Union Course

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Union Course was a famous horse racing track in what is now Woodhaven, Queens, New York City. It opened in 1821 and was roughly bounded by Jamaica Avenue to the north, Atlantic Avenue to the south, 78th Street to the west, and 85th Street to the east. Snedeker Avenue is now 78th Street.

The course hosted some of the era’s greatest races, including the 1823 match between American Eclipse and Sir Henry, which drew as many as 60,000 spectators. It was notable for being the first dirt racing surface in the United States. Early races featured a single four-mile race in heats, but the program eventually included several races. The nearby Brooklyn and Jamaica Rail Road (later the Long Island Rail Road) built a station named Union Course, helping to popularize the name for the track and the surrounding area. Hotels such as the Snedeker Hotel and the Forschback Inn catered to the crowds.

Historically, horse racing had been banned in New York in 1802, but the New York Association for the Improvement of the Breed of Horses (founded in 1820 by John Cox Stevens, Cornelius W. Van Ranst, and others) helped repeal the ban. In 1821, New York approved limited racing—only in May and October and only in Queens—which allowed Union Course to operate.

In the 1830s (likely 1837), Union Course became the first American track to use beveled turns that curved outward to increase speed. After 1851, trotting races became the main attraction, and interest in traditional horse racing declined. The course was sold in 1872, and by 1888 the land had been divided into building lots for homes.