On Sept. 2, 1933, Michigan’s first parimutuel horse race was run at the State Fairgrounds in Detroit.
Ninety years on from that inaugural wagering pool, the ups and downs of Michigan’s horse racing industry have mirrored those of the Motor City itself. About a dozen tracks have come and gone, with only Northville Downs, a harness racecourse in suburban Detroit, remaining.
Opened in 1944 by the Carlo family, Northville was the first Michigan track to offer “sustained parimutuel betting,” according to the Detroit Free Press. As they [prepared] for the 2023 meet’s opening night…Northville’s horsemen [did] so with the knowledge that the track’s 80th year at the existing venue will be its last, as it’s been slated for redevelopment since a sale agreement with a housing company was announced in 2018.
