The scenic mountain ranges in Colorado also host the Arapahoe Park, one of the most beautiful horse racing tracks in the country. Though this is the lone major horse track in the state, off-track betting Colorado is widely popular with over a dozen off-track betting sites. Consider Colorado the Mountain Westâs capital for horse racing and off-track betting.
Weâll cover the off-tracking betting topics to to know about Colorado:
Easy-to-use interface
Tons of racebook odds
The most generous racebook bonuses, especially for beginners
Parlay and âifâ bets usually not offered
Odds
BetOnline consistently provides plenty of off-track betting odds. This includes current horse races from around the world. These odds include exotic wagers and are always competitive.
Bonuses
The two most significant bonuses are the horse racing rebate, which applies to almost all types of races, and their no-risk bonus where you may get up to a $25 back if you lose your first bet. Also add their deposit bonus.
BetOnline is quickly rising as one of the top sportsbooks thanks to how well they cater among recreational bettors. They offer many bonuses for new players and are also flexible with their racebook odds. Whatâs more, they are easier to use than other books. Give them a look.
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One of the most trusted online sportsbooks
One of the nicest interfaces
Sizable selection of betting markets with exotic bets
Not the first to post racebook odds
Odds
Bovada is rarely the first post racebook odds so diehards may have to wait a little bit. But Bovada, at least, matches the odds of the best racebooks and they offer plenty of them.
Bonuses
This OTB Colorado book has always been generous with its deposit bonuses, especially if youâre using cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. On top of that, there are racebook rebates for most race types
Bovada is a solid racebook to add to your repertoire; it has a decent selection of horse racing odds, plenty of exotic bets, and one of the easier to navigate interfaces. The bargainable deposit bonus should only encourage you to consider this book more.
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The best live platform of any sportsbook
Horse racing odds anywhere, all the time – 365!
One of the most trusted sportsbooks
Pop ups
Odds
Not many books can beat Bet365 when it comes to their odds; they offer a vast array of horse racing markets backed by their âbest odds guaranteeâ
Bonuses
Bet365 offers up to $200 in free bets to match your initial deposit bonus; you wonât need much else considering Bet365âs amazing selection of odds
Bet365 isnât a household name in online sports betting for no reason. They live up to their name by consistently posting odds that are unmatched in quantity and quality. And the cherry on top is how amazing their live platforms are – both for betting and streaming. Make them a part of your racebook roster.
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Off-track betting is legal in Colorado and is regulated by the Colorado Department of Revenueâs racing division. Presently, there are a dozen off-track betting sites (OTBâs) in the state. These places are operated mostly by Mile High Racing and Entertainment and there is at least one in every major city including Denver, Aurora, and Colorado Springs.
Aurora is the only city to feature more than one OTB thanks to having Arapahoe Park, the stateâs only live horse racing track. Still, Colorado features many Gaming & Event Centers and local sports bars to help horse racing fanatics get their fill.
As for online sports wagering, it is not considered legal by the state. Most of the gambling involved in Colorado are limited to off-track betting and within the casino. However, you may still use racebooks from online sportsbooks.
Technically, the online sportsbooks do not operate within the United States and are not subject to the governmentâs laws. Since they arenât, Americans can sign up with these books and bet as much as they want. The state will not shut these sites down and they wonât touch your money.
Plenty of these racebooks also offer horse racing odds internationally, not just within the state or the country. They may also offer better racing odds. However, Coloradoâs OTBâs are perfectly fine and enjoying the live horses at Arapahoe while wagering is a priceless experience.
Off-track betting runs mostly through Arapahoe Park. Its racing meet begins in mid-May and goes until mid-August. Racing usually takes places from Monday to Wednesday with some exceptions on Sunday.
It begins with the Inaugural Stakes on opening day in May. The prize is $40,000. The final race is the Mile High Futurity with a prize of $130,000 around mid-August.
The Rocky Mountain Futurity has a purse of $90,000 and is at the beginning of the racing meet at the end of May.
The Colorado Derby marks the middle of the racing meet. The race is 1 1/16 miles (8.5 furlongs) and has a prize of $40,000.
The Arapahoe Park Classic is when it begins to get interesting in Arapahoe. With a prize of $100,000, this race featuring three-year-old thoroughbreds is contested 1 1/8 miles (nine furlongs).
The Gold Rush Futurity is around the same time in August and also features a six-figure prize of $100,000.
As of 2020, the one-and-only horse racing track in Colorado is Arapahoe Park. However, Colorado has tried many times to get horse racing going with several parks.
Colorado approved pari-mutuel betting in 1948. In 1950, Colorado opened its first horse racing track with the Centennial Race Track in Littleton, just outside of Denver. This was billed as the âSanta Anita of the Rockiesâ, but never came close to anything resembling that. Eventually, the track went bankrupt and closed in 1983.
The second track, Pikes Peak Meadows, did not fare any better. It opened in 1963 just south of Denver in Colorado Springs. After failing to draw spectators or create any form of buzz, it eventually turned into a racecar speedway in 1993.
The third and final track as of present day is Arapahoe Park. It opened in 1992 and still continues to host horse racing today. Although the park has started live racing and even simulcasting, it does not feature a racino or harness racing.
Arapahoeâs continued existence proves there is horse racing interest in Colorado. The park itself is beautiful, bright, and harkens to how scenic the state is. However, more improvements could help boost the parkâs stature and make horse racing even bigger in the state. If these tracks are not just around the corner, Ooff-track betting Colorado might be a better fit.
Arapahoe Park is Coloradoâs premier horse racing track. Located in Arapahoe Country close to Aurora, the track is owned and operated by Twin River Worldwide Holdings and hosts thoroughbred, quarter horse, paint horse, and Arabian horse racing.
Arapahoeâs track is a one-mile (eight furlongs) oval. Even if you are into off-track betting Colorado, you can place bets on this beautiful track.
The major horse races at Arapahoe are ungraded and include the Rocky Mountain Futurity and Mile High Futurity for quarter horses and the Colorado Derby and Arapahoe Park Classic for thoroughbreds.
The park also features four graded stakes races for Arabian horses, a very niche but dedicated kind even among the fanatics in the United States.
Arapahoe isnât hosting million-dollar or grade-I stakes races, but plenty of the horses who challenge at Arapahoe go on to contend in the higher stakes races. It begins with the $40,000 Inaugural Stakes race on opening day in May.
The final race of the Arapahoe meet is the Mile High Futurity in mid-August, which features a $130,000 purse and is run at 400 yards.
Another lucrative race at Arapaho is the Gold Rush Futurity, which offers a purse of $100,000 and is for two-year-old thoroughbreds. The race has produced many winners who have gone on to compete in higher stakes races.
About the Author
Trent’s your man when it comes to all things sports. He covers a wide range of sports for Sports Betting Sites, and has been published in some pretty reputable outlets, such as USA Today Sports, Vice, Bloody Elbow, Fight! Magazine, UFC 360, and Narratively. Trent’s got the inside track on all the happenings in the world of sports.
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