Final races held at New Jersey’s Freehold Raceway, the nation’s oldest

Thursday, January 2, 2025 8:53 PM
Photo:  By Unknown author - https://www.nj.com/news/2010/11/former_head_of_freehold_racewa.html, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=102455136
  • Sarah Goode, News 12 New Jersey

Over 1,000 spectators showed up to say their goodbyes to the Freehold Raceway as the book closed on its 170-year history. It was the final day of races at the track. Visitors paid their respects and held tight to years’ worth of memories.

“It’s like a sad ending to something, like losing a loved one almost,” said a guest who has been coming to the track for decades.

“Lots of fun, the fireworks, lots of entertainment up until last year,” said a woman from Freehold.

Since 1854, harness racing dug its hooves into the central Monmouth County farming community. But as land values increased and crowds dwindled, Freehold Raceway’s management announced in the fall that it would close.