Marquis Downs facts for kids
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| Location | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |
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| Coordinates | 52°05′42″N 106°40′40″W / 52.09497°N 106.67782°W |
| Owned by | Saskatoon Prairieland Park Corp. |
| Date opened | 1969 |
| Date closed | 2021 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred |
| Course type | Oval |
| Notable races | Prairie Lily Stakes Saskatchewan Derby Saskatchewan Futurity |
Marquis Downs was a special place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, where people watched exciting horse racing. It was known for its fast thoroughbred horses, which are horses bred for speed.
History of Marquis Downs
Marquis Downs first opened its doors in 1969. It was a popular spot for thoroughbred horse racing. This race track was part of the Saskatoon Prairieland Park Corporation. For a while, they also had "harness racing," where horses pull a driver in a two-wheeled cart. This type of racing stopped in 1987 but came back for a few years from 2005 to 2010.
In 2020, Marquis Downs had to cancel its racing season. This was because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Saskatchewan. The next year, in February 2021, they cancelled the 2021 season too. They explained that rules about health, travel limits, and the cost of holding races without fans made it impossible.
On March 12, 2021, the owners announced that Marquis Downs would no longer host horse racing. Instead, they shared plans to turn the area into a soccer-specific stadium. This new stadium would be home to a new soccer team in the Canadian Premier League.
What the Track Looked Like
The main track at Marquis Downs was shaped like an oval. It was about five furlongs long, which is roughly 1,000 meters or half a mile. It also had a longer section called a "chute" that was seven furlongs long. The grandstand, where people sat to watch the races, could hold up to 3,500 people. The track was located in the southwest part of the Prairieland Exhibition Grounds.
Exciting Horse Races
Marquis Downs used to host live thoroughbred races every Friday and Saturday. These races took place from late May until the first Saturday of September.
Some special races were held at Marquis Downs. These included the Saskatchewan Derby, the Prairie Lily Sales Stake, and Heritage Day. Heritage Day was a special event that showed off horses bred right in Saskatchewan. In 2007, the smallest prize money for a race was $3,000. The Heritage races offered a much larger prize of $100,000!
