Narragansett Race Track

Narragansett Park was an American race track for Thoroughbred horse races in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. On May 18, 1934 a special election was held, where by a 4-1 margin, pari-mutual wagering was made legal. Walter E. O'Hara formed the Narragansett Racing Association and was named president and manager. On June 2nd, 1,800 laborers were put to work on the former What Cheer Airport, and by the end of July, Narragansett Park was ready for business. 22 barns with stalls that could hold more than 1,000 horses, supported the one mile oval that was described by the Baltimore Sun as "the showplace of the North; one of the finest tracks in the country". ^[1] The 182-acre (0.74 km²) property opened on August 1, 1934 with better than 35,000 people attending.

Some of its important races were the Rhode Island Handicap, Governors Handicap, King Phillip Handicap, Providence Stakes and the Narragansett Special. In its heyday, the track hosted races in which numerous Thoroughbred greats competed such as, Equipoise, Challedon, Discovery, War Admiral, Seabiscuit, Stagehand, and Gun Bow - a virtual Who's Who for horseracing in the the 1930's and 40's ran at the track they called "Gansett". On September 19th of 1942, one of the great races of the American Turf took place on this site. Whirlaway, the 1941 Triple Crown Champ and 1941 Horse of the Year, took on, the one year younger, Alsab, who was the reigning Preakness winner as well as 2 yr old and soon to become 3 yr old Champ. Whirlaway had won the rich 31k Narragansett Special just 7 days before and in the "winner-take-all" 25k Match race let Alsab take the lead. "Whirly" closed strongly, but in the end, Alsab went to the lead and lasted by a nose. Whirlaway was still named horse of the year for 1942 after defeating Alsab twice in subsequent races.

A slow decline in the 1950's lead to a last gasp in the 1960's. "Go 'Gansett" was the slogan, but fewer people did.

Finally, the slow death ran it's course in the 1970's as competition for the betting public saw the facility close following the Labor Day weekend in 1978. The end was at hand as the facility was over a half million dollars in arrears for back-taxes. The next year, the city of Pawtucket bought the site for commercial and residential redevelopment. The entire property was bulldozed and eventually Hasbro built a facility on what was once the backstretch of a great race-track, and previously, the landing strip of an airport. All that remains of the racing plant today is the grandstand building, which is in use as an outlet for the discount retailer Building 19.^[2]

References

1. ^ An Album of Rhode Island History by Patrick T. Conley
2. ^ Narragansett Park-- History

Coordinates: 41°51′40″N 71°20′45″W / 41.86111°N 71.34583°W / 41.86111; -71.34583