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Rockingham Park Race TrackLive Rockingham Park Horse Racing Odds from Bodog Racebook
Rockingham Park Horse RacingOn June 28 1906, Rockingham Park was home to the first ever horse racing in the New England region. That day was the start of a 21-day thoroughbred-racing calendar but live wagering lasted for just three days, as gambling was illegal in the state of New Hampshire. The racing continued through the 21-day meet (with wagering going underground) but at the end of the meet the track went dark. Without viable horse racing, Rockingham Park had to continually reinvent itself from 1906 until 1993. The park hosted numerous events including air shows, The Rockingham Fair (that included harness races without wagering) as well as human marathon and motor sport racing on wooden track. In 1929 the dirt track was restored for auto and motorcycle racing at the park. Sam Simon and Lou Smith were in the crowd of 52,000 out to enjoy Columbus Day auto racing in 1929 and they would become the most important men in New England horse racing history. Simon and Smith lobbied the state government extensively and on April 23, 1933 gambling was legalized in the state of New Hampshire. At a Salem NH town hall meeting and by a vote of 617-2, racing was finally restored at the historic Rockingham Park oval. The first meet, with legal horse wagering in the New England region, was held at Rockingham Park on June 21, 1933 and the rest is history at the track that would become affectionately known as "The Rock". Rockingham Park Race Track AttributesThe main track at Rockingham is a 1 1/8 mile oval. The length of the stretch is 991 feet and the stretch width is 83 feet. The Clubhouse and Grandstand both have the capacity to hold 10,000 horseracing fans and the parking lot can hold up to 5000 vehicles. On Labor Day in 1968 a crowd of 38,791 race fans wagered a Rockingham on-track record $2,699,721. Earl's Charm K who ran 1:54 flat on July 30, 2006 set the all-age trotting record for Rockingham and New England racing. Fire destroyed the legendary grandstand and part of the clubhouse on July 29, 1980 closing Rockingham for four years. After over $20 million in renovations, Rockingham reopened on May 26, 1984 with a state of the art clubhouse and refurbished grandstand. In 1986 Rockingham added a seven-furlong turf track on top of former half-mile harness track. On May 24, 2003 the track switched exclusively to harness racing. Rockingham Park Casino -Simulcast - BingoToday Rockingham is an all around entertainment facility. They host simulcast wagering seven days from a multitude of tracks from around North America. They offer live Bingo six nights a week as well as charity poker tournaments and video slot machines. Concerts, trade shows, fairs and family events are held on different dates all year long at The Rock. 
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