Atlantic City Race Course facts for kids
Racecourse sign
|
|
| Location | Mays Landing, New Jersey United States |
|---|---|
| Owned by | Greenwood ACRA |
| Date opened | 1946 |
| Date closed | 2015 |
| Course type | Flat |
The Atlantic City Race Course (ACRC) was a famous place where Thoroughbred horses raced. It was also known as the Atlantic City Race Track. This track was located in Mays Landing, New Jersey, in the United States. Even though it had "Atlantic City" in its name, it was actually about 14 miles (23 km) away from the city itself.
The race course was a big area, covering over 250 acres (1.0 km2) of land. The main track was 1+1⁄8 miles (1.8 km) long and 100 feet (30 m) wide. There was also a special grass track, called a turf course, which was one mile (1.6 km) long. The stands could seat 10,000 people, and another 25,000 could stand to watch the races. The Atlantic City Race Course closed its doors for good in January 2015.
Contents
A Look Back: History of the Race Course
How the Race Course Started
The Atlantic City Race Course first opened on July 22, 1946. It was created by a group of four people, including a famous person named John B. Kelly Sr.. Many well-known show business stars also invested in the track, like Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope. Imagine them owning a piece of a horse track!
Famous Horses and Movies
One of the greatest racehorses ever, named Kelso, ran his very first race at ACRC on September 4, 1959. At that time, the Atlantic City Race Course was one of the top tracks in the country. Years later, in 1964, parts of a famous movie called Marnie were filmed right there at the race course.
The Atlantic City Pop Festival
In August 1969, something really big happened at the race course: the Atlantic City Pop Festival. About 100,000 people came to this music festival! It was a huge surprise how many people showed up. This event happened just a few weeks before the even more famous Woodstock Festival in New York. Many young people arrived and camped out in the nearby forests.
Challenges and Closing Down
Later, in the 1970s, new casinos opened in Atlantic City. These casinos started to attract people who might have gone to the races instead. Also, other places began to combine racetracks with casinos, which made it harder for ACRC to get good horses and enough visitors.
Over time, fewer people came to the races, and the track started to lose money. The owners tried to keep it open by holding shorter race events each year. In 2001, the track was sold and mostly became a place where people could watch and bet on races happening at other tracks. After many years of struggling, the Atlantic City Race Course officially closed on January 9, 2015. The very last race was held on January 16, 2015.
Future Plans for the Land
Even though the race course is closed, the land is still being used. In July 2025, Amazon announced plans to build a large fulfillment center on 84 acres of the property. This new center will be located close to the Atlantic City Expressway.
Exciting Races Held Here
Here are some of the important races that took place at the Atlantic City Race Course:
- All American Handicap
- Boardwalk Handicap
- Caesars International Handicap
- Kelly-Olympic Handicap
- Pageant Handicap
- World’s Playground Stakes
See also
- Gambling in New Jersey
