Playfair Race Course (known as the Spokane Interstate Fair from 1901–1935) was the home of

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

Spokane Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, from 1901 The track started out as a four-

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to any of 660 foot (unit), feet, 220 yards, 40 rod (unit), rods, 10 chain (unit), chains, or a ...

(half-mile) flat oval, and expanded to five furlongs () in 1946. The grandstand was on the west, with the home stretch heading south, and the

stable A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed. Styles There are many different types of stables in use tod ...

s were on the east side. The premier races run at the track were the Playfair Mile, Spokane Derby, and the

Inland Empire The Inland Empire (commonly abbreviated as the IE) is a metropolitan area and region inland of and adjacent to coastal Southern California, centering around the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, and bordering Los Angeles County and Or ...

Marathon. The final races were on and the track officially closed the following July.

Post-Closure

Located in the East Central section of the city between Sprague Avenue and the railroad, the facility assets were auctioned in March 2004, and it was demolished shortly after.Thoroughbred Times - February 19, 2004
/ref> The site was bought by City of Spokane in 2004 for $6.3 million, with the intent of partnering with

Spokane County Spokane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 539,339, making it the fourth-most populous county in Washington. The largest city and county seat is Spokane, the second largest c ...

for a new

sewage treatment Sewage treatment is a type of wastewater treatment which aims to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent that is suitable to discharge to the surrounding environment or an intended reuse application, thereby preventing water p ...

facility. The deal soured and was sold in 2009 to SCAFCO, a steel-framing manufacturer. Now owned by SCAFC
The Stone Group
and known a
Playfair Commerce Park
the site comprises eleven industrial lots. Large metal silhouettes of race horses mark the entrance to the park.

Ferris Field

Ferris Field, a wooden

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

, was adjacent to the parking lot west of the track. Built in 1936, it was the home of the

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nort ...

Spokane Indians The Spokane Indians are a Minor League Baseball team located in Spokane Valley, the city immediately east of Spokane, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest. The Indians are members of the High-A Northwest League (NWL) as an affiliate of the Co ...

through 1956, and was named for city attorney George M. Ferris, a former player and manager for the Indians (at Natatorium Park) who secured funding from the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...

(WPA) to build it. The

baseball diamond A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refers ...

was aligned east, toward the horse track, resulting in challenging sun conditions for the fielders in the late afternoon and early evening. A fire in late October 1948 damaged most of the Ferris grandstands, and it was rebuilt in steel in the spring of 1949. It hosted

high school football High school football, also known as prep football, is gridiron football played by High school (North America), high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular high school sports, interscholastic sports in both c ...

in 1948 and 1949, between the condemnation of wooden Gonzaga Stadium and the opening of Spokane Memorial Stadium in 1950 (renamed

Joe Albi Stadium Joe Albi Stadium was an outdoor multi-purpose stadium in Spokane, Washington, United States. It was located in the northwest part of the city, just east of the Spokane River. The stadium was primarily used for high school football, as a secondary ...

in 1962). Spokane went without minor league baseball in 1957; the new Triple-A Spokane Indians of the

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

arrived in 1958 (formerly the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

) and moved about a mile (1½ km) east to the new Fairgrounds Park (now

Avista Stadium Avista Stadium is a baseball park in the northwest United States, located in Spokane Valley, Washington. It is the home ballpark of the Spokane Indians, a minor league baseball team in the High-A Northwest League.

) on Havana Street.

Playfair Mile Winners

References

{{Reflist, 2

External links

Playfair Commerce Park
– About

– Playfair Race Course Defunct horse racing venues in Washington (state) Demolished sports venues in Washington (state) 1901 establishments in Washington (state) 2001 disestablishments in Washington (state)