Greenwood Raceway

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Greenwood Raceway was a harness racing track in Toronto. It opened in 1956 when the Ontario Jockey Club summer thoroughbred meet was moved from Old Woodbine Racetrack in east Toronto to the new Woodbine Racetrack in Etobicoke. Harness racing dates were transferred from Thorncliffe Park Raceway to Old Woodbine to fill the gap between the spring and fall thoroughbred meets, and the track was known as Greenwood Raceway during the harness meet. The track was at the junction of Kingston Road and Queen Street East, with only a narrow strip of land between it and Lake Ontario.

Thoroughbred racing continued at Old Woodbine on a shortened six furlong (1,207 m) track. Old Woodbine later was renamed Greenwood Race Track.

Harness races were at first conducted on the thoroughbred track, but serious problems with mud (including the starting gate being immobilized) led to the construction of a five-eighths mile (1006 m) stone dust harness track inside the thoroughbred track. This track was known for its tight turns and long back and homestretches.

Greenwood Raceway was the site of the Canadian Pacing Derby, the North America Cup, the Fan Hanover Stakes, the Maple Leaf Trot, and the Canadian Trotting Classic.

In 1994 both the thoroughbred and harness operations were moved to Woodbine. Greenwood was demolished and replaced by residential and commercial development, including a betting parlour. To commemorate the history of the site, the new residential roadways were horse race-themed such as Northern Dancer Blvd., in honour of the famous thoroughbred Northern Dancer.