OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Cherokee Nation has bought Blue Ribbon Downs in Sallisaw, less than two weeks after the previous owner shuttered the financially troubled horse racing track, but stopped short Thursday of saying it might reopen.

The Tahlequah-based Cherokee Nation announced its purchase in a news release that didn’t disclose the sale price. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma had owned the track for six years.

The Cherokee Nation said the purchase included about 100 acres of land, facilities and equipment. The tribe said it has no immediate plans for the property, which is located within its jurisdiction. The tribe also owns Will Rogers Downs in Claremore.

“We had an opportunity to purchase a property that is within our tribal jurisdiction so we always closely consider that and see it as a wise business decision to take advantage of that any time we can,” David Stewart, the CEO of Cherokee Nation Entertainment, said in a statement.

“The purchase is also an opportunity for us to utilize some of the equipment at Will Rogers Downs, which will provide some needed upgrades at that facility,” Stewart said.

Blue Ribbon Downs began running in the early 1960s and in 1984 became the state’s first track to offer pari-mutuel racing. The track is located in a town of about 8,000 people in far eastern Oklahoma and has a history of financial struggles.

Its former owner, Race Horses Inc., filed for bankruptcy in 1997, and again in 2002, the latter time after falling into debt with the city of Sallisaw. The Durant-based Choctaw Nation bought Blue Ribbon Downs for $4.25 million in November 2003, one day before the track was to be sold at a sheriff’s auction.

The Choctaw Nation twice tried to sell the track twice during the last two years and entered into a contract with a potential buyer in May. But that deal fell through and the Choctaws announced in October that the track would close Nov. 28.

A tribal spokeswoman said at the time that Blue Ribbon Downs would remain for sale.

Blue Ribbon Downs included a casino that began operating in November 2004, but struggled because of competition from a nearby Cherokee-owned casino. State horse racing officials have said the track has lost millions in recent years.

“The Choctaws did an excellent job in trying to make the track profitable,” Stewart said. “As owners of a track in Oklahoma, we understand the economics of the industry.”

The sale was first reported Thursday by the Tulsa World.