The Michigan State city of Muskegon lies on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan and has a population of almost 40,000 inhabitants. A short distance south east of the city, at Fruitport, was Muskegon Racecourse which first opened for harness racing on Thursday 25th May 1989, welcoming a crowd of 4,195. The 5 furlong oval racecourse, with its 177 metre home straight, had the additional facility of two chutes, one of 7 furlongs and one of 9 furlongs, and the crowds were suitably looked after in either the Clubhouse which had capacity of 3,500, or the main grandstand which could seat 7,000 people. After 8 years of racing the racecourse closed in May 1997 and underwent much needed renovations before reopening as Great Lakes Downs in 1999, offering a programme of thoroughbred racing. Within a year the track was purchased by Magna International Corporation in January 2000. They were keen for racing to continue, and it did so for the next 7 years as Great Lakes Downs, until it closed its doors for the final time on Tuesday 6th November 2007. Once racing finished the ground was sold to the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians in 2008 and the grandstands demolished a year later. |
