Florida Horseracing
Florida is known as the Horse Capital of the World, specifically Ocala and Marion County, where more than 400 thoroughbred farms and training centers are home to more than forty breeds of horses. Horseracing aficionados from all over the globe flock to Ocala for the Breeders Sale four times a year!
However, Florida horseracing started on shady grounds. In the 1920s, Tampa was a hotbed of “bolita”, an illegal but popular numbers game imported from Cuba and Americanized in Florida. Miami was packed with gambling houses. The city of Hialeah took root in 1924 on a remote swamp land and housed Hialeah Park, an illegal but bustling horseracing track.
Unfortunately, in 1926, protests from church groups and devastation from that year's hurricane forced Hialeah Park to close its racetrack for a time. But it reopened soon thereafter, albeit illegally.
By 1931, in the middle of the Depression, Florida passed legislation that legalized horse racing - marking the first time gambling was legitimized in the state. The measure passed by only one vote in the Senate but was vetoed by Gov. Doyle Carlton.
Today, Florida is home to three horseracing tracks, 22 poker rooms and eight tribal gaming casinos.
The Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering under the Department of Business and Professional Regulation within the Executive Branch of Florida's government oversees the regulation of Florida's pari-mutuel, cardroom, and slot gaming industries.
Florida Horseracing Track
- Calder Race Course - Miami
- Gulfstream Park - Hallandale
- Pompano Park - Pompano Park
- Tampa Bay Downs - Oldsmar
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Horseracing Tracks
- Arizona
- Rillito Park - Tucson
- Turf Paradise - Phoenix
- Yavapai Downs - Prescott Valley
- Arkansas
- California
- Alameda County Fair - Pleasanton
- Bay Meadows Racecourse - San Mateo
- Del Mar - Del Mar
- Fairplex Park - Pomona
- Ferndale Race Track - Ferndale
- Golden Gate Fields - Albany
- Hollywood Park - Inglewood
- Los Alamitos Race Course - Cypress
- Santa Anita Park - Arcadia
- Sonoma County Fair, Santa Rosa
- The Big Fresno Fair, Fresno
- Delaware
- Florida
- Illinois
- Arlington Park - Chicago
- Balmoral Park Harness Racing - Crete
- Fairmount Park - Collinsville
- Hawthorne Race Course - Chicago
- Maywood Park - Maywood Park
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Churchill Downs - Louisville
- Ellis Park - Henderson
- Keeneland - Lexington
- Kentucky Downs - Louisville / Franklin
- Red Mile - Lexington
- Turfway Park - Florence
- Louisiana
- Delta Downs - Vinson
- Evangeline Downs - Lafayette
- Fair Grounds Race Course - New Orleans
- Louisiana Downs - Bossier City
- Maryland
- Laurel Park - Maryland
- Ocean Downs - Ocean City
- Pimlico - Baltimore
- Rosecroft Raceway - Fort Washington
- Timonium - Timonium
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Great Lakes Downs - Muskegon
- Hazel Park Raceway - Hazel Park
- Mount Pleasant Meadows - Mt. Pleasant
- Minnesota
- Canterbury Park - Shakopee
- Nebraska
- Fonner Park - Grand Island
- Horsemen's Park - Omaha
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- Freehold Raceway - Freehold
- Meadowlands Racetrack - East Rutherford
- Monmouth Park - Oceanport
- New Mexico
- Downs at Albuquerque - Albuquerque
- Ruidoso Downs - Ruidoso
- Sunland Park - Sunland
- SunRay Park and Casino - Farmington
- New York
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Fair Meadows - Tulsa
- Remington Park - Oklahoma City
- Will Rogers Downs - Claremore
- Oregon
- Portland Meadows - Portland
- Pennsylvania
- Ladbroke at the Meadows - Pittsburgh
- Penn National Race Course - Grantville
- Philadelphia Park - Bensalem
- Pocono Downs - Wilkes-Barre
- Texas
- Virginia
- Colonial Downs - New Kent
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
- Wyoming Downs - Evanston