• Source: Freehold Raceway

Freehold Raceway is a half-mile (0.80 km) racetrack in Freehold Borough, New Jersey, and is the oldest racetrack in the United States, as well as being the oldest of the three horse racing venues located in New Jersey.
Freehold Raceway is one of only two harness racing venues located in New Jersey, the other being Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment in East Rutherford, which has been home to harness racing's biggest stage, the Hambletonian, since 1981. There are several farms and training centers located near Freehold Raceway which stable hundreds of standardbred racehorses.
It was announced in September 2024 that Freehold Raceway will cease operations at the end of the 2024 racing year, with the final program slated to be on December 28. No plans for the site were announced.




History


Horseraces have been taking place at Freehold Raceway since the 1830s. The Monmouth County Agricultural Society was formed on December 17, 1853, and in 1854 they began holding an annual fair with harness racing at Freehold Raceway
In 1984, an electrical fire destroyed the main building. Racing was then held under tents until the new building was completed in 1986.
In 1990, the Freehold Raceway Mall opened up across the street, and was, until 2007, decorated with harness racing motif.
In 1998, Freehold was acquired by a joint venture of Penn National Gaming and Greenwood Racing (owner of Parx Casino and Racing).
From 1998 to 2010, Freehold Raceway was the home of the Cane Pace, a harness horse race run annually since 1955; in 1956 the race joined with the Little Brown Jug and the Messenger Stakes to become the first leg in the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers.
In 2005, Freehold was also the temporary home of the Yonkers Trot, part of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Trotters, while renovations took place at Yonkers Raceway.
Track officials announced in September 2024 that the raceway will close on December 28 of that year. At the time of its closure, it was the oldest horse racing track in the United States.




= Race Schedule

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Freehold Raceway has two meets per year; they race from New Years Day until the end of May, then reopen in September and race until the middle of December.




Triple Dead Heat



Freehold Raceway was the site of the first ever photo finish triple dead heat win in a harness race. Double, triple and even quadruple dead heats were more commonly awarded in horse racing when finishes were judged by the naked eye in real time. With the advent of photo finish technology in the second quarter of the 20th century, there was a significant decrease in dead heats.
During a harness race on October 3, 1953, the noses of horses Patchover (driven by Ed Myer), Payne Hall (F. Albertson) and Penny Maid (E. Beede) passed the finish line at exactly the same time.




See also



Gambling in New Jersey




References






External links


Freehold Raceway Official Site

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Saratoga Race Course
• Freehold Raceway
• Freehold Raceway Mall
• Freehold Township, New Jersey
• Freehold Borough, New Jersey
• U.S. Route 9 in New Jersey
• East Freehold, New Jersey
• Monmouth County, New Jersey
• Yonkers Raceway & Empire City Casino
• Penn Entertainment
• West Freehold, New Jersey