 Army Air Forces aerial photograph of Roosevelt Raceway during the 1936 Vanderbilt Cup | |
| Location | Westbury, New York, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°44′23″N 73°35′50″W / 40.739722°N 73.597112°W |
| Date opened | circa 1936 |
| Date closed | July 15, 1988 |
| Race type | Auto racing, Harness |
| Notable races | Vanderbilt Cup, Messenger Stakes |
Roosevelt Raceway was a race track located just outside the village of Westbury on Long Island, New York. Initially created as a venue for the 1936 Vanderbilt Cup auto race, it was converted to a ½-mile harness racing facility (the actual circumference was 100 feet shorter). The harness racing facility operated from September 2, 1940 until July 15, 1988.[1][2] It was the original home of the Messenger Stakes, part of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers. The raceway hosted the event until it closed. It was also the first track to use the now universal "mobile starting gate". The operation was sold in 1984 on the condition it was to remain an operating racetrack, but the facilities deteriorated, attendance dropped off, and the plant was no longer profitable.
The site of Roosevelt Raceway is part of the Hempstead Plains, located in an unincorporated area of the Town of Hempstead, within the Westbury 11590 Zip Code. It is located near where the first English Governor of New York, Richard Nicolls, established the "Newmarket Course", the first horse racing track in North America (and the first organized sport of any kind) in the territory that would become the United States, in 1664.[3]
- ^ Van Ness, Fred (September 3, 1940). "5,000 Watch Trots On Opening Night". The New York Times. p. S26. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
- ^ Hevesi, Dennis (July 16, 1988). "Roosevelt Raceway Closes Down". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
- ^ LI Sports: A Chronology