Brighton Beach Race Course
Brighton Beach Race Course was founded at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City in 1879 by the Brighton Beach Racing Association under the leadership of entrepreneur and real estate developer William A. Engeman. Brighton Beach had both a mile-long course for flat racing and a 2.5-mile steeplechase course. The track and adjacent grand hotel consistently drew large crowds; and Brighton thrived until 1908, when New York anti-gambling legislation took its toll on the track. Although the track transitioned to automotive racing seeking ongoing viability, Brighton Beach was eventually closed in the 1920s.
Sources:
Brooklyn Public Library. (2005). “Brighton Beach.” Retrieved on October 17, 2016, from http://www.bklynlibrary.org/ourbrooklyn/brightonbeach/
Riess, S.A. (2011). The Sport of Kings and the Kings of Crime: Horse Racing, Politics, and Organized Crime in New York, 1865-1913. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press.