Northfield Harness Racing
Northfield Park is located 15 miles southeast of downtown Cleveland, Ohio, USA on Route 8 (Northfield Road), off the Forbes Road exit of I-271. It is widely acknowledge as one of the Cleveland area's top sports and entertainment venues.
Northfield Park is the only racetrack in the world with its own Microbrewery. The brewery is just one aspect of a $10 million renovation project that began in early 1997 and culminated in its June 1998 grand opening.
Northfield Park Facts
- Track Size: Half-mile
- Speed Rating: 2:00.1
- Length of Homestretch: 440 feet
- Width of Homestretch: 80 feet
- Starters Behind Gate: 8
- Hub Rail: None
- Passing Lane: Yes
Exciting Events at Northfield Park
Some of the major annual events held at Northfield Park include:
- the Miller Lite Cleveland Classic, a major stakes event for three year-old pacing colts
- the Courageous Lady, an event for 3-year old pacing fillies
- the Battle for Lake Erie, a highly-anticipated annual tourney that has been been held for almost two decades now
History of Northfield Park
First constructed by Chicago mobster Al Capone in 1934, the track, then knownas Sportsman Park, was intended as a greyhound track. When this plan failed, ownership changed and the focus was switched to midget car racing. After 20 years as a successful car racing facility, interest began to wane and in 1956, Sportsman Park was demolished to make way for what would eventually become one of the nation's premier harness racing tracks, Northfield Park.
In 1984, the track's owners spent nearly $20,000,000 to renovate the facility, elevating it to a position of prominence within the industry. The glass-enclosed, climate-controlled grandstand and adjacent clubhouse, together, can seat over 5,800 people.