Jamaica Racetrack
Encyclopedia
Jamaica Race Course was an American
thoroughbred horse racing
facility operated by the Metropolitan Jockey Club in Jamaica
, New York
. The 1 miles (1.6 km) track opened on April 27, 1903, a day which featured the inaugural running of the Excelsior Handicap
. Eugene D. Wood, one of the founders and largest stockholder, served as its first president. On his death in April of 1924, Dr. Edward P. Kilroe was appointed president to replace him. The Wood Memorial Stakes
is named in Eugene Wood's honor.
Legendary Hall of Fame horse trainer
Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons
was the first to train at Jamaica Race Course and Native Dancer
made a winning debut here on April 19, 1952. The facility's attendance record of 64,679 was set on Memorial Day
, 1945. It was home to ongoing races such as the Prioress Stakes
, Frizette Stakes
, Paumonok Handicap
, Excelsior Handicap
, Wood Memorial Stakes
, Remsen Handicap
, Bed O' Roses Handicap, and the Jamaica Handicap
.
In 1955, the Greater New York Association
took over management of Jamaica Race Course along with Aqueduct Racetrack
, Belmont Park
, and Saratoga Race Course
and decided to undertake renovations to Aqueduct in South Ozone Park
, the other track in the Greater Jamaica area. Jamaica took on the Big A dates during Aqueduct's renovation, after which it would be sold for redevelopment as a housing project. On August 1, 1959, with Aqueduct reopening that fall, Jamaica ceased operations and was torn down the following year. Today the Rochdale Village
housing development occupies the former site of Jamaica Race Course.
The racetrack was served by the adjacent Locust Manor
station on the Long Island Rail Road
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
thoroughbred horse racing
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
facility operated by the Metropolitan Jockey Club in Jamaica
Jamaica, Queens
Jamaica is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York, United States. It was settled under Dutch rule in 1656 in New Netherland as Rustdorp. Under British rule, the Village of Jamaica became the center of the "Town of Jamaica"...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The 1 miles (1.6 km) track opened on April 27, 1903, a day which featured the inaugural running of the Excelsior Handicap
Excelsior Handicap
The Excelsior Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the first week of April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York...
. Eugene D. Wood, one of the founders and largest stockholder, served as its first president. On his death in April of 1924, Dr. Edward P. Kilroe was appointed president to replace him. The Wood Memorial Stakes
Wood Memorial Stakes
The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Jamaica, New York. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt....
is named in Eugene Wood's honor.
Legendary Hall of Fame horse trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons
Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons
James Edward Fitzsimmons was a thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Born in Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, New York, Fitzsimmons began his career in 1885 working at a racetrack as a stable boy. After nearly ten less-than-successful years as a thoroughbred jockey, he became too heavy for that job and took...
was the first to train at Jamaica Race Course and Native Dancer
Native Dancer
Native Dancer , nicknamed the Grey Ghost, was one of the most celebrated and accomplished Thoroughbred racehorses in history, the first horse made famous through the medium of television. He was one of the best horses produced in USA after the war...
made a winning debut here on April 19, 1952. The facility's attendance record of 64,679 was set on Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
, 1945. It was home to ongoing races such as the Prioress Stakes
Prioress Stakes
The Prioress Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the first week of July at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York....
, Frizette Stakes
Frizette Stakes
The Frizette Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old fillies raced annually at Belmont Park in the late fall. It is currently a Grade I stakes race at as distance of one mile. The Frizette is the female counterpart of the Champagne Stakes.The race is currently part of the...
, Paumonok Handicap
Paumonok Handicap
The Paumonok Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. A six furlong sprint race, it is open to horses aged three years and older and currently offers a purse of $75,000....
, Excelsior Handicap
Excelsior Handicap
The Excelsior Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the first week of April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York...
, Wood Memorial Stakes
Wood Memorial Stakes
The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Jamaica, New York. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt....
, Remsen Handicap
Remsen Stakes
The Remsen Stakes is an American Grade II race for Thoroughbred horse race run annually near the end of November at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York...
, Bed O' Roses Handicap, and the Jamaica Handicap
Jamaica Handicap
The Jamaica Handicap is American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run annually on the turf at Belmont Park in Elmont on Long Island, New York...
.
In 1955, the Greater New York Association
New York Racing Association
The New York Racing Association, Inc. is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest thoroughbred horse-racing tracks in the state of New York. It runs Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens, Belmont Park in Elmont, Long Island , and Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga...
took over management of Jamaica Race Course along with Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...
, Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
, and Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
and decided to undertake renovations to Aqueduct in South Ozone Park
South Ozone Park, Queens
South Ozone Park is a neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Queens. It was originally developed as low-cost housing in the early 1900s. Adjacently north of JFK Airport, its boundaries extend from the Aqueduct Racetrack westward to the Van Wyck Expressway.Its main...
, the other track in the Greater Jamaica area. Jamaica took on the Big A dates during Aqueduct's renovation, after which it would be sold for redevelopment as a housing project. On August 1, 1959, with Aqueduct reopening that fall, Jamaica ceased operations and was torn down the following year. Today the Rochdale Village
Rochdale, Queens
Rochdale is a neighborhood in the southeastern corner of the borough of Queens in New York City. Located in Community Board 12, Rochdale, along with other neighborhood areas are grouped as part of Greater Jamaica, corresponding to the former Town of Jamaica...
housing development occupies the former site of Jamaica Race Course.
The racetrack was served by the adjacent Locust Manor
Locust Manor (LIRR station)
Locust Manor is a station on the Long Island Rail Road's Atlantic Branch serving the residents of the Locust Manor neighborhood of Queens, New York....
station on the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
.
See also defunct New York race tracks
- Brighton Beach Race CourseBrighton Beach Race CourseThe Brighton Beach Race Course was an American Thoroughbred horse racing facility opened at Brighton Beach, Coney Island, New York on June 28, 1879 by the Brighton Beach Racing Association. Headed by real estate developer William A. Engeman, who owned the Brighton Beach Hotel, the one-mile race...
- Gravesend Race TrackGravesend Race TrackGravesend Race Track at Gravesend on Coney Island, New York was a Thoroughbred horse racing facility built by the Brooklyn Jockey Club as a result of the backing of the wealthy racing stable owners, the Dwyer Brothers. Philip J...
- Jerome Park RacetrackJerome Park RacetrackJerome Park Racetrack was an American thoroughbred horse racing facility.-History:It opened in 1866 in the northwest part of Fordham, Westchester County , New York....
- Morris Park RacecourseMorris Park RacecourseMorris Park Racecourse was an American thoroughbred horse racing facility from 1889 until 1904. It was located in a part of Westchester County, New York that was annexed into the Bronx in 1895 and later became known as Morris Park...
- Roosevelt RacewayRoosevelt Raceway (harness racing)Roosevelt Raceway was a ½-mile harness racing dirt then later synthetic track located in Westbury, New York, which operated from September 2, 1940 until July 15, 1988. It was the original home of the Messenger Stakes, part of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers. The raceway hosted the...
- Sheepshead Bay Race TrackSheepshead Bay Race TrackSheepshead Bay Race Track was an American Thoroughbred horse racing facility built on the site of the Coney Island Jockey Club at Sheepshead Bay, New York...