Morris Park Racecourse

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Morris Park Racecourse, 1899
Morris Park Racecourse, 1899

Morris Park Racecourse was an American Thoroughbred horse racing facility opened in 1889 in an area of The Bronx, New York known at the time as Glendale. The facility was conceived and built by majority shareholder John A. Morris as a result of the closure of the Jerome Park Racetrack to make way for the Jerome Park Reservoir. Accessible by horse and buggy, the New Haven Railroad added a spur line from its main rail track that brought racing fans to the new Morris Park installation from across the greater New York City area.

Principal owner John Morris had extensive business interests in Louisiana and the prominent New York businessman and horseracing enthusiast Leonard W. Jerome served as the racecourse's president. The African-American Racing Hall of Fame jockey Isaac Murphy rode here on opening day, August 20, 1889. Reporting on the event, the New York Times newspaper described it as "the most beautiful racetrack in the world."

In 1890 Morris Park Racecourse hosted the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. While the Preakness Stakes was canceled for three years then restarted in 1894 at Gravesend Race Track on Coney Island, the Belmont Stakes was held at Morris Park until 1905. During this same period of 1890 through 1904, the Champagne Stakes and the Ladies Handicap were also raced here. The Metropolitan Handicap was inaugurated here in 1891 as was the Matron Stakes the following year.

A few days before he died in May of 1895, John Morris leased the racecourse, with an option to purchase, to the Westchester Racing Association. Although the 1½ mile racecourse was modified to a one mile circuit to allow for better spectator viewing, a lack of patronage by high society members meant the clubhouse was usually empty. By 1902, the decline in attendance resulted in the decision to close Morris Park Racecourse. [1]

After its closure, the Morris Park Racecourse was used for automobile racing but a few years later the Morris heirs sold the property to real estate developers. The new owners ran into financial problems which resulted in the track being taken over by the City of New York in 1907. The city then leased it for two years to the Aeronautic Society of New York who hosted the first public air show on the grounds. In June of 1909, Glenn H. Curtiss put on a flying exhibition at Morris Park. [2]

On May 9, 1910 a fire ravaged much of the stables and nearby facilities. Three years later the property was auctioned off to developers who would subdivide the land into building lots. As late as 1921 the clubhouse was still intact when it was sold as part of a fourteen-lot package to a company who converted it for use as a factory to manufacture ornamental iron. [3]

[edit] See also defunct New York race tracks:

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