New York State Racetracks
Man O' War, Citation, and Secretariat. America's best Thoroughbreds have always traveled the road to champion through New York's best-known racetracks --Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga. Many New Yorkers know that Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs is the oldest continuously operating race track in the nation, but did you know that King Louis Phillippe of France once lived in exile on the grounds of what is now Belmont Park on Long Island? Or that there were as many as four or five (or more) active and thriving racetracks in New York at one time during the nineteenth century?

Thoroughbred racing in New York has a long and fascinating history, not unlike the history of the state itself. In colonial times, horse racing was an exciting diversion for the citizenry and races were often run on the "Hempstead Plain"; now the site of Belmont Park. One of New York's first governors, Richard Nicolls, established the country's first racetrack, Newmarket, on Long Island. Scores of other tracks followed,especially on Long Island and in the boroughs of New York City.

In colonial America, races were informal affairs, generally match races between two horses occurred over fields or dirt streets of the first settlements. However, racing on a track was already a well-established traditionin England when the colonists first came to America. The first race course in the State was established in 1665. In fact, historians of the period have noted that one of Governor Nicolls first official acts upon assuming office in 1664 was to lay out a mile race course on Long Island at Hempstead Plain (present site of Garden City). He named it Newmarket after the British course. Fortuitously, Long Island contained a long, broad, grass plain, which was ideally suited to racing. The establishment of many others followed: Newmarket II, Washington, Ascot Heath (where the British raced during the Revolution), and Beaver Pond. Manhattan was home to several early tracks, among them Harlem (near Murray Hill), Church Farm (west of Broadway near Besse), Greenwich (north of Church Farm near Greenwich Lane), and Maidenhead (near Delancey Street). Staten Island had the Vanderbilt track. Union Course on Long Island, which opened in 1821, was one of the country's most famous tracks because of its first "skinned" (dirt) track. It was the model for tracks of the future. Also during this period, Gravesend on Long Island began operations and later, in the 1870s and 1880s, Brighton Beach and Sheepshead Bay on Coney Island were established. Tracks were also running in Albany, Poughkeepsie, Centerville (Long Island), Saratoga, and Buffalo.

As the nation and New York grew and prospered in the nineteenth century, racing interests again prospered. Most notably in the small upstate community of Saratoga Springs.

Saratoga Racecourse

Racing at the spa began auspiciously enough across the street from the current facility at the place still called "Horse Haven". A four day experimental "meet" opened on August 3, 1863, just as Americans, and especially well-heeled New Yorkers, were beginning to see an end to the great Civil War.

This meet was the result of the efforts of John Morrisey from Troy, New York. A State Senator, gambler and successful prize fighter in his day, Morrisey enlisted the support of three of racing's most famous men; John Hunter (later the first Chairman of the Jockey Club), William Travers (owner of the horse that won the first Travers stakes), and Leonard Jerome (the founder of the old Jerome racetrack in the Bronx and the father of Winston Churchill's mother, Jennie). Together they presided over the inaugural meet at the Spa, which was so successful, they decided to expand it the next year. In order to accommodate the large crowds and enlarge the track, the meet was moved across the street to its present location.

During the latter part of the nineteenth century, Saratoga flourished. Leaders in politics, industry and sports all attended the meet, as well as those aspiring to fame and fortune from around the country.

On the track, Saratoga was fast becoming known as the "Graveyard of the Favorites". Man O' War's only career defeat by the aptly named Upset occured here in 1919. The fabled Gallant Fox was beaten in the 1930 Travers Stakes by Jim Dandy, at odds of 100-1—now the name of a famous stakes race as well. In this century, 1973 saw the legendary Secretariat defeated by Onion in the Whitney Stakes. Over the years, Saratoga remains the stalwart dowager queen of American racetracks. An 1863 description of the track could still be written today

". . . The main street of the place is a wide and handsome one. It is chiefly composed of hotels which are very large, well adapted to the comfort of summer visitors and no doubt well kept. We soon learned that all the hotels were full . . .The race course is well situated and quite near enough to the town. You can stand in the stable doors and look over a rich cultivated valley, many miles in width, to purple hills curtained with light summer haze far beyond."

Aqueduct Race Track

Begun as a scrappy renegade sort of track, the original Aqueduct opened on a rainy day in late September, 1894 to 700 fans and eight bookmakers, unrecognized by The Jockey Club. Organized as the Queens County Jockey Club by three men not previously connected with racing Thomas Reilly (an Albany lobbyist), Francis Reilly (a deputy fire chief in Harlem), and Robert Tucker (a hotel owner from Brooklyn). They leased land on the site of the present day Aqueduct from the family of the original Dutch settlers.

Barely surviving its first year in operation, Aqueduct was finally recognized by The Jockey Club in 1895 and began to make improvements to the track and in the caliber of racing. Many of the famous stakes races of today had their origins here. The Carter Handicap, and the Dwyer Stakes were instituted. The turn of the century saw many positive changes at Aqueduct. Phillip Dwyer, who became President of Aqueduct in 1905 and served until 1917, truly made Aqueduct a major racing center. One of the founders of the Jockey Club, Dwyer acquired more land, enlarged the size of the track and completely rebuilt the stands.

During the early half of the twentieth century, as smaller tracks such as those at Maspeth (Queens) and Gravesend closed, Aqueduct flourished as one of the country's premier racing venues.

In 1955 with the organization of the New York Racing Association (NYRA), Aqueduct was in for even more changes. The old track was torn down and in its place a state-of-the art facility opened in 1959. Aqueduct's most famous horse has to be the mighty gelding Kelso. Voted Horse of the year five times in a row in the early 1960's, Kelso was victorious in each of those five Jockey Club Gold Cup races as well as The Metropolitan, Suburban and Brooklyn handicaps, AND the Woodward and the Aqueduct Handicaps during those years.

Belmont Park Race Track

Belmont Park, which was opened in 1905 by the Westchester Racing Association, initially ran in reverse (clockwise) in the English manner, and the 1.5 mile oval had a 7-furlong straightaway. Dubbed as one of the biggest sporting events of the young century, it resulted in almost as much publicity for the horseless carriage as for the horse. It produced Long Island's first traffic jam! It was here in the old Manice Mansion, home of the original Turf and Field Club that Louis Philippe of France spent a small part of his exile in this country. The Mansion was demolished in 1956.

With the convenient access to the Long Island Railroad terminal, Belmont Park soon became very successful. When state law banned racing and wagering in 1910, Belmont Park struggled along by hosting the first international aerial tournament and later became the New York terminal of the first American airmail service between New York and Washington, DC.

When racing was reopened, a deadly fire in 1917 destroyed the main grandstand, the jockeys' quarter, the Long Island Railroad terminal and the luxurious clubhouse. A few weeks later, another fire attacked the barn area killing 28 valuable horses. Determined to continue, the 1917 meet was held as planned. Renovations took over 3 years to complete. Belmont Park is also known for instituting two important firsts in racing during the 1930's. One is the live "call" of the race over public address system, and the other is the photo finish camera.

The Belmont Stakes, perhaps the most notable of Belmont's races, is the third leg of the national Triple Crown of Racing. Originally run at Jerome Park in Westchester, The Belmont Stakes, at 1 1/2 miles, is the longest of all the Triple Crown races, and proves the undoing of many a contender.

Calumet Farm's Citation became a favorite at Belmont Park, winning multiple stakes races on his way to winning the 1948 Triple Crown with a stunning victory in the Belmont Stakes that year. Secretariat still holds the record for his brilliant 31-length win in the 1973 Belmont Stakes to capture that year's Triple Crown. And who can forget the exciting 1997 Belmont Stakes, with Kentucky Derby and Preakness Winner, Silver Charm, barely beaten by a nose for the honor of being last year's Triple Crown win.

Finger Lakes Race Track

Finger Lakes Race Track is located in the extensive, fertile valley of the Genesee River, often called the "Northern Bluegrass," because of the long tradition of breeding thoroughbred horses. The track opened in 1962, but was not the first thoroughbred track to have existed in western New York. The first track was actually located in Avon at Congress Park, where in 1866, Dexter set a world's record for the mile in 2:31. Like Saratoga, the famed Avon spa boasted beneficial sulphur springs and attracted countless tourist excursions to its hotel until it was destroyed by fire in 1878. During the twentieth century, Omaha, Triple Crown winner in 1935, stood at stud at Lookover Stallion Station in Avon.

The Finger Lakes area has always been historically important. Susan B. Anthony, for whom Finger Lakes Race Track has named a stake, made her home in nearby Rochester, as did Frederick Douglass, former slave and prominent abolitionist. A conductor in the region's Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman led thousands of slaves to freedom. Seneca Falls was home to the first Women's Rights Convention 150 years ago. Rochester's George Eastman founded Kodak. Ernest L. Woodward developed Jell-O in Leroy, a town west of Farmington.

When Finger Lakes Race Track opened its doors in 1962, a crowd of 9,200 came to watch the dream of local thoroughbred enthusiasts come true and bet $380,000. Since then, 17 million fans have wagered $1.5 billion. The track, situated in the heart of tourist vacationland, offers a feeling of big sky and plenty of action.

When thoroughbred stars appear at Finger Lakes Race Track, records fall--especially in the Grade III Finger Lakes Breeders Cup. Safely Kept, Groovy, Love That Mac, Not Surprising, Friendly Lover, and, most recently, Kelly Kip have made their mark in Finger Lakes' premier event. However, the track's most beloved hero was Fio Rito, a locally-bred gray horse, who gained national prominence winning the 1981 Grade I Whitney at Saratoga, along with 27 other victories from 50 starts. Fio Rito died at age 21 in 1996, and was honored as the only horse to be buried in the Finger Lakes infield.

Along with numerous opportunities for New York-breds, Finger Lakes Race Track hosts three important races: the New York Derby, the New York Oaks, and the New York Breeders Futurity.