PORTLAND MEADOWS HISTORICAL TIMELINE
1945
Construction of Portland Meadows on November 20, under the direction of William P. Kyne. Kyne is also known as the founder of Bay Meadows Racecourse and he was largely responsible for the passage of the 1933 law which legalized pari-mutuel wagering in California.
1946
Opening Day - September 14. With over 10,000 people in attendance, Portland Meadows made history as the first thoroughbred track in the nation to offer night time racing. This was made possible by use of a lighting system designed by General Electric which has been said has enough power "to light a four-lane superhighway from Portland to Salem, a distance of 40 miles."
1948
Closed due to the Vanport Flood. This flood destroyed the town of Vanport, OR and resulted in roughly $250,000 worth of damage to the track.
1970
April 25 - Fire burns the Grandstand to the ground. Fortunately the blaze took no lives, human or equine, but it did end the meet.
1971
Facilities rebuilt and track reopened to a record crowd of 12,635.
1981
Gary Stevens begins a two season streak as the leading rider at Portland Meadows. Gary would go on to capture three Kentucky Derby victories, eight Breeder's Cup titles, entrance into the Hall of Fame and would play a significant role in the motion picture "Seabiscuit."
1987
The Coors Portland Meadows Mile becomes the first $100,000 stakes race in Oregon history. Present Value, ridden by Hall of Fame jockey William Shoemaker, captured the race and went on to retire with $1,153,853 in career earnings. Present Value still holds distinction as the richest horse to ever compete at Portland Meadows.
1994
Two-year-old champion Jumron begins to draw fans from across the Pacific Northwest. He went on to become the first horse to begin his career at Portland Meadows that raced in the Kentucky Derby.
2001
Magna Entertainment aquires the racing license for Portland Meadows. Prior to the 2001-2002 meet, the racing surface was completely renovated. The Clubhouse level and Turf Club Restaurant were also refurbished and a new simulcast center was opened on the mainline level.
2003
Portland Meadows undergoes a series of improvements including the construction of a children's play area, upgrades in the paddock, gallons upon gallons of new paint throughout the building, new fencing and the inclusion of a grass apron. Among additional changes of significance are the live race days and an increase in handle. Since dropping Sunday racing and adding Monday matinees, there's been an increase of over 100 new simulcast outlets taking the Portland Meadows signal.
2003
With the inception of Monday afternoon racing, it was on December 22, Portland Meadows boasted a handle in excess of half a million dollars for the first time in over 10 years. With that, the attention, interest and handle continue to rise.
2004
Chris Dragone takes the helm as the new General Manager.
2006
Dwayne Yuzik is named General Manager of Portland Meadows; Chris Dragone takes over as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Maryland Jockey Club.