Balmoral Park
| Horse Race Track | |
|---|---|
| Balmoral Park | |
 |
|
| Location | Crete Township, Will County, Illinois, near Crete, Illinois |
| Owned by | George Steinbrenner's family and a group of local track operators headed by Billy Johnston and his sons John and Duke |
| Date opened | August 9, 1926 |
| Race type | Standardbred |
| Website | www.balmoralpark.com |
| Principal Races | |
| American National | |
| Orange and Blue | |
| Filly Orange and Blue | |
| Pete Langley Memorial | |
Balmoral Park was a horse racing track located just south of Crete, Illinois, United States. It operated from 1926 to 2015. It reopened in 2017 as a horse show facility under the same name.
1925 Col. Matt J. Winn, manager of Churchill Downs, came to Chicago to look over the Illinois racing situation. Winn returned to Kentucky, where he talked to business associates at the Kentucky Jockey Club. They agreed to buy 1,050 acres (4.2 km2) just south of Crete and built the new track named "Lincoln Fields." The large oval was surrounded by Kentucky bluegrass which Winn imported from that state. Red Spanish tile was used as roofs on the buildings. Spring-fed lakes were built in the infield.
The inaugural meeting at Lincoln Fields began on August 9, 1926. The first trainer to stable on the grounds was thoroughbred horseman Daniel E. Stewart, the trainer for Senator Johnson Camden, president of the Kentucky Jockey Club. The first horse to work out was Camden's mare Rothermel. Miss Rosedale won the first race contested. The inaugural card featured the $5,000 Joliet Stakes for 2 year-old colts and geldings. The certificate system of wagering was used since pari-mutuel wagering had not yet become legal.
Pari-mutuel wagering became legal in Illinois July 1, 1927.
On Aug. 30, 1936 Lincoln Fields installed the DeBrie Camera at the finish line. This instrument recorded 240 pictures per second, and was the first such camera to be installed at an Illinois racetrack.
On June 3, 1940, the mighty Whirlaway won at Lincoln Fields, the first race of his career. He won the coveted Triple Crown in 1941.
Lincoln Fields shut down in 1942 due to World War II restrictions. Their race meetings were shifted to Hawthorne Race Course from 1943 to 1947.
From 1948-1951, the Lincoln Fields race meetings were run at Washington Park in nearby Homewood.
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