Hialeah Park Race Track facts for kids
.jpg)
Hialeah Park, around 1930
|
|
| Location | 2200 E 4th Avenue Hialeah, Florida |
|---|---|
| Owned by | John Brunetti |
| Date opened | 1922, 2013 (reopening) |
| Race type | Quarter Horse |
|
Hialeah Park Race Track
|
|
 Location in Miami
Location in Florida
Location in the United States
|
|
| NRHP reference No. | 79000664 (1979) 88003477 (1988) |
|---|---|
| Designated NRHP | March 5, 1979 January 12, 1988 (eligible as NHL) |
The Hialeah Park Race Track is a very old and famous racetrack in Hialeah, Florida. It covers a large area in central Hialeah. On March 5, 1979, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, which lists important historical places. You can get to Hialeah Park by Miami Metrorail at the Hialeah Station.
History of Hialeah Park
Hialeah Park Race Track is one of the oldest fun places in southern Florida. It first opened in 1922. It was started by Glenn Curtiss, who helped create airplanes, and his partner, James H. Bright. They opened it as a place for greyhound racing, where dogs race.
On January 25, 1925, the Miami Jockey Club started Thoroughbred horse racing at Hialeah. A big hurricane in 1926 badly damaged the park. In 1930, a horseman from Philadelphia named Joseph E. Widener bought it.
Widener hired an architect named Lester W. Geisler to design new buildings. These included a large grandstand for watching races and a clubhouse. He also added beautiful gardens with local plants and animals. Widener even put flamingos in a lake in the middle of the track!
Hialeah Park officially reopened on January 14, 1932. People called it one of the most beautiful racetracks in the world. It was the first place in America to use a special machine for betting called a totalisator. The park became so famous for its flamingos that the Audubon Society made it a safe place for them.
.jpg)
Many movies have filmed scenes at Hialeah Park. The horse-racing movie Let It Ride (1987) was mostly filmed there. The movie Public Enemies also used Hialeah Park for some scenes. The Champ (1979) filmed parts of its story there too.
In 2001, Hialeah Park stopped holding horse races. This happened because of a change in state law. It meant Hialeah Park could no longer have special dates for races without competition. The last thoroughbred horse race at Hialeah was on May 22, 2001. A young female horse named Cheeky Miss won that race.
Hialeah Park used to host very important races. These included the Flamingo Stakes, which was a key race for young horses before the Kentucky Derby. Another big race was the Widener Handicap, which was like the Santa Anita Handicap on the West Coast.
Modern Changes at Hialeah Park
In 2004, Hialeah Park lost its permit to hold thoroughbred races. This was because it hadn't held any races for two years. By 2013, most of its buildings were still there, but the horse stables were torn down in 2007. For a while, people thought Hialeah Park might become the new home for the Florida Marlins baseball team.
In March 2009, the owner, John Brunetti, got a new racing permit. A company called EwingCole started making a plan to fix up the park. They also planned to add a new casino. A big project to restore the park began in mid-2009.
On May 7, 2009, a new law allowed Hialeah Park to have slot machines and Quarter Horse races. These are races for horses that are very fast over short distances. The famous racetrack reopened on November 28, 2009, but only for Quarter Horse races. Slot machines were added in January 2010.
Only part of the park has been fixed up so far. The full plan for the area was very big. It included building a hotel, restaurants, more casinos, stores, and a theater. In June 2010, some people worried that these new plans might hurt Hialeah Park's chance to become a very important historical place.
On August 14, 2013, John Brunetti opened a new casino at Hialeah Park. The park still hosts Quarter Horse races in the winter.
Images for kids
-
Hialeah Park, around 1938
See also
In Spanish: Hialeah Park Race Track para niños
