Portland Meadows
Encyclopedia
Portland Meadows is an American
horse racing
venue in Portland
, Oregon
, owned by MI Developments Inc. (MID) since 2001. Built by William P. Kyne, who also built Bay Meadows Racetrack in San Mateo, California
, the facility opened on September 14, 1946.
The track hosts two big feature race cards each year. The first is the $80,000 Portland Meadows Oaks run in late January each year and is a qualifying race for the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, a grade two race run at Pimlico Race Course
in Baltimore, Maryland. That race is the female counterpart to the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes
. On that same day The Governor's Handicap is run on the undercard and carries a purse of $25,000. The second big race day is run in late March and features the $50,000 Portland Mile and the $30,000 Portland Meadows Derby.
The track hosts both American Quarter Horse
racing and Thoroughbred horse race
s. Over the years, Portland Meadows has been the site of numerous outdoor music concerts and other forms of entertainment. The national high school cross country running
championship, the Nike Cross Nationals, have been held at Portland Meadows since 2004.
The grounds are in Hayden Meadows near the Columbia River
and are 16 feet (4.9 m) above sea-level.
In 1948, the track was closed due to the Vanport Flood. This flood destroyed the town of Vanport City, Oregon, and resulted in roughly $250,000 worth of damage to the track. On April 25, 1970 a fire burnt the grandstand to the ground. Fortunately the blaze took no lives, human or equine, but it did end the meet. In 1971, the facilities was rebuilt and track reopened to a record crowd of 12,635.
In 1981 Gary Stevens begins a two season streak as the leading rider at Portland Meadows. Gary would go on to capture three Kentucky Derby victories, two Preakness Stakes victories, eight Breeder's Cup titles, entrance into the Hall of Fame and would play a significant role in the motion picture "Seabiscuit." In 1987, the Coors Portland Meadows Mile becomes the first $100,000 stakes race in Oregon history. Present Value, a horse ridden by Hall of Fame jockey William Shoemaker, captured the race and went on to retire with $1,153,853 in career earnings. Present Value still holds distinction as the richest horse to ever compete at Portland Meadows. In 1994, two-year-old champion Jumron begins to draw fans from across the Pacific Northwest. He went on to become the first horse to begin his career at Portland Meadows that raced in the Kentucky Derby.
In 2003, with the inception of Monday afternoon racing, it was on December 22, Portland Meadows boasted a handle in excess of half a million dollars for the first time in over 10 years. With that, the attention, interest and handle continue to rise. In 2004, Chris Dragone takes the helm as the new General Manager. In 2006, Dwayne Yuzik is named General Manager of Portland Meadows; Chris Dragone takes over as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Maryland Jockey Club. On March 6, 2007 Joe Crispin breaks Gary Stevens 25 year old record for wins in a single season when he boots home his 127th winner of the year aboard Lady Boswell. Crispin finished the season with 162 victories. On November 5, 2007, Lethal Grande, the all-time richest Oregon-bred runner passed away due to an injury sustained during a race. He finished his career with $409,788 in career earnings. On January 7, 2009 Portland Meadows celebrated the start of Wednesday racing with the first ever Portland Meadows vs. Golden Gate Fields Jockey Challenge sponsored by Xpressbet. The challenge pitted the top four riders at Portland Meadows versus the top four riders from Golden Gate Fields including horse racing’s all time winningest rider Russell Baze. Portland Meadows jockeys took home the trophy winning three of the four races with that season’s leading jockey Debbie Hoonan-Trujillo taking home the top riding honor. on February 29, 2009 Portland Meadows set an all-time single day handle record with $1,434,445 bet on the nine race program that included the Portland Meadows Oaks. March 23, 2009 on Portland Mile Day, the track saw two long time track records fall as Salt Water broke a 32 year old track record winning a five furlong allowance race in 57.13 seconds. Later that day in the Mile, Crafty Power broke a 33 year old record for the one mile distance stopping the clock in 1:35.94.
On January 13, 2010 Trainer Jonathan Nance sets a new Portland Meadows record when he sends out six winners in one card. On May 1, 2010 Portland Meadows plays host to a massive crowd of over 20,000 for Oregon Derby Day and Kentucky Derby Day. Portland Meadows presents a check for $10,265 to the Oregon National Guard Emergency Relief Fund on behalf of the People’s Horse for 2010 Maria Margarita, who earned that amount with 3 victories and 8 in the money finishes.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
venue in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, owned by MI Developments Inc. (MID) since 2001. Built by William P. Kyne, who also built Bay Meadows Racetrack in San Mateo, California
San Mateo, California
San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 , it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south,...
, the facility opened on September 14, 1946.
The track hosts two big feature race cards each year. The first is the $80,000 Portland Meadows Oaks run in late January each year and is a qualifying race for the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, a grade two race run at Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London...
in Baltimore, Maryland. That race is the female counterpart to the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
. On that same day The Governor's Handicap is run on the undercard and carries a purse of $25,000. The second big race day is run in late March and features the $50,000 Portland Mile and the $30,000 Portland Meadows Derby.
The track hosts both American Quarter Horse
American Quarter Horse
The American Quarter Horse is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name came from its ability to outdistance other breeds of horses in races of a quarter mile or less; some individuals have been clocked at speeds up to 55 mph...
racing and Thoroughbred horse race
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...
s. Over the years, Portland Meadows has been the site of numerous outdoor music concerts and other forms of entertainment. The national high school cross country running
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
championship, the Nike Cross Nationals, have been held at Portland Meadows since 2004.
The grounds are in Hayden Meadows near the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
and are 16 feet (4.9 m) above sea-level.
Track History
In 1945, construction began of Portland Meadows on November 20, under the direction of William P. Kyne. Kyne is also known as the founder of Bay Meadows Racecourse and he was largely responsible for the passage of the 1933 law which legalized pari-mutuel wagering in California. On September 14, 1946, Portland Meadows opened with over 10,000 people in attendance, Portland Meadows made history as the first thoroughbred track in the nation to offer night time racing. This was made possible by use of a lighting system designed by General Electric which has been said has enough power "to light a four-lane superhighway from Portland to Salem, a distance of 40 miles."In 1948, the track was closed due to the Vanport Flood. This flood destroyed the town of Vanport City, Oregon, and resulted in roughly $250,000 worth of damage to the track. On April 25, 1970 a fire burnt the grandstand to the ground. Fortunately the blaze took no lives, human or equine, but it did end the meet. In 1971, the facilities was rebuilt and track reopened to a record crowd of 12,635.
In 1981 Gary Stevens begins a two season streak as the leading rider at Portland Meadows. Gary would go on to capture three Kentucky Derby victories, two Preakness Stakes victories, eight Breeder's Cup titles, entrance into the Hall of Fame and would play a significant role in the motion picture "Seabiscuit." In 1987, the Coors Portland Meadows Mile becomes the first $100,000 stakes race in Oregon history. Present Value, a horse ridden by Hall of Fame jockey William Shoemaker, captured the race and went on to retire with $1,153,853 in career earnings. Present Value still holds distinction as the richest horse to ever compete at Portland Meadows. In 1994, two-year-old champion Jumron begins to draw fans from across the Pacific Northwest. He went on to become the first horse to begin his career at Portland Meadows that raced in the Kentucky Derby.
Magna Ownership
In 2001, Magna Entertainment acquired the racing license for Portland Meadows. Prior to the 2001-2002 meet, the racing surface was completely renovated. The Clubhouse level and Turf Club Restaurant were also refurbished and a new simulcast center was opened on the mainline level. In 2003, Portland Meadows undergoes a series of improvements including the construction of a children's play area, upgrades in the paddock, gallons upon gallons of new paint throughout the building, new fencing and the inclusion of a grass apron. Among additional changes of significance are the live race days and an increase in handle. Since dropping Sunday racing and adding Monday matinees, there's been an increase of over 100 new simulcast outlets taking the Portland Meadows signal.In 2003, with the inception of Monday afternoon racing, it was on December 22, Portland Meadows boasted a handle in excess of half a million dollars for the first time in over 10 years. With that, the attention, interest and handle continue to rise. In 2004, Chris Dragone takes the helm as the new General Manager. In 2006, Dwayne Yuzik is named General Manager of Portland Meadows; Chris Dragone takes over as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Maryland Jockey Club. On March 6, 2007 Joe Crispin breaks Gary Stevens 25 year old record for wins in a single season when he boots home his 127th winner of the year aboard Lady Boswell. Crispin finished the season with 162 victories. On November 5, 2007, Lethal Grande, the all-time richest Oregon-bred runner passed away due to an injury sustained during a race. He finished his career with $409,788 in career earnings. On January 7, 2009 Portland Meadows celebrated the start of Wednesday racing with the first ever Portland Meadows vs. Golden Gate Fields Jockey Challenge sponsored by Xpressbet. The challenge pitted the top four riders at Portland Meadows versus the top four riders from Golden Gate Fields including horse racing’s all time winningest rider Russell Baze. Portland Meadows jockeys took home the trophy winning three of the four races with that season’s leading jockey Debbie Hoonan-Trujillo taking home the top riding honor. on February 29, 2009 Portland Meadows set an all-time single day handle record with $1,434,445 bet on the nine race program that included the Portland Meadows Oaks. March 23, 2009 on Portland Mile Day, the track saw two long time track records fall as Salt Water broke a 32 year old track record winning a five furlong allowance race in 57.13 seconds. Later that day in the Mile, Crafty Power broke a 33 year old record for the one mile distance stopping the clock in 1:35.94.
On January 13, 2010 Trainer Jonathan Nance sets a new Portland Meadows record when he sends out six winners in one card. On May 1, 2010 Portland Meadows plays host to a massive crowd of over 20,000 for Oregon Derby Day and Kentucky Derby Day. Portland Meadows presents a check for $10,265 to the Oregon National Guard Emergency Relief Fund on behalf of the People’s Horse for 2010 Maria Margarita, who earned that amount with 3 victories and 8 in the money finishes.