Balmoral Park Harness Racing
Balmoral Park was a one-mile horse track in Crete, Illinois, that offered year-round harness racing. It was located along Route 394 (the Calumet Expressway S.) or Route 1 (Dixie Highway), about 38 miles from Chicago's Loop.
Interesting Facts about Balmoral Park
Balmoral Park had exclusively been a harness racing track since 1991, after periodically hosting thoroughbred race meets throughout most of its history. The one-mile track was added in 1989. It had speed ratings of 1:581. The length of the stretch was 1,360 feet, while the width was 80 feet. There were 10 starters behind the gate.
The grandstand had a capacity of 8,281, while the clubhouse had a capacity of 2,000. The parking capacity was 15,000 vehicles.
Its record handle was $2,817,966, achieved on September 16, 2000. The largest attendance ever recorded at Balmoral Park was on February 4, 1990, when 11,494 people showed up for the races.
History of Balmoral Park
In 1925, Col. Matt J. Winn, manager of Churchill Downs, and his business associates at the Kentucky Jockey Club bought 1,050 acres of land just south of Crete, Illinois, and built a new track named "Lincoln Fields." The large oval was surrounded by Kentucky bluegrass, which Winn imported from Kentucky. Red Spanish tile was used as roofs on the buildings, and spring-fed lakes were built in the infield.
Lincoln Fields became a busy thoroughbred racing facility from 1926 until 1942, when it was shut down due to World War II restrictions. From that year up to 1953, race meetings were moved to Hawthorne and nearby Washington Park. Lincoln Fields sprang back to life in 1954 when thoroughbred racing commenced.
In 1955, Benjamin Lindheimer, head of horseracing at Washington Park since 1935 and Arlington Park since 1940, put together the Balmoral Jockey Club, which purchased Lincoln Fields. The name of the racetrack was changed to Balmoral Park. Balmoral's thoroughbred meetings were run at Washington Park from 1955 to 1963. Balmoral Park's thoroughbred track was converted to a half-mile track for harness racing in 1967. It was from then on primarily a harness racing venue, with thoroughbred racing being held intermittently throughout the years. The one-mile track was added in 1989. Balmoral Park finally became exclusively a harness racing facility in 1991 after the Illinois Racing Board took away its thoroughbred dates.
Following years of financial strain compounded by the loss of state-backed racing subsidies and the rise of casino competition, Balmoral Park officially closed its doors in December 2015. The final harness races were run on December 26, 2015, marking the end of a 90-year legacy of horse racing at the historic site. The property was subsequently sold at auction and repurposed into a show jumping and equestrian facility.
Special Harness Racing Stakes held at Balmoral Park
Balmoral Park has regularly played host to special harness racing stakes with significance throughout both the Midwest and the state of Illinois. Among the more prominent ones held at the Park are:
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