Buffalo Raceway - Buffalo

Raceway features a half mile track running harness racing as well as a full card simulcast racing from major harness tracks and thoroughbred simulcasts.

History

"Hamburg, (NY) resident James J. Dunnigan opened the doors of Buffalo Raceway in June of 1942, shortly after New York State passed a bill allowing pari-mutuel harness racing. He selected the Erie County Fairgrounds in Hamburg as the site of his venture. ... Crowds of eight to ten thousand were often in attendance. ... A number of world records were broken at the Raceway during its early years...

Through the 1940's, Buffalo Raceway improved the facility with the addition of new barns and a modern clubhouse. James Dunnigan became a local public figure and involved himself in local charities.

Continued growth of attendance and mutuel handle made the 1950's a decade of success at the Raceway. ... Buffalo Raceway had become a harness racing fixture with the start of the 1960's and was considered one of the top ten tracks in America.

The all time attendance record of 12,779 was established July 15, 1966 when the top horse of the era, Bret Hanover, was victorious in a stake race." ¹

In 1966 Sportservice Corporation bought the raceway from Dunnigan, due to his investment reverses in Arizona.

The track was impacted by development of Off-Track Betting in the 1970's.

In 1990 Sportservice Corporation sold the raceway to the Erie County Agricultural Society.

Deleware North Corporation added Video Lottery Terminals to the facility in 2004, improving the raceways position.