Hialeah Gardens Community Hall history

1920 Missouri cattleman James Bright and aviation pioneer Glenn Curtis donate land for community use and help acquire building funds for construction of public buildings, facilities and racetrack.

Thirteen miles were incorporated as a town in 1921.

In 1922, the first pari-mutuel greyhound track in America opened at Hialeah under the Miami Kennel Club.

The opening of Hialeah Park in 1925 as a horse track received more coverage in the Miami media than any other sporting event in the history of Miami up to that time and since then there have been countless horse racing histories played out at the world famous 220 acre park.

1930 Transportation & real estate magnate Joseph Widener purchases Hialeah.

1932 The ‘new’ Hialeah opens on Jan.

1948 Citation wins Flamingo Stakes en route to the Triple Crown, and United States Horse of the Year honors.

1957 Trainer Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons wins Flamingo Stakes with Bold Ruler, and goes on to become United States Champion 3 year old and United States Horse of The Year.

1960 Bill Hartack is leading jockey for fourth time in five years.

1963 Woody Stephens trains his second Flamingo Stakes winner in Never Bend.

1964 E.P. Taylor’s (Founder of Woodbine) Northern Dancer wins Flamingo Stakes en route to Kentucky Derby & Preakness tallies.

1969 Diane Crump becomes first female jockey at major United States track.

The horse track exchanged hands again in 1974 when sportsman John Galbreath purchased the track.

1980 John Henry wins Hialeah Turf Cup, and later is named United States Champion Turf Horse.

1983 Nijinsky’s Secret wins the first of consecutive Hialeah Turf Cups.