County Approval Advances Bally’s Purchase of Cheyenne’s Thunder Plains Park

A county commission approved a license transfer that advances Bally’s purchase of Thunder Plains Park, a one-mile racetrack under construction in Cheyenne, Wyo., an action described as “another key step in the ownership change for the facility.” That local approval clears a municipal hurdle even as state-level regulatory review for Bally’s to hold the operating license remains unresolved.

At the Wyoming Gaming Commission meeting on Nov. 21, commissioners approved a 16-day fall race meet for Thunder Plains Park set for Friday, Oct. 2, through Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, with racing on a Friday-to-Sunday schedule each weekend and an additional race day on Monday, Oct. 12 for Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The commission meeting record shows the meet schedule is now on the books as the track moves from construction toward live racing.

Will Edwards of Cowboy Racing LLC told the commission that Bally’s has applied to take over the track operating license and that state approval is still required. “Being a sister-track to Arapahoe Park creates an untold number of other opportunities for the state and for the track,” Edwards said at the meeting. Commission members indicated a special meeting will be held to consider Bally’s application, and the company will not receive the operating license until the Wyoming Gaming Commission grants approval.

If the Wyoming Gaming Commission approves Bally’s operating-license application, 1/ST Racing would no longer be involved in Thunder Plains Park’s operation. That operational pivot would place Bally’s, which already operates Arapahoe Park about 120 miles south of Cheyenne in the Denver area of Colorado, in direct management of two regional facilities and could shift promotional calendars, shipping patterns for stables, and race-day resources between the tracks.

Arapahoe Park’s recent scheduling context underscores the operational stakes: Arapahoe Park raced from September through mid-November for the last two years due to a backside compliance issue with Colorado regulations, and its 2025 meet ended on Nov. 16; Arapahoe’s dates for 2026 have not been announced. Bally’s ownership of both venues, if approved, would create timing and logistical decisions for trainers and owners who ship between Denver-area and Cheyenne starts.

Planning and site vision have narrowed since the track’s November 2024 announcement. The original vision map included the racetrack plus a hotel; outdoor sporting facilities for football, baseball, and golf; an indoor sports complex; a Wyoming horse racing museum; and other outdoor recreation areas. The track’s website as of the most recent reporting shows only the racetrack and a potential polo field on the infield, and construction of the one-mile track remains underway.

Next steps are clear and procedural: county-level license transfer approval is complete, Bally’s has filed for the operating license, the Wyoming Gaming Commission indicated it will hold a special meeting to consider the application, and the approved Oct. 2–Nov. 1, 2026, 16-day fall meet remains scheduled. How quickly Bally’s secures state approval will determine whether Thunder Plains Park races under new management and whether 1/ST Racing steps away from operations before the 2026 fall meet.