Presque Isle Downs, which plans to open Sept. 1 for its inaugural Thoroughbred meet, will have a synthetic surface, and a decision on the manufacturer could be finalized by the end of April.

Presque Isle, located near Erie, Pa., opened for slot-machine gaming in mid-February. The target date to begin full-card simulcasts is mid- to late July, said Rose Mary Williams, director of racing at Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort and corporate secretary for MTR Gaming Group, which owns Mountaineer and Presque Isle Downs.

Presque Isle Downs will offer live racing for 25 nights, six days a week, through the end of September. In 2008, the track expects to offer about 100 nights of racing from late spring through early fall. The one-mile synthetic surface, therefore, will have limited exposure to wild temperature swings.

“It was a decision between the racetrack and horsemen’s group” to install a synthetic surface,” Williams said. “We’re sharing some of the cost