Predecessor to Belmont Park, Morris Park Racecourse operated from 1889 to 1904 on an enormous piece of land now known as the Morris Park neighborhood in the Bronx.
News 12 (The Bronx) visits Morris Park Racecourse, explores history in honor of borough's centennial
http://bronx.news12.com/news/news-12...nial-1.8762258
The main track was a mile and a half in circumference, and Morris Park hosted the Belmont Stakes from 1890 through 1904. In 1890 it hosted both the Preakness and Belmont, and was the originator of the Metropolitan Handicap (now the Met Mile) in 1891 at 9 furlongs as well as the Matron Stakes in 1892 at six furlongs. Its grandstand held 15,000 (one source says as many as 20,000) and its stables had 1,000 stalls.
Grandstand 1890
Clubhouse 1899
Track and grandstand 1899
Entrance to grandstand 1903
Articles:
Progress of construction . . .
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive...639C94689FD7CF
Opening day at "THE FINEST RACE TRACK IN THE WORLD," August 1889
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive...6E9C94689FD7CF
Last day of racing
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive...669D946597D6CF
Already closed, it was destroyed by fire in 1910
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive...629C946196D6CF
Four years ago the long-buried entrance tunnel was exposed
http://www.bxtimes.com/stories/2010/...ter-17rem.html
Today
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/...80150194878642