GRANTS PASS, Ore. — Grants Pass is now home to Oregon’s biggest horse races. The first-ever fall season started at the Grants Pass Downs on Sunday.
TMB Racing in Grants Pass is owned by Dutch Bros. co-founder Travis Boersma. After the closure of Portland Meadows, the company was approved to purchase the state license.
“Everybody is all so nice and you get to look at all these great horses,” 11-year-old, Cohen Calvert said.
“We like to see new tracks startup, and this isn’t necessarily a new track but it’s a new meet,” Jockey Jake Samuels said. “We like to see the horses win, not only ourselves.”
TMB Racing said they will be attracting horses from all over the Pacific Northwest. Organizers said the fairgrounds isn’t the only one benefiting from the deal. Businesses and hotels will also benefit.
“It brings people that are going to go out to restaurants more, so it just brings up the whole economy in Grants Pass substantially,” Rod Lowe, Director of Grants Pass Downs said.
Michael Wrona served as track announcer for Sunday’s inaugural meet.
Lowe said the fall season will have 14 race days and will have another 35 race days next year.
Races are scheduled for every Sunday and Monday at 1 pm from September 22nd to November 4th at Grants Pass Downs.
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