hialeah racetrack

Loved going here.My first time at a horse track.So much fun.Very big crowds.Close to Miami. Lots of shopping ,restaurants,and hotels close by.Great place.

One of the nicest poker rooms in South Florida with many tables and different games always running .They have very good promotions with a bad beat, AK suited Royal Flush , Royal Flush, and high hand going on all at the same time and all the hours that they are open. Good management and dealers as well. Also daily tournaments (some times one in the morning and one in the evening )

Hialeah Park was closed for a long time, but reopened in the not so distant past after receiving a renovation and a name change to Hialeah Park Racing & Casino. The Casino isn't that impressive, and certainly isn't Vegas-like. Sadly much of the facility is still dilapidated and/or under construction. Walking around the gardens, many of the surrounding buildings were completely neglected and filled with rotting debris and/or used for storage. It is hard to believe that this attraction was once the spot where all the rich folks came, but the ancient architecture is nice to look at. I don't think they even have horse racing on the track anymore, as all funds are devoted to the Casino (which is understandable as it is the biggest moneymaker.) Regular parking is Free. If you don't choose to pay to valet, or park in the VIP section you may have a far walk in the hot sun, but sometimes a tram is running for a helpful lift.

I've been going to Hialeah Park for years when there was thoroughbred racing now all they have is quarter horse racing and that's only like a couple of months out of the year...meanwhile the rest of the year all they have is the casino and simulcast horse races in the worst part of Hialeah Park old TVs horrible food and drinks and the mosquitoes will just about carry you out of the place they have paid no attention to the folks who like to watch and bet on the horses they don't give a rats a-- about them all they care about is the casino and how much money they can take from the poor folks that go there shame on you Hialeah Park!

Since we're racing aficionados and both heavily involved in the racing industry we were really looking forward to a visit of the richly traditioned Hialeah Park. We are both well versed in her past history and she was on top of a list of things to see and do.We were pumped walking in the footsteps of racing folklore & South Floridian history as well as past luminaries; some of whom include historys true giants. You can literally feel the racecoure talking as you meander the grandstand, the marvellous gardens, clubhouse and betting tote areas. It was fantastic to witness the surrounds of Hialeah that have been portrayed in familiar Hollywood films such as; the Godfather, the Champ, Let it Ride and the TV show Magic City. Take a moment and reflect what it must have been like back in the day - we did.We could easily visualize how Hialeah was once described as one of the most beautiful racecourses in the world. The infrastructure and hallmarks that once made her the Grand Dame of the racing industry is still there for everyone to see. After racing discontinued for nearly a decade the facility fell into disrepair, however we were buoyed to see the results of restorative and renovation works that are apart of a comprehensive expansion and revitalization of Hialeah's existing amenities and buildings. One can see right out over the racecourse from the windows of the relatively new casino with its 850+ slots, 20 odd poker tables. Staff here say that it will grow and I'm hoping it does. This may already be the case but it would be wonderful to see some of the money from the casino being pumped back into Hialeah to have her restored back to her former glory whilst keeping her historical importance intact. We saw many things beautiful in amongst the continuing new works, however Mr Brunetti at what must already be of great expense still has much to do in order to have Hialeah's make over complete. We witnessed many aspects in decline which look like they have not been attended too since the 50's & 60's which was kinda' sad when you consider equine freaks the likes of Seabiscuit, War Admiral, Spectacular Bid, Alydar, Seattle Slew, Buckpasser, Northern Dancer, Nashua, Forego, Seattle Slew, Tim Tam, Citation, Never Bend, Bold Ruler, Black Helen, Sir Gaylord, Ack Ack, Carry Back, Forego, Theatrical, John Henry among many others all graced the turf here at some stage during their brilliant racetrack careers. That said, Brunetti doesn’t view Hialeah Park as a business but instead as a piece of South Floridian history that needs to be preserved, cultivated, and showcased so I'm sure & I'm hoping he'll get around to the finer details down the track.We were also heartened apon hearing that this famed race track venue is being exercised once again, but less so when finding out thus far only for Quarter Horse Racing - I believe they get a decent crowd in. It would be great if someone would recognise the significance of having Thoroughbreds once again gracing the track here at Hialeah - and if that were to happen perhaps the authorities could vanquish that poor excuse of a racetrack & facility that is Calder Park to the scrap heap.Dining and bar options are aplenty; we settled for a late lunch from the Bella Notte Italian restaurant - the Bruscheta, Mussels, Calamari and Cubano Pinino were reasonably priced and quite good. We saw beautiful flamingos in the infield - progeny I believe from the original 20 imported from Cuba by Widener. We learnt somethings of Hialeah's history; the tree-lined paths and sweeping staircases were designed after Ascot and Deauville, the lines of the administration building were taken from a chateau in France, the parade ring is fashioned after Longchamp in Paris, the tunnel leading to the track from Epsom Downs, the balustrades fashioned after the casinos in Monte Carlo, and the statue of Citation executed in Florence. We learnt of the famous people who graced her presence like the Vanderbilts, the Whitneys, the Phipps, Churchill, Truman, Johnson, Kennedy, Onassis, DiMaggio, Truman, Nixon, Sinatra, Crosby, Jolson, Durante, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Princess Grace of Monaco, Glenn Ford, Elizabeth Taylor, George Raft, Angie Dickinson, John Philip Sousa, Will Rogers and Amelia Earhart among many others, famous horse owners such as William Woodward Sr, Allaire du Pont and of course some of the famous trainers and jockeys such as Horatio Luro, Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons, Ben & Jimmy Jones, D. Wayne Lukas, Todd Pletcher, Eddie Arcaro, Bill Hartack, Bill Shoemaker, Angel Cordero, Jerry Bailey, Braulio Baeza, Jorge Velasquez, Edgar Prado...From a racing perspective its fair to sat that on her current form Hialeah Park doesn't have quite as much going for her as when she was in her prime; a time when the who's who stepped out apon her, however her appeal for a racing aficionado from the other side of the world still screams. Outside of racing she still has many great facilities to offer the average punter. You don't have to be a betting man to enjoy her uniqueness, her lush gardens, the new casino, Hialeah's famed flamingos, her historic sculptures, fountains & 16th Century French Mediterranean architecture. Add to the new developments to be completed, her future looks sound. There is much to see and much to do or you can choose to do nothing at all and simply enjoy. We cannot wait to go back, and if you're one that is looking for a great day out mixed with some nostolgia drop into Hialeah, parking is free - you'll have a great time.

The Hialeah Racetrack is beautiful and still has the flair of the golden days of horse racing. It was rightfully added to the US National Register of Historic Places. Make sure you go during racing season, which is from December to February. There is no entrance charge, you get to witness actual races, can place bets on betting booths that must be from the 1920s or 1930, or grab a drink at the bar on the upper level, which makes you wish you were at least wearing a fancy hat, even though nowadays the attire is completely casual. After having lived in Miami for three yard, this was where I finally saw life flamingos, and lots of it too!

I have been to better racetrack but this one is Ok. I guess I'll have to try it again in the near future & maybe I'll like it a little bit more.

Just an outstanding place. You can feel the ghosts of the past around this grand masterpiece. It is under renovation, but I have been coming here for many many years and it never gets old. The Clubhouse and the green wicker chairs are like visiting an old lost friend.The flamingos are magnificent as are the rest of the grounds . Wonderful place to spend an afternoon.

Grounds are beautiful and it's like stepping back in time. Quarter horses were running, and they only ran a very short distance, so not much to the racing. Restaurant was occupied by a private party.

Parking is free. Easy to access. Went after running from Calder. Gulfstream is much worth the drive. But this is a nice track had a good crowd.

Seeing this racetrack was on my bucket list. You could see that it had once been a magnificent place to watch thoroughbreds. Except for the hight tech tote board on the infield, it seemed that the premises had not changed since the 50's, 60's. I tried to imagine how grand it must have been back then. At least, unlike Hollywood Park, it has not succumbed to the developers wrecking ball. And the Flamingos are still there .Not big fans of quarter horse racing, we left after 3 races, having seen the paddocks, grandstand and flight of the Flamingos. Parking and entry were free, so you can't beat the price.

Well the casino just opened up about a few months ago. The slot are is a decent size. But will grow in the future, and it needs it. The second floor is for the Poker players. And its a very comfrotable spot. The chairs are very comfrotable and the table nice, as theey are new. Lets see how long they last. The specials the have on weekends are very good. And hopefully the continue to be. as in the past the other casino's near by have gone down on the promotions for the poker room. I have yet to see any horse racing there, but remember this is the place that had great horse racing in the past. So it will be back soon as they are setting up the horse stalls.

Just visited Hialeah Racetrack..super beautiful and the renovations are awesome. The restuarant was excellent. A great place to visit as a family or just for fun.

I've been to Saratoga and I've been to Santa Anita numerous times,there is nothing like Hialeah.The family that purchased the track and the grounds surrounding it has restored it back to its original beauty complete with their beautiful pink flamingos.It is a shame that the only racing there is quarter horse for a short meet.They built a new beautiful casino at the other end to help finance and maintain the racetrack.Anyone who wants to see the past in the present should take a trip here.The area is very safe ,with friendly people,trams to take you from the parking lot to the entrance.I only hope that they could open for thoroughbreds again,even if for only 1 month a year similar to Saratoga,and maybe close down that disgrace called Caldor.

Hialeah has become a Racino.The new casino is very nice with all the bells and whistles.One drawback is it is a long walk from your car to the casino, unless you are a VIP player.