Puneet Varma (Editor)

Freehold Raceway

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Course type
  
Harness Racing

Phone
  
+1 732-462-3800

Notable race
  
Cane Pace

Notable races
  
Cane Pace

Owner
  
Penn National Gaming

Location
  
Freehold Borough, New Jersey

Owned by
  
Penn National Gaming and Greenwood Racing

Date opened
  
1830s (informally) 1854 (officially)

Address
  
130 Park Ave., Freehold, NJ 07728, United States

Similar
  
Meadowlands Racetrack, Yonkers Raceway, Freehold Raceway Mall, Turfway Park, Aqueduct Racetrack

Profiles

1998 freehold raceway dauntless bunny track record


Freehold Raceway is a half-mile racetrack in Freehold Borough, New Jersey, and is the oldest racetrack in the United States. 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

Contents

Freehold Raceway is currently 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 1984, an electrical fire destroyed the main building. Racing was then held under tents until the new building was completed in 1985.

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).

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.

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. There are two harness tracks in New Jersey, Freehold Raceway and The Meadowlands. New Jersey has always drawn the top horses, trainers, and drivers in the world. There are several farms and training centers located near Freehold Raceway which stable hundreds of standardbred racehorses.

Freehold raceway dec 1992


References

Freehold Raceway Wikipedia