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29-636: Built to fund the civic and philanthropic activities of the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben , the thoroughbred race track was built in 1919, and the Coliseum in 1929. The racetrack closed in 1995 and the arena in 2002; the facility was demolished in 2005, and is currently being redeveloped for a variety of uses, including dormitory housing for the University of Nebraska Omaha and the Aksarben Village development. Ak-Sar-Ben

58-578: A brief meeting each year. Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben The Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation is a 501(c)(3) civic and philanthropic organization in Omaha, Nebraska . The Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben was established in 1895 by the Omaha Commercial Club, the predecessor to the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce . The Commercial Club sought to demonstrate Omaha's economic viability in the face of

87-590: A new College of Information and Technology. After the remaining buildings and grandstand were torn down in early 2005, a proposal was put forth to create a mixed-use development called Aksarben Village . Construction began in 2006 and the first businesses opened in 2008. Baxter Arena , home to several of UNO's sports teams, opened in October 2015. Following the closure of the racetrack, simulcast facility Horsemen's Park ( 41°12′14″N 96°00′40″W  /  41.204°N 96.011°W  / 41.204; -96.011 )

116-434: A train discussion, one Club leader suggested, "Why not reverse the name of our beloved state, since everything seems to be going backwards these days? Nebraska hyphenated and spelled backwards is Ak-Sar-Ben." Another on the trip proposed modifying the name to "Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben," since they felt the businessmen had heroically saved the fair for the city. A Catholic priest who overheard the group shared his interpretation of

145-612: Is "Nebraska" spelled backwards; the Knights originally said they were turning Nebraska around, thus "Ak-Sar-Ben." Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum was the premiere ice rink and concert arena in Omaha for more than 70 years. Popular acts ranging from Frank Sinatra to Elvis Presley to Nirvana all performed to sold-out crowds. It was also home to the Omaha Knights , a minor league hockey team from 1959 to 1975. The Knights began operations in 1959 in

174-457: Is developing the property for multi-purpose under the name Aksarben Village . The Knights of AKSARBEN Foundation continues to serve its 112-year-old mission of "building a more prosperous heartland where communities can flourish and every child can succeed." The organization supports financial need-based scholarship programs and administers Nebraska's Pioneer Farm program, Good Neighbor Awards, and Ike Friedman Leadership Awards. It also produces

203-634: The Great Plains during the 16th century. They mistakenly believed that this fabled city was located in Nebraska . While the initial purpose of the organization was to keep the Nebraska State Fair in Omaha, it was eventually moved to Lincoln and subsequently to Grand Island . The group has pursued other initiatives, such as purchasing the Douglas Street Bridge, the first road bridge across

232-766: The IHL , and later moved to the now-defunct CHL , with teams affiliated with the NHL's Montreal Canadiens , New York Rangers , and both the Calgary and Atlanta Flames . The arena hosted the USHL 's Omaha Lancers for its final dozen years and the Omaha Racers basketball of the CBA from 1989 to 1997. The Coliseum also hosted world-class boxing , was a major stop on the PBR and attracted many popular comedians. In

261-585: The Missouri River . Their goal was to remove the tolls on the bridge, which was subsequently renamed the Ak-Sar-Ben Bridge . From the 1920s through the 1990s, the Knights built and operated a horse racing track and arena complex, also named Ak-Sar-Ben . In 1992 the Knights donated the horse racing track and arena complex to a new legal entity – the Ak-Sar-Ben Future Trust. This organization

290-644: The Nebraska State Fair , it is named after its original land owner August L. Fonner, and first held races in 1954. Fonner Park is a 5 ⁄ 8 -mile (1,000 m; 5.0-furlong) dirt oval. The Fonner Keno Casino and Finish Line Restaurant offers keno and off-track betting . In July 2019, the facility received authorization from the Nebraska Racing Commission to install historical Instant Racing machines, but in February 2020 their installation

319-501: The depression following the Panic of 1893 . There were also concerns that the city might lose its five-year contract to host the annual state fair after complaints about its management of the 1894 fair. During that time, business leaders in Omaha and other Midwestern metropolises at the time utilized fairs and festivals to boost their cities' images and to compete with each other and East Coast cities for investment and residents. To keep

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348-503: The west coast . With the resumption of races, Fonner Park experienced a surge in off-track betting activity domestically and abroad; on its first day of races after the resumption, the track handled over $ 1.3 million—surpassing the track's previous single-day record of $ 1.2 million. Fonner Park CEO Chris Kotulak noted that the track only received 3% of the revenue from OTB, meaning that higher numbers would be needed to cover purses and employee salaries. In its first two weeks,

377-639: The AKSARBEN Stockshow & Rodeo and the Ak-Sar-Ben Coronation Ball. The AKSARBEN Stockshow & Rodeo was established in 1927. Its mission is to produce an annual youth livestock show that celebrates the region’s agricultural heritage and educates and benefits families. AKSARBEN Rodeo is an annual festival of the region's heritage. Its three core events include the Douglas County Fair, The Ak-Sar-Ben 4-H Livestock Exposition, and

406-538: The Act, tracks fall under its jurisdiction if they engage in interstate wagering. Fonner Park and the state of Nebraska are parties to a legal challenge to the HISA's authority. On March 9, 2023, trainer Todd Scherer was murdered in a barn at Fonner Park; in May 2024, the lead suspect—Logan Hunts Horse—was convicted of second-degree murder, and plead no contest on a charge of felony use of

435-683: The Ak-Sar-Ben Rodeo, host of the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour – Omaha Round. AKSARBEN's Coronation Ball is a celebration of volunteerism and civic pride. It is a fund-raising event that supports need-based scholarship programs and recognizes the volunteer efforts of individuals throughout the region through the honoring of families. In 2005, the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights of the American Hockey League were named after

464-628: The Coliseum annually, including a Greek Festival and River City Roundup booths. Following his death in 1959, the 1935 Triple Crown winner Omaha was buried at the racetrack's Circle of Champions. The thoroughbred spent his final nine years at a farm outside of Nebraska City and made promotional appearances at the Ak-Sar-Ben racetrack during the 1950s. Horse racing at Ak-Sar-Ben ended in August 1995, just ten years after its record season of 1985. Greyhound and horse racing began in adjacent Iowa in 1986,

493-516: The Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation, who had a minority ownership stake in the team. However, after two seasons of mediocre attendance, the franchise was relocated in 2007 to the Quad Cities . It is currently located in Calgary, Alberta . Fonner Park Fonner Park is a thoroughbred horse racing facility located in Grand Island, Nebraska . Co-located with Eihusen Arena and the grounds of

522-650: The addition of 12 additional days of racing in May, extending Fonner Park's season through May 27. In February 2023, Fonner Park announced that it would discontinue simulcasts and interstate wagering until further notice, citing objections and "insurmountable" complications brought upon by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA)—an entity established under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020 to create and enforce unified safety and drug testing policies for thoroughbred racing. Under

551-483: The average daily handle had peaked at $ 3.5 million, but to taper off towards $ 3 million as other tracks resumed racing. From February through April, Fonner Park took a total of $ 71.3 million in wagers, a year-over-year increase of $ 63.8 million. It also accounted for 40% of wagers from TVG customers in April 2020 (as opposed to only 5% the year before). On April 22, the Nebraska Racing Commission approved

580-607: The average handle increased to $ 2.1 million per day. Fonner Park simulcasts were also being picked up in countries such as Australia, England, France, and South Africa, while the Grand Island Independent described the track as having temporarily become "the center of the horse racing world". On April 1, it was announced that Fonner Park would continue this racing format through April. Kotulak stated that it "exceeded our expectations because we did not expect as many other tracks to cancel racing". By its sixth week,

609-542: The dogs would be legalized three years later in Kansas , and finally casino gambling began operations in Missouri in 1993: Ak-Sar-Ben's attendances never recovered, as gamblers who would previously travel to Omaha now had options closer to home. A portion of the property was sold to First Data Resources under the agreement that FDR would donate part of the land to the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) for its Aksarben Campus to build

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638-430: The facility announced that it planned to resume races behind closed doors as a "trial" from March 23 through April 1, with races moving from weekends to a Monday–Wednesday schedule, only essential personnel present at the track, and additional safety protocols. While grandstands would be closed to the public, spectators would still be able to watch from the track's parking lot, and use its geofenced betting app while on

667-647: The grounds. The Fonner Keno Casino and restaurant would remain operational, subject to restrictions. As one of the few U.S. tracks to continue racing (and horse racing being one of the few sports to continue in any form amidst the pandemic's arrival in North America), the "boutique" Fonner Park began to receive national exposure, including more frequent simulcasts by TVG Network . The change in scheduling and shift to late-afternoon first posts helped alleviate conflicts with weekend simulcast racing from other tracks still in operation, and helped attract more viewers from

696-562: The meaning of Ak-Sar-Ben based on his translations of the syllables into Syrian, Arabic, and Hebrew, respectively. He believed it stood for "the King, his Domain, and his Retainers." The priest and the Club leaders then decided to call the "domain" over which the organization would "rule" the Kingdom of Quivira . This name was inspired by a mythical city of gold that Spanish conquistadors had searched for in

725-516: The racetrack's glory days, the Coliseum housed a cinema-sized screen and betting windows to handle the overflow of fans. In the mid-1980s, Ak-Sar-Ben was tenth in the nation in racetrack attendance, with up to 25,000 betting $ 2 million per day on weekends. Punters came to the track from all around the Great Plains, as pari-mutuel betting was illegal in many of Nebraska's neighboring states such as Iowa, Missouri and Kansas. Many festivals were also held in

754-726: The state fair in Omaha, the Commercial Club provided financial support for an adequate transportation system and for improved buildings for the 1895 state fair. It also organized a new festival in the style of Mardi Gras in New Orleans , which had similarly inspired the Veiled Prophet celebration in St. Louis The name "Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben" is believed to have been created during an 1895 trip of Commercial Club leadership to buy parade floats and costumes from New Orleans Mardi Gras krewes . During

783-562: Was delayed due to a pending lawsuit over their legality. The site was purchased by the Hall County Livestock Improvement Association in April 1953. The park was named after August L. "Gus" Fonner, who donated the land. The Old Reliable Hereford Show and Sale was held as its first livestock exhibition in September, before beginning its inaugural season of racing on April 29, 1954. In the years that followed, Fonner

812-469: Was expanded to include additional grandstand seating, expanded barn space, an indoor quarter-mile training track, and other amenities. In March 1979, Fonner Park began offering Sunday races for the first time. In 1988, the track began simulcasts to Lincoln and Omaha. On March 16, 2020, live racing at Fonner Park was suspended due to health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic . On March 19,

841-630: Was opened near Ralston in 1998. The horse racing industry in Nebraska is now confined to live racing dates rotating from Fonner Park in Grand Island , to the Lincoln Race Course in Lincoln , and finishing at Agricultural Park in Columbus , plus a four-day meet at Horsemen's Park (the latter required to keep their simulcasting license). A fourth track, Atokad in the northeast part of the state, also holds

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