Calder Race Course Hall of Fame
| Calder Casino | |
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Calder Casino Logo
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| Location | Miami Gardens, Florida |
| Opening date | May 6, 1971 |
| Owner |
Churchill Downs Inc. Racing operations leased to Stronach Group |
| Website | http://www.caldercasino.com |
Calder Casino is a casino in Miami Gardens, Florida in the United States.
The casino opened it's doors in 2010 and contains a 100,000 sq. ft. gaming floor with 1,100 slot machines, including video poker, as well as electronic roulette and blackjack.
A player's club, VIP lounge, the Tropical Gardens Buffet, Lucky's Restaurant and Center Bar can all be found at the location. It is a non-smoking casino.
Calder's racing operations were leased to the Stronach Group, operators of Gulfstream Park, in 2014. Since then, Calder's meet has been named Gulfstream Park West. Calder Casino is a wholly owned property of Churchill Downs Incorporated and has kept it's original name.
In the mid-1960s, real estate developer Stephen A. Calder envisioned summertime racing in Florida; in 1965, on the advice of Mr. Calder, the Florida Legislature approved a bill allowing for it. Prior to this time, a fall meet was held at Tropical Park Race Track in Miami and winter / spring meets at Hialeah Park and Gulfstream Park in Broward County. In 1970, Stephen Calder received a permit for summertime racing but the meet was run at Tropical Park because construction was not complete at Calder. On May 6, 1971 Calder Race Course held its first day of racing. When William L. McKnight became the new owner of Tropical Park, he stated his intentions of closing the track and switching the dates to the Calder track, of which he was one of the principal investors. Racing ceased at Tropical Park in 1972.
The 1980s brought about renovations and expansions and two purchases. The first purchase was by Bertram R. Firestone and the second was by Kawasaki Leasings, Inc. In 1992 the "Festival of the Sun" was introduced. By 1997, simulcasting was introduced (so bets could be placed on Calder races from other tracks and off-track locations). The handle increased significantly; the track increased purses. In January 1999, Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) purchased Calder Race Course for approximately $86 million. In the first years of the new century the track introduced the "Florida Million" and the "Summit of Speed".
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