Respect Your Elders !
Northville Downs LogoNorthville Downs is a half mile harness track located in Northville a suburb of Detroit. Opened in 1944, it had been recognized as the first successful harness track outside of New York State. The years have taken their toll on Northville, it does have a winterized, glass enclosed grandstand, and clubhouse. The clubhouse seating 2,000, which includes a dining room with 450 seats, the grandstand seats another 5,200. Live racing is held at night and simulcasting is available year round. The stables can accommodate 750 horses. There is parking for 2,500 cars.
Northville Downs AdLocated in the Detroit suburb of Northville, Northville Downs was the first track in Michigan to offer standardbred, pari-mutual wagering. It has been in existence since 1944, making it the senior pari-mutual racetrack in Michigan. It has survived without the benefit of casino wagering, although charity card games are conducted on site.
Northville shares a racing circuit with neighbor, Hazel Park and Sports Creek Park located near Flint.
In 2011 Northville once again kicked off the Michigan racing season with it's early January to late April schedule. Eric Carlson captured the driving title. Racing is set to resume in 2012.
I did make a visit to Northville Downs. It's a peculiar place, the back of the track could be mistaken for a warehouse and the track side has these weird angled windows. The clubhouse entrance has a distinctive cutout in the design. The track itself is squeezed into an intersection around the first turn and the outside of the turn looks like it got sliced off.
Like Hazel Park, Northville was granted dates to run thoroughbreds in 2014, but that fell through when the track could not come up with purse money. Northville Downs returns in 2015, running two nights a week from February to July, as the only standardbred meet in the state.
If everything would have gone as planned Northville Downs would be a dark track and Michigan would be a dark state. In 2018 the track was sold to developers, who planned to begin building in 2020, due to a review by the Northville Planning Board, those plans are now on hold. This allowed the track to sign a long term contract that will keep it racing till 2024. Northville Downs is over a hundred years old and it looks like it, but considering the facts don't expect any upgrades. When the track was to close, plans were floated for a new track nearby, but I wouldn't hold my breath.