USA TODAY 10Best
Grass, dirt and turf: 10 best horse racing tracks in the US
Best Horse Racing Track (2023)
The history of organized horse racing dates back thousands of years, and its enormous popularity continues to endure the world over. There are more than 300 horse racing tracks across the United States, and these 10 were voted as the best in the country by our readers.
- Belmont Park - Elmont, New York
- Santa Anita Park - Arcadia, California
- Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort - Hot Springs, Arkansas
- Pimlico Race Course - Baltimore, Maryland
- Churchill Downs - Louisville, Kentucky
- Saratoga Race Course - Saratoga Springs, New York
- Keeneland Racecourse - Lexington, Kentucky
- Rillito Park Racetrack - Tucson, Arizona
- Del Mar Thoroughbred Club - Del Mar, California
- Delta Downs - Vinton, Louisiana
Photo courtesy of Digital Vision. // Getty Images
No. 10:
Belmont Park burst onto the horse racing scene in 1905 and immediately became one of America's most popular horse racing tracks. Rebuilt and refurbished numerous times, it continues be a center of the sport of kings and is the home of the Belmont Stakes, "the test of the champion" and the third jewel in the Triple Crown that follows the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. Fans flock to Belmont Park for that $1.5-million race that happens in mid-June and enjoy many other races during the season from May to July.
Photo courtesy of quentinjlang // Getty Images
No. 9:
Southern California's famed Santa Anita Park sits in a gorgeous location near Pasadena, with the San Gabriel Mountains looming just behind the two tracks – a 1-mile dirt main track and a 0.9-mile turf track on the inside – creating a breathtaking visual from the massive grandstands. This track runs thoroughbreds from December to June and then an 18-day Autumn Meet as well. It's the place that Hollywood loves, with countless movies and TV shows filmed here, and famous stars often spotted in the grandstands. The Santa Anita Handicap is this track's biggest race.
Photo courtesy of marlenka // Getty Images
No. 8:
Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort has been the go-to thoroughbred racing track in Hot Springs since 1904, drawing fans from all across the region for its famed annual Racing Festival of the South as well as the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby. The thoroughbreds race here from December to May, with numerous stakes races scheduled throughout the season.
Photo courtesy of cmannphoto // Getty Images
No. 7:
Pimlico Race Course is one of the oldest racetracks in America, having opened in 1870. It's the home of the Preakness Stakes, which is the second leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in the U.S. Still known as "Old Hilltop," nicknamed for the hill that was once located in the infield, a popular spot for watching the races (but removed in 1938), the infield still draws huge crowds of fans to take in the races. Preakness Day is in May, when fans don their favorite hats and fascinators and flock to that prestigious race at this storied track just outside of Baltimore.
Photo courtesy of quentinjlang // Getty Images
No. 6:
Still a classically beautiful racetrack almost 150 years since it first opened, Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky has always been the home of the Kentucky Derby. That was one of the first horse races run in 1875 the day the track debuted on May 17, and it soon became the most iconic thoroughbred horse race run in the United States. The first leg of the Triple Crown, the Derby draws crowds of over 170,000 people, all decked out in their finest hats (and outfits, too) as the big race goes off. Racing happens here from spring to fall every year, along with other special events.
Photo courtesy of olgaIT // Getty Images
No. 5:
Saratoga Race Course is the grandaddy of American horse racing tracks, opened in 1863 in upstate New York and remaining one of the premier tracks in America. Thoroughbreds run from July to September on both dirt and turf tracks, and Saratoga also hosts steeplechase races on certain days. Famous races run here include the $1.25 million Travers Stakes, which draws huge crowds wearing their stylish best.
Photo courtesy of Keeneland Racecourse
No. 4:
For sheer loveliness, there is nothing like Keeneland, nestled in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region. Opened in 1936 and a hub of horse racing in America ever since, this is an elegant place, with beautifully kept grounds, impeccable track conditions and plenty of thoroughbred action at select times of the year. Keeneland hosts two "meets" per year, the Spring Meet held in April and the Fall Meet in October, so plan to visit during those months to see horses run. At other times of the year, Keeneland runs a few legendary thoroughbred racing horse auctions; it's the world's largest auction house for thoroughbred sales.
Photo courtesy of RainStar // Getty Images
No. 3:
Rillito Park Racetrack, the original home of quarter horse racing, opened in the 1940s and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, quarter horses still run here on the 5/8-mile track, as do thoroughbred horses, during the season that runs in the cooler Arizona months from January to March on weekends only. It's a smaller-scale track than some, which means the grandstand and clubhouse are very close to the track itself, making a trip here feel like you've stepped into an earlier era of racing.
Photo courtesy of Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
No. 2:
It's no surprise that Del Mar Race Track is a Southern California favorite, with its beautiful location right next to the Pacific Ocean (and just north of San Diego). When it opened in 1937, it was owned by William Quigley and singer/movie star Bing Crosby, which helped draw his fans, other Hollywood stars and horse racing aficionados from all over the state. Today, it still lures plenty of fans to the track during the main season from July to September and also hosts the Bing Crosby Season, held every November. The Pacific Classic is Del Mar's marquee race, with a purse of $1 million.
Photo courtesy of Boyd Gaming
No. 1:
Thoroughbreds and quarter horses both race at Delta Downs, found in southern Louisiana not far from the Texas border. This racetrack is also part of a casino-entertainment hotel complex that features other kinds of gaming beyond track betting. The thoroughbred season gallops from October to February here, when the weather is usually fine; and the quarter horse season runs from April through July, so this is one track that covers racing lovers just about year-round.
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Candace Dantes
Candace Dantes is a fourth-generation farm girl... Read More
Candace Dantes is a fourth-generation farm girl and award-winning journalist based in the Georgia Black Belt Region. Currently, the print-to-digital storyteller is communications director for national not-for-profit Outdoor Afro. She has served as a content creator for Justin Boots, Wrangler, and U.S. Department of Agriculture research grant projects. Her Deep South farming lifestyle here: candacedantes.com
Candace Dantes
Candace Dantes is a fourth-generation farm girl and award-winning journalist based in the Georgia Black Belt Region. Currently, the print-to-digital storyteller is communications director for national not-for-profit Outdoor Afro. She has served as a content creator for Justin Boots, Wrangler, and U.S. Department of Agriculture research grant projects. Her Deep South farming lifestyle here: candacedantes.com
Catherine Smith
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Catherine Smith, Readers' Choice Awards Production Manager and Social Media Director for USA TODAY 10Best, has a special interest in unique culinary experiences and off-the-beaten-path adventures. Catherine is the founder of Her Bags Were Packed where she focuses on helping women release emotional baggage through solo travel and self-discovery.
Catherine Smith
Catherine Smith, Readers' Choice Awards Production Manager and Social Media Director for USA TODAY 10Best, has a special interest in unique culinary experiences and off-the-beaten-path adventures. Catherine is the founder of Her Bags Were Packed where she focuses on helping women release emotional baggage through solo travel and self-discovery.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original,... Read More
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
