Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort is a thoroughbred racetrack and casino resort located on the Ohio River north of New Cumberland, West Virginia. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Century Casinos. It is notable for being the first race track in the United States to get slot machines and become a racino. History and information Originally to be known as Waterford Downs, the track's parent company was incorporated in 1937. The effort was led by Al Boyle, president of the Charles Town Races, who named it after his family's ancestral home of Waterford, Ireland. The company's initial public offering was approved in February 1939, with the track expected to open the following September. By August 1940, construction had not begun, but 250 acres of land had been bought or optioned. In 1942, Boyle planned to begin construction of the track, but expected the grandstand to be delayed at least until 1943 by a steel shortage due to World War II. Construction was finally underway by July 1948, with opening scheduled for September 1949. The name was changed to Waterford Park in 1950. Opening day was finally held on May 19, 1951. In the mid-1950s, Boyle sold the track to James F. Edwards. The Ogden Corporation acquired Edwards's holdings, including Waterford Park, in 1969. The track was purchased by Bill Blair and renamed as Mountaineer Park in 1987. In 1992, Blair sold the track to California-based Excalibur Holding Co. for $4 million cash plus $2.7 million in stock. The track was authorized to have slot machines and installed them in 1994. Excalibur was renamed Winners Entertainment, then renamed MTR Gaming Group. Mountaineer added casino table games on December 20, 2007, with 50 tables, including blackjack, three card poker, and roulette. In 2019, Eldorado Resorts (which had merged with MTR Gaming in 2014) sold Mountaineer, along with two other properties, to Century Casinos and Vici Properties. Century bought Mountaineer's operating business for $30 million, while Vici bought the land and buildings for $97 million and leased them to Century. Physical attributes The track has a main dirt track with a one-mile oval. The turf course is seven furlongs long and inside the dirt. The track is curved slightly in the front stretch. The track also has a large casino and resort on site. The casino has 3,200 slot machines. Racing Mountaineer was one of the busiest Thoroughbred courses in