Balmoral Park, Illinois facts for kids
| Horse Race Track/Show Facility | |
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Quick facts for kids Balmoral Park |
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| Location | Crete Township, Will County, Illinois, near Crete, Illinois |
| Owned by | HITS, Inc. (Saugerties, New York) |
| Dates of original operation | August 9, 1926 – December 26, 2015 |
| Date reopened | May 10, 2017 |
| Race type | Standardbred |
| Website | www.hitsshows.com/balmoral-park |
| Principal Races | |
| American National | |
| Orange and Blue | |
| Filly Orange and Blue | |
| Pete Langley Memorial | |
Balmoral Park is a special place for horses located in Crete, Illinois. For many years, from 1926 to 2015, it was a famous track where horses raced. Today, it is a horse show facility where horses and riders compete in different events.
Contents
History of Balmoral Park
How it all began
In 1925, a man named Colonel Matt Winn, who managed the famous Churchill Downs racetrack, visited Chicago. He wanted to find a good spot for a new horse racing track. He found a large area of land, about 1,050 acres, just south of Crete.
Colonel Winn and his business partners decided to buy this land. They named the new track "Lincoln Fields." They even brought special Kentucky bluegrass for the track. The buildings had red tile roofs, and pretty lakes were built in the middle of the track.
First races at Lincoln Fields
The very first races at Lincoln Fields started on August 9, 1926. A horse trainer named Daniel E. Stewart was the first to bring his horses to the track. The first horse to practice there was a mare named Rothermel.
The first race ever run was won by a horse named Miss Rosedale. People placed bets using a "certificate system" back then. This was before pari-mutuel wagering, where all bets go into a pool and are shared among winners, became legal in Illinois in 1927.
On August 30, 1936, Lincoln Fields got a special camera. It was called the DeBrie Camera. This camera could take 240 pictures every second at the finish line. It was the first camera like it at an Illinois racetrack.
A very famous horse named Whirlaway won his first race at Lincoln Fields on June 3, 1940. The next year, Whirlaway went on to win the amazing Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. This is one of the biggest achievements in horse racing.
Changes and challenges
Lincoln Fields had to close in 1942 because of World War II. All the races were moved to other tracks until 1951.
In 1952, a fire damaged the grandstands at Lincoln Fields. This stopped the track from reopening right away. Races were moved again. But in 1954, horse racing finally returned to Lincoln Fields. It was the first time races were held there since 1942.
Becoming Balmoral Park
In 1955, a group led by Benjamin Lindheimer bought Lincoln Fields. They changed the name of the racetrack to Balmoral Park. Benjamin Lindheimer was a very important person in horse racing in Illinois.
After Lindheimer passed away in 1960, his daughter, Marjorie Lindheimer Everett, took over. She combined Balmoral Park with other racetracks she owned.
In 1967, William S. Miller and his partners bought Balmoral Park. Miller was a horse breeder and a millionaire. He changed the track from a one-mile track for thoroughbreds to a half-mile track for harness racing. Harness racing is where horses pull a driver in a two-wheeled cart called a sulky.
Since Balmoral Park was in a different county, it could hold harness races during the winter months. This was a big advantage!
New owners and track changes
In 1973, the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation bought Balmoral Park. Edward DeBartolo was a real estate developer. He changed the track again, making it a 5/8-mile oval. This allowed both thoroughbred and harness racing to happen there.
Thoroughbred racing returned to Balmoral Park on January 8, 1978. This was the first time in 24 years! Balmoral Park held summer thoroughbred races every year until 1985.
In 1987, the family of George Steinbrenner, who owned the New York Yankees, bought Balmoral Park. They teamed up with local track operators. That same year, Illinois became the first state to allow racetracks to open "off-track betting" (OTB) places. Balmoral Park opened Illinois' first OTB parlor in Peoria.
Exciting events and improvements
On June 26, 1988, Balmoral Park hosted the first World Driving Championship in North America. This big event happens every four years. Drivers from 14 countries competed!
Balmoral Park also held the Miller High Life Jockey Challenge. This was a series of three races with nine of the best jockeys in North America. The famous jockey Bill Shoemaker won the event.
Soon after, a new one-mile (1.6 km) racing track was built around the existing 5/8-mile oval. But in 1991, Balmoral Park became a track only for harness racing.
By 1993, Balmoral Park started using special saddle pads. These pads made it easier for people betting on races to see which horse was which. Balmoral continued to host parts of the World Driving Championships, and local driving star Dave Magee won in 1995.
The 5/8-mile track was removed that year. A new, bright lighting system was put in for the one-mile track. In 1996, more improvements were made. A new barn and paddock were built near the grandstand. This meant Balmoral Park could now hold 120 horses each night.
The golden age of harness racing
Balmoral Park became the top harness racing facility in Chicago in 1998. This happened when Sportsman's Park stopped its harness races. All of Sportsman's big races, like "Super Night" and "American National," moved to Balmoral Park.
A nice new walking ring was added under the trees near the paddock. This was a peaceful area for horses to walk and cool down.
The Great Midwest Fair also returned to Balmoral Park. This fun event had food, games, fireworks, and live horse racing. More than 25,000 people came to the fair each year over Memorial Day weekend.
On June 10, 2000, an Illinois-bred horse named Big Tom set a new track record. He was the fastest pacer on the one-mile track, finishing in 1 minute and 49.1 seconds. Later that year, another horse named Major Blur equaled this record.
On September 16, "Super Night" saw $3,777,549 bet on races. This was the most money ever bet on a harness race night in Illinois history!
The end of an era
In 2015, sad news came out: Balmoral Park was going to close at the end of the year. This happened because of a court ruling. Illinois racetracks had to pay money to casinos, which caused a financial problem for Balmoral Park.
A new beginning
In May 2017, Balmoral Park reopened! It was a big celebration for the local community. It is now owned by HITS Inc. and hosts horse shows. These shows include exciting competitions like show jumping and show hunting. Balmoral Park is now part of a group of horse show facilities owned by HITS Inc. across the country.
Physical features
The track at Balmoral Park is a one-mile (1.6 km) dirt oval. The grandstands can hold at least 71,000 people watching the events. There are stables for over 900 horses. In its busiest times, Balmoral Park's stables were almost always full.
Horse races held at Balmoral Park
Here are some of the important races that were held at Balmoral Park:
- Orange and Blue
- Filly Orange and Blue
- Pete Langley Memorial
- Grandma Ann
- Dan Patch Championship
- Ann Vonian
- Su Mac Lad
- Lady Ann Reed
- American National series
- Lincoln Land
- Lady Lincoln Land
Images for kids
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Balmoral Park
