FREEHOLD BOROUGH :- It’s the home stretch at New Jersey’s oldest horse racing racecourse.
Freehold Raceway on Park Avenue will host its farewell events on Saturday. According to the website, 11 races are scheduled throughout the day, with the first starting at 12:30 p.m.
Finally, after over 200 years, the historic track will be completely closed. Horse racing has been taking place on its grounds since the 1830s.
Following that, winning tickets and vouchers can be redeemed in person at Monmouth Park Racetrack, Meadowlands Racetrack, Favorites at Woodbridge, Favorites at Hillsborough, and Winners Bayonne.
End of an era
In mid-September, track General Manager Howard Bruno announced the closure of Freehold Raceway. He stated that its operators couldn’t see a route forward.
“This was an extremely difficult decision, especially given the historical importance of Freehold Raceway to the local community and the New Jersey horse racing industry,” Bruno told the crowd.
In October, Borough Mayor Kevin Kane stated that they would try to work with the track’s owners, FR Park Racing, to keep it running.
But they couldn’t overcome the odds. Kane, a Democrat, claimed that borough officials attempted to meet with the racetrack’s owners but were “rebuffed,” according to the Freehold Patch.
According to state documents, the track lay off 93 workers on December 12.
What’s next for the Freehold Raceway?
The racetrack’s owners have not revealed any plans for its grounds.
Kane told the Patch that the borough would perform a redevelopment study on the property to determine what’s next for the racetrack.
Local officials are hoping that a buyer would come forward with a vision for the site.
Continue reading for a look at another Monmouth County monument that has met an awful end.