Hialeah Park Race Track, Horse racing venue in Hialeah, Florida
Hialeah Park Race Track is a horse racing venue in Hialeah, Florida that spans roughly 200 acres and features French Mediterranean buildings. The complex includes a dirt oval of about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) for thoroughbred racing, extensive gardens with water features, and a gaming facility with slot machines and poker tables.
Hialeah Park opened in 1922 as a greyhound track run by the Miami Kennel Club, founded by Glenn Curtiss and James H. Bright. The Miami Jockey Club launched Thoroughbred racing there on January 25, 1925. After the 1926 hurricane, Joseph E. Widener bought the site in 1930 and had architect Lester W. Geisler rebuild it; the new grandstand and clubhouse opened on January 14, 1932. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 2, 1979.
Joseph E. Widener stocked the infield lake with flamingos after buying the track in 1930; the flock was later replenished with birds imported from Cuba. The Audubon Society has designated Hialeah Park a sanctuary for the American Flamingo. The birds gather around the infield lake, visible from the grandstand.
The facility is served by the Miami Metrorail at Hialeah Station, at Palm Avenue and East 21st Street. The site covers 40 square blocks, from Palm Avenue east to East 4th Avenue and from East 22nd Street south to East 32nd Street north. Quarter horse racing last ran on February 29, 2016; a casino opened on August 14, 2013.
On January 16, 1936, Hialeah became the first thoroughbred venue to install a photo-finish camera, changing how close results were judged. The 1965 marble statue of 1948 Triple Crown winner Citation, weighing 5,995 pounds, stands on the grounds. On February 7, 1969, Diane Crump rode Bridle 'n Bit here as the first woman jockey in a US pari-mutuel race, finishing ninth of twelve.
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