Morris Park Racecourse - Physical Attributes

Physical Attributes

Morris Park Racecourse was situated in the area bounded on the south by Sackett Avenue and the Amtrak Northeast Corridor, on the east by Williamsbridge Road, on the west by what is now Bronxdale Road, and on the north by Pelham Parkway. The grandstand stood at the intersection of Bogart and Fowler Avenues and the clubhouse was near the intersection of Fowler and Van Nest Avenues.

The racetrack covered 360 acres (1.5 km2) and had a grandstand 650 feet (200 m) long that could accommodate up to 15,000 attendees. The main track had circumference of 1+1⁄₂ mi (2.4 km), with a stretch that was 2,250 feet (690 m) long and widened from 80 feet (24 m) at the top of the homestretch to 240 feet (73 m) at the finish line. The north end of the track was located on a hill so horses had to run uphill on the backstretch and downhill on the homestretch. A chute on the main track permitted races of 1+1⁄₈ mi (1.8 km) to be run with one turn. Another track called the Eclipse course ran diagonally across the main track on a straightaway of 3⁄₄ mi (1.2 km), joining the main track at its finish line. It was named after Eclipse, a horse owned by Francis Morris. A six furlongs race on the Eclipse course was nicknamed the "Toboggan Slide" and continues to be run today at Aqueduct Racetrack as the Toboggan Handicap. The stables at Morris Park Racecourse held a total of 1,000 stalls, more than any two of the other American racetracks combined.