, while the track is scheduled to open Wednesday, October 7, at 7 a.m. for training and timed workouts.

Horsemen should note that all horses registered before 4 p.m. on October 7 will receive a zero date to begin the meet. Copies of registration papers will be accepted for purposes of receiving a zero date, but physical registration papers must be on file in the racing office on race day.

Entries will be taken on Wednesdays for Saturday races and Thursdays for Sunday races. Eureka Downs has 140 stalls available, including 36 for regular stabling and 104 reserved for haul-in horses. All barns have electricity and water. Saturday starters may haul in beginning Wednesday, while Sunday starters may arrive Thursday. Haul-in horses must leave following the final race on Sunday.

The barn area will open October 7, and all horses must be off the grounds by November 2. Owners will be charged $125 per stall for the meet, with the fee refunded when the horse makes a start at Eureka Downs during the 2026 season. All trainers, assistant trainers, grooms, exercise riders, hot walkers and pony persons working on the grounds must hold a current Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission occupational license and display a valid badge.

Kansas license fees are $100 for applicants who do not currently hold a license and $50 for those who have a current license. Horsemen already fingerprinted in another state do not need to be fingerprinted again.

Eureka Downs is located in Eureka, Kansas. Horsemen needing additional information can contact the track at (620) 559-2040 or (620) 559-2041, or email the racing secretary at race@eurekadowns.net.

The opening of Eureka Downs marks the beginning of a new chapter for Kansas horse racing, with the inaugural fall meet providing six weekends dates of live racing through November 1.

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