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  Lebanon To Miami - Not Far !     

Lebanon RacewayLebanon Raceway Logo

Lebanon Raceway was a half mile harness track located in the town of Lebanon, about thirty miles from Cincinnati. It featured a glass enclosed grandstand that seated 3,100. Total track capacity was 6,000 and there was no clubhouse. There was parking for 2,500 cars and the stables could house 450 horses.  

As the horses flash by the backstretch you can't help notice the "Cradle of Drivers" painted on the white fence. From this one would assume that many harness drivers have gotten their start at the Warren County Fairgrounds oval since 1948.

Lebanon RacewayLebanon Raceway Ad

The half mile oval was part of a circuit with Scioto Downs in the Columbus area. Running mostly low level claimers, Lebanon Raceway rises a notch in May, when Ohio Sires Stakes Races come to town. Other than a massive fire in 2009, which took the lives of two trainers and thirty five horses nothing out of the ordinary seemed to happen here, just good old half mile harness racing. Like most Ohio Tracks Lebanon Raceway was waiting for the arrival of the racino days.

Well Lebanon kind of got their wish and did get kind o lucky. Like a few other Ohio tracks, Lebanon Raceway will cease to be a pari-mutual facility, unlike those others that are relocating miles away, Lebanon Raceway is only moving a few miles to it's new home, Miami Valley Racing.

The end of the line came to Lebanon Raceway on December 7th 2013, but racing will resume in a brand new facility a few miles away in February 2014. 

I did make it to Lebanon a few times and actually bet on a few races there. The facility was old and pretty run down. One thing that struck me was that the track apron wasn't much wider than a walkway, to get into the track.