Best Horse Racing Tracks in the World
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Horses racing in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.Horse racing has some of the most beautiful venues in sports. And they are full of history and tradition.
Wherever you are in the world, chances are you’re not too far from a racetrack. Of course, some places are better than others to spend a day at the races.
These are the best racetracks in thoroughbred racing.
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25. Parx
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Location: Bensalem, Pennsylvania
Established: 1974
What Makes Parx Special
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Parx has been known by several names over the years. It opened as Keystone Racetrack in 1974, changed its name to Philadelphia Park in 1984, and changed its name again (to Parx) in 2010.
Its biggest day is held in the fall and features the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby for 3-year-olds and the Grade 1 Cotillion for fillies.
In recent years, those races have featured winners such as champions West Coast, Will Take Charge, Songbird and Untapable.
Where to stay:The Logan Philadelphia, Curio Collection by Hilton
24. Lone Star Park
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Location: Grand Prairie, Texas
Established: 1997
What Makes Lone Star Park Special
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One of the newest tracks on this list, the track located in Grand Prairie, Texas, opened its doors in 1997. It's a first-class facility, and less than a decade later, in 2004, Lone Star hosted the Breeders’ Cup.
That year’s renewal featured powerhouse performances by Hall of Famers Ghostzapper and Ashado, as both horses set track records that stand to this day.
Where to stay:La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Dallas Grand Prairie North
23. Ruidoso Downs
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Location: Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico
Established: 1945
What Makes Ruidoso Downs Special
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Quarter horses get the spotlight at Ruidoso Downs, which is located in New Mexico.
These horses are bred and trained to go shorter distances than thoroughbreds, and they do so in less than the time it takes for someone to tie his or her shoes.
The biggest race on the Ruidoso Downs calendar is the All American Futurity, which is held each Labor Day and offers a purse of $3 million.
Where to stay:Best Western Pine Springs Inn
22. Meadowlands
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Location: East Rutherford, New Jersey
Established: 1976
What Makes Meadowlands Special
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Located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the Meadowlands is considered by many to be the premier harness racing venue in America.
Standardbreds trot or pace their way to glory here in races like the Hambletonian, which is harness racing’s version of the Kentucky Derby.
Additionally, the track opened a sportsbook in 2018 following New Jersey’s legalization of sports betting.
Where to stay:Residence Inn by Marriott East Rutherford Meadowlands
21. Laurel Park
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Location: Laurel, Maryland
Established: 1911
What Makes Laurel Park Special
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Located in Maryland (close to Washington, D.C.), Laurel Park is the primary home of racing in that state. It’s undergone significant renovations in recent years, and there are rumblings that its owners (The Stronach Group) are interested in moving the Preakness here.
Laurel Park's history includes the Washington, D.C., International Stakes, which for a time was one of the biggest races in the country. Its winners included 20th-century greats Bald Eagle, Kelso, Fort Marcy and Dahlia, among others.
Where to stay:Sleep Inn And Suites Laurel
20. Tampa Bay Downs
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Location: Tampa, Florida
Established: 1926
What Makes Tampa Bay Downs Special
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Tampa Bay Downs may not get the mainstream attention fellow Florida track Gulfstream Park does, but the oval has hosted plenty of top-notch horses over the years.
Always Dreaming’s road to the 2017 Kentucky Derby started at Tampa, and 2007 Derby winner Street Sense prepped for that race with a win in that year’s Tampa Bay Derby.
Additionally, Tampa’s turf course, which was installed in 1998, has become one of the most popular such surfaces in the country.
Where to stay:Hampton Inn & Suites Tampa Northwest/Oldsmar
19. Monmouth Park
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Location: Oceanport, New Jersey
Established: 1870
What Makes Monmouth Park Special
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Monmouth Park is located in New Jersey, and its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean has led to the track marketing itself as "the shore’s greatest stretch."
Its flagship event each summer is the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational for 3-year-olds, and two-time Triple Crown-winning trainer Bob Baffert is no stranger to success in that race.
He’s won the Haskell eight times, including with American Pharoah in 2015.
Where to stay:La Quinta Inn by Wyndham West Long Branch
18. Aqueduct
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Location: Ozone Park, New York
Established: 1894
What Makes Aqueduct Special
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The New York circuit spends its winter and spring months at Aqueduct, which was originally founded in 1894. The track was closed for renovations for several years during the 1950s and reopened in 1959.
Its major races include the Wood Memorial, which acts as the New York circuit’s final Kentucky Derby prep race.
In 1995, the track hosted Pope John Paul II for a special mass, which attracted 75,000 people.
Where to stay: Comfort Inn JFK Airport
17. Hialeah Park
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Location: Hialeah, Florida
Established: 1922
What Makes Hialeah Park Special
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Hialeah Park has fallen on hard times of late, but not long ago, the Florida venue was one of the most beautiful tracks on the planet, and for nostalgic reasons, Hialeah has to make this list.
If you want to see the track in all its glory, complete with flamingos, flowers, and top-notch thoroughbreds, check out the 1989 movie "Let It Ride," which stars Richard Dreyfuss and was shot at Hialeah.
Where to stay:Holiday Inn Miami West - Airport Area, an IHG Hotel
16. Kentucky Downs
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Location: Franklin, Kentucky
Established: 1990
What Makes Kentucky Downs Special
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Kentucky Downs may be located in a traditional horse racing state, but that’s about where the traditionalism ends.
There’s no dirt racing here, and its shape is asymmetrical, with one turn significantly sharper than the other.
In recent years, Kentucky Downs has enjoyed strong growth due to large field sizes, which are attracted to the venue by some of the largest purses in the country.
Where to stay:Baymont by Wyndham Franklin
15. Meydan
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Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Established: 2010
What Makes Meydan Special
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Many of the top thoroughbreds in the world make the trip to the United Arab Emirates every winter to run at Meydan.
It was built in 2010, and it plays host to the world’s richest race, the $12 million Dubai World Cup.
America’s top horses have enjoyed great success in the race, which has been won by the likes of Hall of Famers Cigar, Silver Charm, Invasor and Curlin.
Where to stay: Paramount Hotel Dubai
14. Fair Grounds
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Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Established: 1838
What Makes Fair Grounds Special
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The good times roll at Fair Grounds each winter, as the track located near New Orleans hosts its thoroughbred meet from November to March.
Its most important race is the Louisiana Derby for 3-year-olds, which is held on closing weekend.
The track has survived a number of significant challenges in recent years, including a grandstand fire in 1993 and the effects of Hurricane Katrina (which closed Fair Grounds for more than a year).
Where to stay: The Tremé Hotel
13. Pimlico
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Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Established: 1870
What Makes Pimlico Special
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Nicknamed "Old Hilltop" (for its location, unsurprisingly, atop a hill near Baltimore), Pimlico plays host to the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes.
The Preakness was arguably the first major racing event to embrace a party-like atmosphere, and its infield festival has attracted some of the biggest names in music.
In recent years, the Pimlico meet has been scaled back significantly, and rumors have abounded about possible renovations to the historic venue.
Where to stay:Quality Inn
12. Arlington
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Location: Arlington Heights, Illinois
Established: 1927
What Makes Arlington Special
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Arlington International Racecourse, formerly known as Arlington Park, has a long, distinguished history.
The track located outside of Chicago was the first to have a regular public-address announcer, and it also housed the first-ever million-dollar thoroughbred race in 1981.
That’s the Arlington Million, which still attracts some of the world’s best turf horses every summer.
Where to stay:Motel 6 Rolling Meadows
11. Woodbine
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Location: Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada
Established: 1956
What Makes Woodbine Special
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Located in Ontario, Woodbine is the most prestigious thoroughbred venue in Canada. The track hosted the 1996 Breeders' Cup and annually hosts several other major events every year.
Specifically, Woodbine is the site of the Queen’s Plate, Canada’s oldest horse race and the country’s version of the Kentucky Derby.
It was first run in 1860, and in 1964, Northern Dancer became the first horse to ever win both the Derby and the Plate.
Where to stay:Woodbine Hotel and Suites
10. Longchamp
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Location: Paris, France
Established: 1857
What Makes Longchamp Special
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Longchamp is one of several high-class venues in France, which has produced plenty of world-class horses over the years.
Longchamp makes this list in large part because of its status as the host of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Europe’s richest and most prestigious horse race.
Most recently, the race has been won twice by Enable, who trekked across the Atlantic to also annex the 2018 Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs.
Where to stay: Campanile Paris Ouest - Pont de Suresnes
9. Oaklawn Park
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Location: Hot Springs, Arkansas
Established: 1905
What Makes Oaklawn Park Special
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Oaklawn Park opened in 1905 and holds a 57-day winter/spring meeting that, in 2019, ended on the day of the Kentucky Derby.
Since the turn of the millennium, Oaklawn has played host to some of the best 3-year-olds in the country.
Smarty Jones swept the track’s 3-year-old races before winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 2004, and American Pharoah dominated the Rebel and Arkansas Derby prior to his Triple Crown sweep in 2015.
Where to stay:Best Western Winners Circle
8. Gulfstream Park
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Location: Hallandale Beach, Florida
Established: 1939
What Makes Gulfstream Park Special
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Located in Hallandale Beach, Florida, Gulfstream Park has long been known for having one of the best winter-spring meets in the country.
It recently underwent a significant renovation, and now supports live racing almost year-round. In 2017, it launched the Pegasus World Cup, and 2019’s Pegasus Day featured the Pegasus World Cup Turf.
Both the dirt and turf races are the richest annual events on those surfaces in North America.
7. Belmont Park
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Location: Elmont, New York
Established: 1905
What Makes Belmont Park Special
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Known as "Big Sandy" for its size and water-resistant surface, Belmont Park’s main track is 1 1/2 miles in circumference.
It’s most famous as the home of the Belmont Stakes, the third and final leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.
The race is one of only a few each year to consist of a full lap around the gigantic Long Island track, and its grueling distance is a large part of why the race is known as "the test of the champion."
Where to stay: Hampton Inn by Hilton Hallandale Beach Aventura
6. Del Mar
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Location: Del Mar, California
Established: 1937
What Makes Del Mar Special
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Founded by Bing Crosby and several other Hollywood A-listers in 1937, Del Mar hosts two meets every year near San Diego.
Its summer meet is one of the most well-supported in the country, with many of the top horses of the past and present making appearances at some of its biggest races.
Triple Crown winner American Pharoah won the 2014 Del Mar Futurity, while recent Horses of the Year California Chrome and Gun Runner also dazzled fans "where the turf meets the surf."
Where to stay:Hilton San Diego Del Mar
5. Keeneland
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Location: Lexington, Kentucky
Established: 1936
What Makes Keeneland Special
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Keeneland holds two short racing meets each year in Lexington, Kentucky.
Its spring meet features the Blue Grass Stakes, one of the most important Kentucky Derby prep races, and its fall meet includes several events that serve as stepping stones on the road to the Breeders’ Cup.
Interestingly, Keeneland was one of the last tracks in the country to install a public-address system. The Keeneland brass held out until 1997.
Where to stay:21c Museum Hotel Lexington
4. Santa Anita
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Location: Arcadia, California
Established: 1934
What Makes Santa Anita Special
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Nicknamed "The Great Race Place," Santa Anita Park was opened in 1934, and it wasted no time in making a splash.
1935 featured the first-ever Santa Anita Handicap, which set a record with its purse of $100,000.
In more recent times, the track located east of Los Angeles has hosted the Breeders' Cup 10 times, most recently in 2019.
Where to stay: Le Méridien Pasadena Arcadia
3. Royal Ascot
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Location: Ascot, United Kingdom
Established: 1711
What Makes Royal Ascot Special
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The Royal Ascot meet isn’t just a series of racing days each June.
The meet is also one of Great Britain’s premier social events, complete with appearances from members of the country’s royal family (including Queen Elizabeth, who herself owns a high-level string of thoroughbreds).
The quality of racing is as strong as you’ll find anywhere on the planet, and the top-tier races attract invaders from as far away as America and Australia.
Where to stay: Lyndricks House
2. Churchill Downs
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Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Established: 1875
What Makes Churchill Downs Special
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Churchill Downs annually plays host to the biggest horse race in America, the Kentucky Derby.
It’s held on the first Saturday in May and attracts more than 100,000 people to the Louisville track.
In recent years, Derby fever has spilled over to the days before, with the Thursday and Friday cards also attracting very large crowds and top-notch horses.
Where to stay:Staybridge Suites Louisville Expo Center, an IHG Hotel
1. Saratoga
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Location: Saratoga Springs, New York
Established: 1863
What Makes Saratoga Special
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One of horse racing’s most beloved venues, Saratoga was founded in 1863, about three hours north of New York City.
Many of the top horses in history have run here, and enough have been beaten that the track has been nicknamed, the "Graveyard of Champions."
Of note, Man o’ War suffered his lone defeat here, and just a few years ago, Triple Crown winner American Pharoah suffered his only loss of that historic season in the meet’s flagship race, the Travers Stakes.
Where to stay: Hilton Garden Inn Saratoga Springs
Related:Best Racehorse Names