Northfield Park Harness Racing Track
Northfield Park Harness Racing Track is located 15 miles southeast of downtown Cleveland, Ohio, USA on Route 8 (Northfield Road), off the Forbes Road exit of I-271. It is widely acknowledge as one of the Cleveland area's top sports and entertainment venues.
Northfield Park Harness Racing Track is the only race track in the world with its own Microbrewery. The brewery is just one aspect of a $10 million renovation project that began in early 1997 and culminated in its June 1998 grand opening.
Northfield Park Racetrack Facts
| Track Size | : | Half-mile |
| Speed Rating | : | 2:00.1 |
| Length of Homestretch | : | 440' |
| Width of Homestretch | : | 80' |
| Starters Behind Gate | : | 8 |
| Hub Rail | : | None |
| Passing Lane | : | Yes |
Exciting Events
Some of the major annual events held at Northfield Park Racetrack include:
- the Miller Lite Cleveland Classic, a major stakes event for three year-old pacing colts
- the Courageous Lady, an event for 3-year old pacing fillies
- the Battle for Lake Erie, a highly-anticipated annual tourney that has been been held for almost two decades now
History of Northfield Park Harness Racing Track
First constructed by Chicago mobster Al Capone in 1934, the track, then known as Sportsman Park, was intended as a greyhound track. When this plan failed, ownership changed and the focus was switched to midget car racing. After 20 years as a successful car racing facility, interest began to wane and in 1956, Sportsman Park was demolished to make way for what would eventually become one of the nation's premier harness racing tracks, Northfield Park Harness Racing Track.
In 1984, the track's owners spent nearly $20,000,000 to renovate the facility, elevating it to a position of prominence within the industry. The glass-enclosed, climate-controlled grandstand and adjacent clubhouse, together, can seat over 5,800 people.