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bets were also made on races at other tracks. Admission was charged to the patrons, although free admission was granted after the first few races. Racing was held into
November, and often races were held in the dim light of the evening. Judges would hold lanterns to judge the finishing order. In one infamous incident during these "midnight races" a long-shot horse named Mulock held up at the turn and waited until the horses made a lap of the track and then raced to the finish ahead of the others. Despite the controversy, the bets on Mulock were paid.
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The track had its stables to the south of the track, along with a winter barn which was also used for offices. The public entrance was at the south-east corner of the property, through the stable yard. Betting was handled by bookmakers who operated in front of the grandstand and in the infield, and
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Orpen renewed the lease in 1925 and purchased the track a few years later. After Orpen died in 1937, his son Fred Orpen took over and operated the racing syndicate. Fred would play the national anthem on a piano on the public address system every meet day at
Dufferin to start the day.
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per year and opened
Dufferin Racetrack in 1907. Horse race gambling was controversial at the time and the charter was revoked in 1909, although this was due to a legal technicality as the charter had not been used for several years prior to 1907.
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After the sale, Fred Orpen got out of the horse-racing business completely. He built an estate on 400 acres (160 ha) of land near Alton, which he sold in 1972 to develop a housing sub-division. He died on
October 28, 1978, at the age of 82.
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to operate horse racing and sell liquor, a half-mile track was laid out on 25 acres (10 ha) of land on the west side of
Dufferin Street owned by Charles Leslie Denison. After Denison died,
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During World War II, Long Branch was closed and some of its stakes races were held at
Dufferin Park. From 1942–45, the
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The track was a financial success, one of several successful tracks in the
Toronto area. In 1916, Orpen opened the
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for athletics meets. From 1951, the site was also used for a musical theatre production in a tent, called
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Tappas, Appas (October 4, 1955). "Purchasers
Unknown: Branch, Dufferin To Change Hands For $ 4,000,000".
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The site was also used as the location for an annual travelling circus. It was used by local high school
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directly and was granted a federal charter. Orpen, along with other businessmen incorporated the
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and his family after his death. Only 0.5 miles (0.80 km) in length, it was also called
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on
December 1, 1955. The final race was on November 8, 1955, won by Honeybelloo. The
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as part of a consolidation of racetracks in the
Toronto area. The track was owned by
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MacCarl, Neil (November 5, 1955). "Dufferin Parlayed $ 4,000 into Four Million".
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million for Orpen's tracks and racing charters and transferred them to the
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Munns, Tommy (September 23, 1937). "Scanning the Sports Field".
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483:"Friend of Thousands; A. M. Orpen Dies; Funeral on Saturday".
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and closed down in 1955, with racing consolidated at the new
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Thorncliffe closed in 1952 and the Orpen tracks were sold to
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After a provincial racing charter was granted in 1894 to the
554:"Shades of Bye Bye Mary As Punters Say 'Good-by Dufferin'".
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in Windsor, Ontario. In 1917, Orpen was an investor in the
331:. The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. Archived from
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Dunnell, Milt (April 29, 1955). "Speaking On Sport".
223:, divided into 40 shares of $ 100 and six of $ 10.
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33:Betting at Old Dufferin Racetrack, 1908. Photo by
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424:"New Race Tracks in Four Cities In Canada".
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217:Metropolitan Racing Association of Canada
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513:"E. P. Taylor Bids For Orpen Tracks".
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914:Defunct horse racing venues in Canada
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197:York Riding and Driving Association
167:The site is now a shopping centre.
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569:"Fred Orpen, 82, ran racetracks".
531:. Heritage Toronto. Archived from
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929:1955 disestablishments in Ontario
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620:"Box Office". April 12, 1952: 99.
487:. September 23, 1937. p. 16.
203:leased the land from Denison for
939:Sports venues demolished in 1955
919:Defunct sports venues in Toronto
573:. October 31, 1978. p. A23.
529:"Toronto's Horse Racing History"
464:. Toronto Historical Association
83:Thoroughbreds: Sept. 11–12, 1907
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558:. November 9, 1955. p. 26.
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246:, just north of the village of
934:Horse racing venues in Ontario
924:1907 establishments in Ontario
661:Toronto's Horse Racing History
517:. October 8, 1955. p. 20.
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288:is located on the site today.
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428:. August 14, 1909. p. 1.
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259:Canadian International Stakes
179:Dufferin Park Racetrack, 1909
115:Canadian International Stakes
656:Dufferin Race Track articles
398:. June 18, 1909. p. 14.
238:. In 1924, Orpen opened the
187:Aerial view, 1930. Photo by
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302:Central Commerce Collegiate
265:were run at Dufferin Park.
16:Canadian horse racing track
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394:"The Charter is No More".
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276:. Taylor paid a reported
232:Kenilworth Park Racetrack
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81:Harness: August 15, 1907,
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236:Thorncliffe Park Raceway
141:thoroughbred horse races
684:43.655965°N 79.435658°W
462:"Long Branch Racetrack"
133:Dufferin Park Racetrack
22:Dufferin Park Racetrack
633:Cite journal requires
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689:43.655965; -79.435658
263:Cup and Saucer Stakes
240:Long Branch Racetrack
186:
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120:Cup and Saucer Stakes
843:Blue Bonnets Raceway
373:"Dufferin Racetrack"
680: /
282:Ontario Jockey Club
201:Abraham "Abe" Orpen
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591:Toronto Sketches 8
515:The Globe and Mail
485:The Globe and Mail
411:The Globe and Mail
356:The Globe and Mail
274:Woodbine Racetrack
244:Etobicoke Township
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157:Woodbine Racetrack
124:Valedictory Stakes
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329:"The Way We Were"
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147:in the city of
145:Dufferin Street
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189:William James
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122:(1942–1945),
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111:Notable races
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827:Western Fair
782:Fraser Downs
762:Century Mile
729:Horse racing
665:
626:cite journal
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571:Toronto Star
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556:Toronto Star
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537:. Retrieved
533:the original
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377:. Retrieved
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337:. Retrieved
333:the original
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270:E. P. Taylor
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117:(1942–1945),
101:Thoroughbred
73:, Fred Orpen
18:
888:Thorncliffe
868:Long Branch
792:Grand River
687: /
595:. pp.
585:Filey, Mike
306:Melody Fair
248:Long Branch
143:located on
126:(1952–1955)
96:Course type
88:Date closed
78:Date opened
908:Categories
802:Leamington
747:Ajax Downs
675:79°26′08″W
672:43°39′21″N
312:References
296:Other uses
883:Polo Park
858:Greenwood
777:Fort Erie
734:in Canada
539:March 23,
426:The Globe
396:The Globe
379:March 23,
339:March 23,
221:CA$ 4,060
161:Abe Orpen
137:racetrack
71:Abe Orpen
836:Defunct:
822:Woodbine
797:Hastings
587:(2004).
261:and the
67:Owned by
42:Location
893:Windsor
740:Active:
597:168–171
205:CA$ 400
171:History
153:Ontario
149:Toronto
105:Harness
50:Ontario
46:Toronto
807:Mohawk
732:venues
603:
135:was a
54:Canada
278:CA$ 4
99:Flat
639:help
601:ISBN
541:2010
470:2019
381:2010
341:2010
139:for
250:.
242:in
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624:{{
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191:.
103:/
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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