Hipódromo de Monterrico
 Aerial view of the racetrack | |
| Location | Lima, Peru |
|---|---|
| Owned by | Jockey Club del Perú |
| Operated by | Jockey Club del Perú |
| Date opened | December 18, 1960 |
| Capacity | 15,000 |
| Notable races | Derby Nacional |
The Hipódromo de Monterrico, also known as El Coloso de Surco, is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility opened in 1960 in Santiago de Surco District, Lima, Peru. Operated by the Jockey Club del Perú, it has a one and one-eight mile dirt racetrack with a one-mile inside track for turf racing.
History
The first plans for the construction of a new racetrack date back to 1951, as the San Felipe Racetrack, located in Jesús María District, had already exceeded its capacity. In 1952, the current land was acquired, and construction began in 1955. It lasted five years and cost $4,500,000 USD at the time. On December 15, 1960, the first meeting of the Jockey Club del Perú was held at the new racetrack, and on Sunday, December 18, the new track was inaugurated, hosting afternoon and night races. The first race was won by Weekend, while the first classic (the fifth race of that day) was won by Pensador.[1]
Due to the racetrack's distance from the urban area, five buses were installed in the 1960s, departing from different points in the city (Aviación Avenue and Unanue Street in La Victoria, Plaza San Martín, Plaza Grau, the corner of Arenales Avenue and Javier Prado in San Isidro, and the last one from Schell Street in Miraflores). In the 1980s, a grass track was built next to the racetrack's main track, and its facilities were equipped with closed-circuit television and slot machines.[1]
In the 1990s, during the municipal administration of then Mayor of Lima, Ricardo Belmont Cassinelli, the Hippodrome ceded the northwest area of its jurisdiction for the construction of the Southern Interchange. This system of overpasses consists of two bridges spanning Circunvalación Avenue and the Pan-American Highway (Vía de Evitamiento) over Javier Prado Avenue. In exchange, a direct access expressway to the Hippodrome was built from Javier Prado Avenue.
In 1995, the club's management leased a plot of land that used to house the auxiliary breakaway track and the horse workshop, facing Javier Prado Avenue. The Jockey Plaza was built there, but was sold in 2000 by decision of the members. In 1997, a theme park called Daytona Park opened in the back of the main track, but closed at the end of 2001 due to various reasons and low attendance.[2][3] That same year, the simulcasting system was inaugurated, although its contract is currently suspended. The infrastructure was renovated that same year, with the electronic race totalizer and electric starter replaced, along with a new computer center for betting.
Events
Major races at Hipódromo de Monterrico include the four Group One races that comprise the Peruvian Quadruple Crown:
- 1.a) es:Polla de Potrillos (Perú) - September, 1,600 metres
- 1.b) es:Polla de potrancas - September, 1,600 metres
- 2.a) Clasico Ricardo Ortiz de Zevallos - October, 2000 metres
- 2.b) Clasico Enrique Ayulo Pardo - October, 2000 metres
- 3) Derby Nacional - November, 2400 metres
- 4) Gran Premio Nacional Augusto B. Leguia - February, 2600 metres
See also
References
- ^ a b "Historia". Hipódromo de Monterrico.
- ^ Santiago, Jhersson (2022-07-29). "Daytona Park: ¿por qué cerró el parque de diversiones más popular del Perú?". La República.
- ^ Jimenez, Mery (2023-10-19). "Daytona Park, el parque de diversiones más concurrido a finales de los años 90 que ahora es un basural abandonado". Infobae.
External links
- Official website (in Spanish)
- Daytona Park concept (in Spanish)