Maumee Downs was a

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

track located in

Maumee, Ohio Maumee ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States. Located along the Maumee River, it is about 10 miles southwest of Toledo. The population was 14,286 at the 2010 census. Maumee was declared an All-America City by the National Civic L ...

, near the

Ohio Turnpike The Ohio Turnpike, officially the James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike, is a limited-access toll highway in the U.S. state of Ohio, serving as a primary corridor between Chicago and Pittsburgh. The road runs east–west in the northern section of ...

. Opened in 1902 as Lucas County Fairgrounds, then later renamed Fort Miami Fairgrounds, the facility gained national notoriety in 1929 when it became the first track in the country to install a lighting system and hold night sessions of harness racing. The track was renamed Maumee Downs after a major renovation in 1958. However, competition from nearby tracks quickly led to its demise. Maumee held their final race in 1961 after the Ohio Racing Commission awarded their dates to other tracks, effectively prohibiting racing at Maumee.Racing Dates Bid Dropped, Steubenville Herald Star, August 31, 1961 The site is now the location of the

Lucas County Recreation Center The Lucas County Recreation Center is a sports and entertainment complex located in Maumee, Ohio on the site of former horse race track Maumee Downs. LineDrive Sportz & Great Sports leases the property from Lucas County. It is the site of the annu ...

References

Defunct horse racing venues in the United States {{Ohio-sports-venue-stub