Pompano Park Raceway Raceway
Pompano Park Raceway was a 5/8-mile harness track in Pompano Beach, Florida, that featured live racing year-round. The venue featured world-class standardbred horseracing with top-ranked trotters and pacers, award-winning drivers and trainers, and some of the best racing action in North America.
The raceway was centrally located just one mile west of Interstate 95, one mile east of the Florida Turnpike, and one block south of the corner of Atlantic Blvd and Powerline Road. It was only a 15-minute drive from the ocean, 20 minutes from the Fort Lauderdale / Hollywood International Airport, and less than an hour from Miami Beach.
The entire Pompano Park Raceway facility operated as a complete entertainment destination. It could accommodate up to 20,000 spectators and 12,000 cars, and it housed approximately 1,000 horses.
An era came to an end when Pompano Park Raceway officially held its final night of racing on April 17, 2022, closing its doors after 58 years of operation. The track's closure followed changing state gaming regulations that allowed the venue to discontinue live horse racing while keeping its casino operations active. The historic grandstand and track were subsequently demolished to clear the way for a major mixed-use redevelopment project, marking the final chapter for the beloved "Winter Capital of Harness Racing."
Pompano Park Raceway Records
| Pacers |
| AGE & TYPE | HORSE (DRIVER) | DATE | TIME |
| 2-year-old colt | ARTSPLACE (John Campbell) |
11/30/1990 | 1:51.1* |
| 2-year-old filly | CENTRAL PARK WEST (John Campbell) |
11/18/1988 | 1:53.3 |
| 2-year-old gelding | RED BOW TIE (Terry Kerr) |
10/18/1996 | 1:52.3* |
| 3-year-old colt | BEACH TOWEL (Ray Remmen) |
11/02/1990 | 1:51.2 |
| 3-year-old filly | MISS EASY (John Campbell) |
10/25/1991 | 1:52.2 |
| 3-year-old gelding | SPIN MOGUL (Tom Sells) |
8/3/2002 | 1:51.3 |
| 4-year-old horse | MANNART HOWARD (Brad Kramer) YANKEE LANDA (Joe Pavia Jr) |
2/10/2001 4/19/2003 |
1:50.4 |
| 4-year-old mare | CAESAR'S JACKPOT (Wally Hennessey) |
10/20/1990 | 1:52.2 |
| 4-year-old gelding | THE PAPER WAZOO (Bruce Ranger) |
12/02/2000 | 1:50.2* |
| Older Horse | PARSON'S DEN (Joe Anderson) |
2/27/1999 | 1:49.4 |
| Older Mare | KADIJAH (Brian Sears) |
3/21/2003 | 1:51.4* |
| Older Gelding | TIME SHARE N (Bruce Ranger) |
2/17/2001 | 1:50.3 |
| Trotters |
| AGE & TYPE | HORSE (DRIVER) | DATE | TIME |
| 2-year-old colt | KING CONCH (William Gale) |
10/25/1991 | 1:56.2 |
| 2-year-old filly | PEACE CORPS (John Campbell) |
11/11/1988 | 1:57.1 |
| 2-year-old gelding | ME LLAMO JOSE (Marc Aubin) |
10/16/1998 | 2:00 |
| 3-year-old colt | MACK LOBELL (John Campbell) |
11/13/1987 | 1:54.1* |
| 3-year-old filly | EXPRESSWAY HANOVER (Per Henriksen) |
10/29/1993 | 1:55.4 |
| 3-year-old gelding | JUAN CARLOS (Tom Sells) |
10/19/2001 | 1:56.4 |
| 4-year-old horse | DIAMOND GOAL (Dan Daley) |
4/19/2002 | Q1:54.1 |
| 4-year-old mare | PEACE CORPS (Stig Johansson) |
11/02/1990 | 1:54.2* |
| 4-year-old gelding | CLARE'S GUY (Wally Hennessey) |
12/04/2000 | 1:55.2 |
| Older Horse | POWER HALL (Kevin Wallis) MONTE HALL (Brian Sears) |
3/20/2000 3/14/2003 |
1:55.1 |
| Older Mare | LORI LOUISE (Peter Wrenn) |
3/14/2003 | 1:56 |
| Older Gelding | DAMON RUNYON (David Ingraham) TRAPPERS SALUTE A (George Napolitano Jr) |
1/16/02 11/5/03 |
1:54.4 |
| 1 5/16th's | BEEPBEEP MOVE OVER (David Ingraham) |
3/6/2004 | 2:33.3 |
| * -- Denotes World Record Q - Record set in qualifying race |
Milestones in the History of Pompano Park Raceway
- In 1953, a New York ad executive turned horse breeder named Frederick Van Lennen purchased a failed Depression-era thoroughbred racing track and vowed to build the "Taj Mahal" of harness racing. He faced formidable legal opposition from various parties with interests in the pari-mutuel business.
- On February 4, 1964, the $5.5 million Pompano Park Raceway first opened its gates to the public. Pompano Park Raceway's inaugural season was a 46-night harness racing meet.
- Throughout its 40-year history, Pompano Park Raceway has hosted many of harness racing's greatest horses, drivers and trainers. Each year, it also hosts several charitable fund raising events. It is the home of the Broward County Fair. It has also been designated a hurricane shelter for horses for Florida.