Lincoln Downs racecourse was situated at Lincoln on Rhode Island and first opened its gates to thoroughbred racing on 7th July 1947. The track was bought by B A Dario who already had racing interests elsewhere. The 6 ½ furlong dirt track, with separate 5 furlong and 8 ½ furlong chutes, had a 230 metre home straight and a grandstand with the capacity to seat 8,500. In 1965 facilities were upgraded to enable it to run day and night meetings. In 1969 a tragedy struck the course when fire destroyed a stable block in which 30 horses perished. Two years later the track introduced harness racing on 16th April 1971. In 1974 the course staged a $5000 match between Denise Boudrot and Mike Lapensee, dubbed the 'Battle of the Sexes' in a time when female riders were not the norm. In the end the female came out on top! To prove it was no fluke the match was repeated the next week but each riding the others horse, and still the lady repeated her win. The principal race was the Rhode Island Special which was, for many, the highlight of the season. The final thoroughbred meeting was staged on 8th August 1976. |
