The Kite Track was an American harness racing track in

Old Orchard Beach, Maine Old Orchard Beach is a resort town and census-designated place (CDP) in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 8,960 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland− South Portland−Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Ar ...

Beginnings

In the winter of 1891, New England trotting horse owners, who had desired for many years to race in Maine, began working on establishing a track in the state. After being unable to find a suitable location in

Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropol ...

, the focus turned to Old Orchard Beach, which believed a horse track would contribute to its success as a resort town. On December 29, 1891, the directors of the Mile Track Association of Maine held a meeting to discuss the proposed track and the vast majority of members opposed it, believing that the season would be too short and being so close to the ocean would be dangerous to the horses' cooling-off process. As a result of the inability to agree on a location, one faction of horsemen, led by John F. Haines and M. F. Porter began work on the Old Orchard Beach Kite Track while the Mile Track Association worked on a track in Portland. In 1893,

Rigby Park Rigby Park was an American harness racing track in South Portland, Maine, that was open from 1893 to 1899. It was torn down in 1922 and replaced by the Rigby Yard, Maine's busiest rail yard. Beginnings In 1891, New England trotting horse owners, w ...

opened in

South Portland, Maine South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the fourth-largest city in the state, incorporated in 1898. At the 2020 census, the city population was 26,498. Known for its working waterfront, South Portland is sit ...

. The track had only one turn and its stretches converged at a point, forming a kite-like shape. It was one of a few tracks built in this shape, which was faster than a traditional oval. The track's opening day was scheduled for

July 4 Events Pre-1600 * 362 BC – Battle of Mantinea: The Thebans, led by Epaminondas, defeated the Spartans. * 414 – Emperor Theodosius II, age 13, yields power to his older sister Aelia Pulcheria, who reigned as regent and proclaim ...

, 1892, however it was postponed due to rain. On July 7, the track's first day of racing saw 3,000 patrons turn out to the unfinished grandstand to watch three races. In 1900, the New England Agricultural Society moved its annual cattle show and fair to the Kite Track, which resulted in the construction of a new exhibition hall, ticket office, barns, business office, stage, and bandstand. In 1903, after several years of poor weather and small entry lists, the track closed.

Revival

In 1935, Maine legalized

parimutuel betting Parimutuel betting or pool betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vigorish" are deducted, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winnin ...

. The following summer, racing returned to the Kite Track when the

Grand Circuit The Grand Circuit, also known as the "Big Wheel", is a group of harness racing stakes races run at various race tracks around the United States. Run on one-mile tracks, it is "the oldest continuing horse-racing series in the United States." Th ...

chose Old Orchard Beach to host its pre- Hambletonian races. The track closed with the opening of nearby

Scarborough Downs Scarborough Downs Race Track was a horse-racing track located in Scarborough, Maine, United States. It was Maine's largest race track. It was home to The Downs Club restaurant as well as a grandstand for race viewing, and includes 2 track-side lou ...

in 1950. The grandstand was eventually torn down and the lights relocated to Scarborough Downs. In 1973 the property was purchased by the State of Maine, it is now a game management area.

References

{{reflist 1892 establishments in Maine 1949 disestablishments in Maine Buildings and structures in Old Orchard Beach, Maine Harness racing venues in the United States Defunct horse racing venues in Maine Sports in York County, Maine