MAYWOOD PARK

8600 W. North Avenue
Melrose Park, IL 60160
(708) 343-4800
http://www.maywood.com

Maywood Park Racing Dates
Spring Meet: January 4 - June 21
Fall Meet: August 9 - December 28

Racetrack Information
Main track (dirt): 1/2 mile
Length of stretch from last turn to finish line: 594 feet
Width of homestretch: 77 feet

Track History and Fun Facts: Maywood Park was originally the home of Cook County Fairgrounds, where in 1932 and during Chicago's Century of Progress Exposition years of 1933 and 1934, non-wagering harness racing purse programs were held both in the afternoon and evening under the lights during the Great Depression Era.

In 1979, world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali won a seven-furlong exhibition race, a fundraising event to benefit Provident Hospital of Chicago, the oldest and largest African-American managed hospital in Illinois at the time.

In 1984 Maywood Park became the first Chicago area track - and only the second ever - to host a prestigious Breeders Crown event. The October 19, 1984 Two-Year-Old Filly Pace Final carried a $550,000 prize -still the largest purse ever offered at a Chicagoland standardbred track - and was won in a thrilling three-horse photo finish by Amneris in 1:57.1, just a tick off the world record, with Hall of Fame driver John Campbell in the sulky. Recognized as one of the fastest-and safest-half-mile racing surfaces in North America, Maywood Park has been the scene of numerous world records, including She's A Great Lady's 1:51.2 mile in 1995, a record that still stands nine years later for a three-year-old filly pacer on a half-mile track. Entering the 2005 season, 4 of the 12 world pacing records on a half-mile track are owned or shared by Maywood Park. The largest attendance in the track's history came on Sept. 27, 1980, when 20,133 jammed the facility. The record mutuel handle took place on Dec. 21, 2001, when $2,078,897 was wagered on that Friday evening card at Maywood Park.