The End of an Era: Freehold Raceway to Close on December 28

Freehold Raceway, the oldest horse racing track in the United States, will be closing its doors, marking the end of an era. While the decision to shut down the track was difficult, officials said that its operation cannot continue under the current conditions.

The Closure Will Mark the End of an Era

Freehold Raceway is the nation’s oldest and fastest daytime half-mile harness racing track. Located in Freehold Borough, New Jersey, the track dates to 1830 when the first races were hosted.

Freehold was cemented as an official track in 1854 by the Monmouth County Agricultural Society which began hosting an annual harness racing event. It is now owned by a joint venture of Penn Entertainment and Greenwood Racing, which acquired it in 1998.

With such a long history, Freehold has engrained itself into the American racing culture and is beloved by many racing aficionados. Unfortunately, various conditions have made the operation of the racetrack unsustainable, forcing it to put an end to its business.

A Huge Loss for the Community

Freehold officials confirmed that the racetrack is expected to cease all live racing and simulcast operations as of December 28, 2024. The racetrack confirmed that all employees and affected stakeholders had been notified by track officials.

Speaking of officials, Howard Bruno, Freehold Raceway’s general manager, commented on the matter. He said that the decision to close Freehold has been “extremely difficult,” especially considering the historical and cultural importance of the track to the local community and the New Jersey horse racing industry as a whole.

Bruno, however, added that the racetrack’s business has become unsustainable and that officials do not see a way to continue pushing forward.

Unfortunately, the operations of the racetrack cannot continue under existing conditions, and we do not see a plausible way forward.  We are incredibly thankful for our dedicated employees, horsemen and fan base for their support and patronage for so many years.

Howard Bruno, general manager, Freehold Raceway

Employees Will Be Compensated

Freehold Raceway’s announcement added that the racetrack will continue operating as usual until the official closure date. This means that the approved live racing schedule for 2024 will be completed and that daily simulcasting will continue.

In the meantime, Freehold officials are working closely with the New Jersey Racing Commission, state and local officials, and industry stakeholders on completing the closure process.

The racetrack concluded that employees will receive severance, including compensation as per the New Jersey’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining (WARN) Act.