Jamaica Race Course, also called the Jamaica Racetrack, was an American

thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

facility operated by the Metropolitan Jockey Club in

Jamaica, Queens Jamaica is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is mainly composed of a large commercial and retail area, though part of the neighborhood is also residential. Jamaica is bordered by Hollis to the east; St. Albans, Spring ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

History

The track opened on April 27, 1903, a day which featured the inaugural running of the

Excelsior Handicap The Excelsior Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the first week of April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. A Listed event for three-year-olds and up, it is contested over a distance of one-and-on ...

Eugene D. Wood Eugene may refer to: People and fictional characters * Eugene (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Eugene (actress) (born 1981), Kim Yoo-jin, South Korean actress and former member of the sin ...

, one of the founders and largest stockholder, served as its first president. Upon Wood's death in April 1924, Dr. Edward P. Kilroe was appointed president to replace him. The

Wood Memorial Stakes The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. It is run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on dirt. The Wood Memorial ...

is named in Eugene Wood's honor. Legendary Hall of Fame

horse trainer A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some of the responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals' physical needs, as well as teaching them submissive behaviors and/or coaching them for e ...

Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons was the first to train at Jamaica Race Course and

Native Dancer Native Dancer (March 27, 1950 – November 16, 1967), nicknamed the ''Gray Ghost'', was one of the most celebrated and accomplished Thoroughbred racehorses in American history and was the first horse made famous through the medium of television. ...

made a winning debut here on April 19, 1952. The facility's attendance record of 64,679 was set on

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...

, 1945. It was home to ongoing races such as the

Prioress Stakes The Prioress Stakes is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the eight-week meet at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Inaugurated in 1948 at Jamaica Racetrack, it was raced there through 1959 after ...

, Frizette Stakes, Paumonok Handicap,

, Remsen Handicap,

Bed O' Roses Handicap The Bed O' Roses Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and Mares four-year-olds and older, over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt track held annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event ...

, and the Jamaica Handicap. In 1955, the Greater New York Association took over management of Jamaica Race Course along with

Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park and Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack located within New York City limits. Its racing ...

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Raci ...

, and

Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, Saratoga Springs, New York (state), New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting v ...

and decided to undertake renovations to Aqueduct in South Ozone Park, the other track in the Greater Jamaica area. Jamaica took on the Big A dates during Aqueduct's four year renovation, after which it would be sold for redevelopment as a housing project. With Aqueduct slated to reopen in the fall of 1959, Jamaica ceased operations on August 1 and was torn down the following year. Today the Rochdale Village housing development occupies the former site of Jamaica Race Course. The racetrack was served by the adjacent Locust Manor station on the Long Island Rail Road.

Gallery

File:Jamaica Racecourse 095011 02.jpg File:Jamaica Racecourse 095011 01.jpg File:Jamaica Racecourse 095011 03.jpg File:Jamaica Racecourse 095011 04.jpg

References

{{coord, 40, 40, 40, N, 73, 46, 31, W, display=title 1903 establishments in New York City 1959 disestablishments in New York (state) Defunct horse racing venues in New York City History of Queens, New York Jamaica, Queens Sports venues completed in 1903 Sports venues demolished in 1960 Sports venues in Queens, New York