Exactly 50 years ago
this weekend, on Saturday, June 15, 1963, Brunswick Downs in Moncton opened its
doors with a new name and management team.
Formerly called Moncton Raceway - which itself opened in 1946 - Brunswick
Downs became an integral part of the Maritime harness racing scene until a fire
destroyed the grandstand on August 30, 1981.
It was later determined that the fire had been caused by arson, the
second such attempt within a month.
There was no harness
racing in Moncton for another three years until Champlain Raceway was built on
the same site with a new state of the art grandstand and five-eighths mile
racetrack in 1984.
To commemorate the historical
opening of Brunswick Downs, I am reprinting the following story that appeared
in the Moncton Daily Times, trumpeting the opening and all its improvements.
* * * * *
Moncton and district harness racing fans are in for a top-notch season
if the caliber of racing at the local oval comes anywhere near Brunswick Downs
enthusiastic start. Since the company
was formed early last winter and bought out Moncton Raceway February 2, 1963, a
“sell”, the likes of which has never been seen by local fans, has been on.
Brunswick Downs, headed by Ingham Palmer, Jr., a former radio announcer
in Saint John and track announcer at Saint John’s Exhibition Park, has several
prominent names listed in its directory. Among them are F. Gordon MacLeod of St.
Martins, vice-president and E.A. Keyes of Moncton as secretary-treasurer. Directors include J.A. Keefe of Moncton, J.
Edward Murphy, QC. of Moncton, Harvey Hicks and Ingham Palmer, Sr. both of
Moncton.
Much has been done and much is planned at the oval to give fans the
best in the “trot and pace” sport and also the best in comfort while watching. Local fans will have an opportunity to see for
themselves, the renovations made up to this time when the track swings into
action on Saturday, June 15, 1963.
Though the track has changed tremendously since work began some six
weeks ago much more is in store.
As Palmer Jr. says, “Most of our improvements have been in places where
the public cannot see them.”
Palmer added that Brunswick Downs had hoped to give the preference in
renovating the grandstand area but due to the deplorable stable conditions this
took preference. Of the 101 stalls at
the track, more than 70 required new roofs and floors and of this number most
required extensive wall and door repairs. Work in this area took up much time but
horsemen now have better facilities in which to stable their charges. Work in the stables will continue for some
time with the erection of 36 new stalls in the offing. The area formerly occupied by the hanger,
which was demolished two months ago, will be the site of these stalls.
In front of the grandstand patrons will readily notice the removal of a
stock car track and the resulting leveling of the infield area. In time grass and flowers will grace the area
once occupied by the stock car circuit. A
new tote board, measuring 22 feet long and only five feet high, has been
erected in the centerfield. Eventually a
horseshoe shaped winner’s circle will be installed to the right of the tote
board. Around the track the old hub rail
has been torn down and replaced by a new one. A great deal of work on the track surface has
been done. Due to the amount of snow fall this past winter and frost heaves,
much of the track required work. In the
upper turn before the stretch, 400 feet of drainage tile was installed around
the outer rim and deep ditches around the inner rim of the turn.
The application of paint in the grandstand area has made the area
brighter and prettier. Seats have been
painted yellow, red and blue. A white
and yellow job to the pari-mutual section was also added. Considerable work to the mutuals has resulted
in changes for both the workers and bettors. In days gone by the bettor had to squint
through chicken wire as he placed his wager. Now this barrier has been
destroyed and replaced by an open counter running the full length of the
betting section.
Improvements have also been made to the track’s lighting system. Around the outside of the track repairs have
been made to the high fences which serve as a background as the horses flash
by. The fence, along the full length of
the backstretch and around the lower turn, has been repaired.
All starts at the track will be handled by one of the smartest and most
efficient starting gates in the Maritimes. A gleaming white convertible, customized to
accommodate the wings of the gate, will be used. The qualities of this gate will assure the
starter better control of the horses.
Among future plans is a patio near the grandstand and other
not-yet-revealed renovations and improvements.
Palmer Jr. himself stated that, “The Downs is a long way from being the
most elaborate track in the Maritimes but I think we’ll, in time, have the
smartest operation of any. And added improvements will give us a track that
shouldn’t take a back seat to any.”
* * *
* *
Currently, in New Brunswick there are only three tracks racing -
Fredericton, Saint John and Woodstock – but during the first half of the
twentieth century there were as many as 20 operating at any given time. If you read some of my earlier blogs, you
may recall how New Brunswick and the rest of the Maritimes Provinces were the hotbed
of harness racing in Canada during that time. I made mention of how driving clubs in Atlantic Canada and
Maine boasted of “community-owned” horses.
I consider the peak years for New Brunswick harness racing tracks to be
from the end of the First World War in 1918 to the beginning of the Second
World War in 1939. In 1919,
racing returned to New Brunswick very strongly and among the new tracks that
had opened or were opening included Island Park in Woodstock, Bathurst,
Campbellton and the Sussex Speedway.
Below
is a list of list of historical race tracks in New Brunswick - which are no
longer operating - with the years that there were recorded race meets and their
track records. Some track opening
and closing dates are estimates though we do know racing occurred between these
dates. However, not all tracks raced
annually and at times there were many years or decades between racing
meets. As well, most or all tracks in
New Brunswick were closed or used as military training centres during the two
World Wars, especially World War II.
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the records
below. If you are able to add or correct
any of the content, please contact me at cjsp81@hotmail.com
Andover (1947-1948)
Four Freedoms - 2:09/3 (p) 1947
Barachois, Ocean Park
(1967-1968)
Caledonian Scott - 2:02 ½ (p) 1968
Bathurst (1917-1941)
Jeanne Truax - 2:12 (p) 1941
Bristol (1899-1900)
Dora - 2:24 ¼ (t) 1901
Bouctouche (1937-1991)
Copper Magnate - 2:03.3 (p) 1991
Alloway - 2:08 ½
(t) 1940
Campbellton (1916-1939)
Jeanne Truax - 2:11 ¾ (p) 1939
Chatham (1903-1982)
Wade’s Bret - 2:04.4 (p) 1978
Watchim - 2:08 ½ (t) 1944
Chatham (1994)
Hortons Light - 2:03.4 (p) 1994
Claire (1921-1938)
Peter Onward - 2:09 ½ (p) 1938
Dorchester (1927-1937)
Jean Stratton - 2:15 (p) 1937
Captain H - 2:28 (t) 1927
Edmundston (1900-1946)
Hot Feet - 2:04 ¾ (p) 1946
Lady Glenn - 2:19 (t) 1901
Elgin
Mary Kenna - 2:12 ½ (t) 1922
Grand Falls
Simon - 2:21 ¼ (p) 1907
Havelock
Queenie May - 2:22 (p) 1935
Hope River
Home Rule - 3:08 (t) 1888
Memramcook (1892-1893)
Brazilian - 2:30 (t) 1893
Moncton Driving Park (1881-)
Hedgewood K - 2:08 ¼ (p) 1928
Lincoln Axworthy - 2:12 ½ (t) 1929
Moncton Raceway (1946-1962)
Brunswick Downs (1963-1981)
Power Baron - 2:00.2 (p) 1979
Maple Leaf Scooter - 2:05.4 (t) 1978
Moncton - Champlain Raceway / NB
Downs (1984-1991)
Broussard - 1:52.3 (p) 1991
Maple Leaf Bramble - 2:00.4 (t) 1986
Port Elgin (1896-1957, 1994-1996)
Price Lee Steady - 2:01 (p) 1996
Duke Potemkin - 2:14 (t) 1939
Marjorie Hanover – 2:14 (t) 1944
Sackville (1908-1946)
Rhea Mae - 2:09 ¼ (p) 1946
Estell Boy - 2:17 ¾ (t) 1908
Shediac (1886-1938)
Happy L - 2:10 (p) 1938
Thorndale Echo - 2:30 (t) 1896
St. Stephen (1886-1944)
Walter Dale - 2:05 (p) 1937
Watchim - 2:06 ¾ (t) 1944
Sussex Corner (1899-1909)
Simassie - 2:13 (p) 1906
Ituna - 2:15 ½ (t) 1902
Phebon W - 2:15 ½ (t) 1904
Sussex Speedway (1918-1920,
1944-1950)
McKylo Cash - 2:08 (p) 1947
Sunnymede - 2:11 ¾ (t) 1945
Woodstock Trotting Park
(1881- 1909)
Silk Patchen - 2:11 ½ (p) 1909
Beatrice Greely - 2:16 ¾ (t) 1904
Woodstock, Island Park (1919-1967)
Comte Richelieu - 2:04.4 (p) 1966
Calument Calling - 2:07 ½ (t) 1939
* * * * *
This year will be the
45th anniversary of Connell Park Raceway’s opening in Woodstock on
July 25, 1968 and I will look at the history of harness racing in New
Brunswick’s first incorporated town - with a focus on the famous Island Park racetrack
which was located in the Saint John River between Woodstock and Grafton - in
the coming weeks. Island Park had
harness racing from 1919 until 1967 when the island was completely submerged by
the construction of the Mactaquac dam.
Connell Park Raceway
will host its only card of harness racing this year on Friday, August 2.
* * * * *
I would like to
acknowledge Doug McCarty and Patrick Eastwood’s contribution to this blog. Most of the content for the historical tracks
records was researched by Doug.
* * * * *
For more historical data, pictures and stories please LIKE
Fredericton Raceway 125 on Facebook.
Would you happen to know what year & month the fire in the stalls at Brunswick Downs Moncton was? Thanks for any help you can give me.
ReplyDelete