Rumors surfaced Ocean Downs might switch to thoroughbred racing, and an apparent schism over the idea led to the resignation of half of the board of directors in 1957. The MGA attempted to help by raising the takeout three times in ten years. The track struggled initially, losing $85,000 in its first two seasons, owing to its remote location compared to the three other harness tracks. Completed at a cost of $650,000, Ocean Downs opened on July 25, 1949. Work on Ocean Downs began in November 1947, with plans to open the following summer, but they were delayed due to construction difficulties. Four applications were approved: Ocean Downs, Laurel Raceway, Rosecroft Raceway, and Baltimore Raceway. The Ocean Downs Racing Association (ODRA), formed by a group of Eastern Shore promoters, was one of 22 applicants to the Maryland Racing Commission (MRC) for harness racing licenses. In 1947, the Maryland General Assembly (MGA) authorized up to 100 days per year of harness racing with no more than 20 racing days at one track. The United States saw a nationwide surge of interest in harness racing in the 1940s, fueled largely by the addition of parimutuel betting, electric lights to allow night racing, and development of the mobile starting gate. In 2010, construction of a $45-million casino began, and it opened the following year. Maryland voters approved slot machines in 2008 for five locations, including Worcester County. That did not happen, and William Rickman purchased Ocean Downs from Bally Entertainment in 2000. Two years later, CSOA sold Ocean Downs to Bally Entertainment because the track continued to lose money, and Bally Entertainment expected slot machines to be legalized in the state.

After the purchase, the racetrack returned to the former name of Ocean Downs.

Weisman died in 1994, and the track was sold again to Cloverleaf Standardbred Owners Association (CSOA) with partnership from Bally Entertainment. Ocean Downs went into bankruptcy in 1991, however, and it was sold to Fred Weisman, a California entrepreneur. In 1987, real estate developer Mark Vogel purchased the racetrack.

In 1986, the Maryland Racing Commission was hesitant to approve race days at Ocean Downs due to the track's management, so the owners of Rosecroft Raceway, a competing harness track in Maryland, purchased Ocean Downs and renamed it Delmarva Downs.

After two failing years, ODRA began to speculate switching to thoroughbred racing, but that did not happen. Construction started in 1947 as a harness racetrack, and it opened in 1949 with Ocean Downs Racing Association (ODRA) as owner.

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