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55-451: The main track is 1 + 1 ⁄ 8 miles (1.8 km) in length and 100 feet (30 m) wide, with a 7 furlong chute. The stretch portion of the main track is 947.29 feet (288.73 m). The turf course is a 100-foot (30 m) wide, one mile (1.6 km) oval. The stands offer a seating capacity of 10,000, with standing room available for 25,000. In all, ACRC covers over 250 acres (1.0 km) of land. ACRC opened on July 22, 1946, as

110-400: A $ 7,000 loan from his brothers George , a future Pulitzer Prize -winning playwright, and Walter , who was a popular vaudeville actor. A self-promoter, Kelly coined the slogan "Kelly for Brickwork", which was often seen at local construction sites. Kelly developed a technique to ensure payment for his brickwork from less-than-trustworthy real estate developers. Kelly's crews would mortar

165-530: A casino and a racetrack are co-located and share facilities such as parking and restaurants and engage in cross-promotion) in regional states. Over time, ACRC could not operate profitably as attendance and handle dropped off year by year. Track owner Bob Levy announced the facility would hold a final abbreviated race meet in 1998, then close, presumably at the end of that year. The track remained open for several years after this, however, operating short, fair-like meets in order to retain its simulcast permit. In 2001,

220-587: A hard-fought race, he won the single scull event, extracting a measure of revenge by defeating the winner of the Diamond Sculls, British sculler Jack Beresford . Beresford was one of the most talented oarsmen of the day and would go on to win medals at five Olympics. The race, one of the closest in Olympic history, featured a dramatic duel down the stretch, with Kelly winning by a second. Kelly and Beresford would go on to become good friends. Half an hour after

275-536: A longer distance in 1994. While the Brazilian three-year-old champion from 1992, Sandpit would become the fifth horse to win the event twice in 1996. With the economic deterioration of the Atlantic City Race Course the event was not held in 1998 in a shortened meeting. In 1999, the event was moved to Monmouth Park and run over a longer distance of 1 + 3 ⁄ 8 miles. The event

330-473: A manual trade (bricklaying). The regatta's rules on amateurism excluded anyone "who is or ever has been...by trade or employment for wages a mechanic, artisan or labourer." Two days before Kelly was due to sail to the UK, with his passage booked and his boat boxed, he received a telegram which said: "Entry rejected; letter follows." He never received the letter. The Henley Stewards later declared that they had informed

385-506: A new course record in 1:54 3 ⁄ 5 to a half length victory over Round Table who carried 130 pounds . This was the first defeat on the turf track by Round Table. Nonetheless, Round Table was crowned US Horse of the Year in 1958 even though Clem had defeated him three times during the year. In the 1959 renewal of the event Round Table was assigned a top weight of 136 pounds giving 14 to 22 pounds to his nine rivals. Round Table won

440-466: A profound bearing on who would be crowned US Champion Male Turf Horse . The 1964 US Champion Male Turf Horse , Irish-bred Turbo Jet II finished third to Western Warrior in the event, but the following start he was victorious in the Man o' War Stakes . The 1964 second place finisher and 1965 winner Parka was crowned US Champion Male Turf Horse . The 1966 winner Assagai would also win the Man o' War Stakes

495-564: A purse of $ 600,000. The inaugural running of the event was on 26 September 1953 at the Atlantic City Race Course in Mays Landing, New Jersey as an Invitational handicap event, The United Nations Handicap over the distance of 1 + 3 ⁄ 16 miles. The event was named after the intergovernmental organization United Nations with the idea to promote the internationalization of the sport of horse racing whereby foreign horses bred, owned and trained would compete against each other in

550-822: A recipient of $ 1 million for capital improvements from the Casino Simulcast Fund, a fund designed to offset the loss of simulcast business at racetracks. On January 9, 2015, Greenwood ACRA, owners and operators of Atlantic City Race Course, announced the racetrack was ceasing operations and closing permanently. The last day of racing was January 16 of that year. All American Handicap Boardwalk Handicap Caesars International Handicap Kelly-Olympic Handicap Pageant Handicap World’s Playground Stakes 39°27′26.83″N 74°38′14.26″W  /  39.4574528°N 74.6372944°W  / 39.4574528; -74.6372944 John B. Kelly Sr. John Brendan Kelly Sr. (October 4, 1889 – June 20, 1960)

605-399: A single pane of glass into each chimney they built. When new homeowners would complain to realtors about smoke backing into their houses from the fireplaces, and the developers would then complain to Kelly, he would reply, "I'll take care of it when your check clears." Once paid, Kelly would send crews out to drop a brick down each chimney they'd constructed, smashing the glass panes and solving

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660-578: The Summer Olympics in Paris . This made Kelly the first rower to win three Olympic gold medals and one of the most famous and successful athletes of his generation. After a long courtship, Kelly married Margaret Katherine Majer (1898–1990) in 1924, daughter of German immigrants . Well-known in the world of sports, she founded women's sports at the University of Pennsylvania. Majer's family

715-681: The U.S. Olympic Committee . Kelly was born in Philadelphia , one of 10 children of Irish immigrants John Henry Kelly (1847–1917), who emigrated from his homestead near Newport, County Mayo , in 1869, and Mary Ann Costello (1852–1926), who arrived in the U.S. in 1867. He attended public schools and at night attended the Spring Garden Institute . In 1907, he began bricklaying in Philadelphia as an apprentice at his brother Patrick's construction firm. Standing 6'2", he

770-497: The "NextGen International Aviation Center for Excellence" would contain six office buildings totaling between 400,000 and 600,000 square feet (56,000 m) on the site of the parking lot, corporate and academic housing on the current site of the stables (which would be moved), as well as a transit center, which would replace the current "Convenience center" in the Hamilton Mall parking lot. The Wrangleboro Road entrance road to

825-427: The 1956 Arc to Ribot . Career Boy's 1956 performances earned him US Champion Male Turf Horse honors. In 1957 the event was won by Round Table which was his eighth straight victory in the midst of an eleven race winning streak that landed him US Champion Male Turf Horse honors. In 1958 a crowd of 26,444 witnessed a masterful ride by the future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey Bill Shoemaker who rode Clem to

880-522: The Army, Kelly entered the armed forces boxing tournament as a heavyweight and ran up a 12–0 record before being waylaid by a broken ankle. Future world professional boxing champion Gene Tunney won the tournament. In later years, Kelly would kid Tunney: "Aren't you lucky I broke my ankle?" Following his Army discharge in 1919, Kelly continued dominating the single scull. He also started a brickwork contracting company in Philadelphia, John B. Kelly, Inc., with

935-491: The Atlantic City Race Track, the work of a group of four individuals. The most famous of the group was John B. Kelly Sr. , who created the race course together with Fred C. Scholler, Glendon Robertson and James "Sonny" Fraser. Shareholders included show business personalities Frank Sinatra , Bob Hope , Harry James , Sammy Kaye and Xavier Cugat . Kelso , considered to be among the best racehorses of

990-857: The GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Turf by 7 lengths at Monmouth Park. English Channel was voted US Champion Male Turf Horse for 2007. Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey 's Big Blue Kitten was the eighth horse to win this event twice in 2015. Big Blue Kitten continued his fine form winning the G1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes Those victories were key in Big Blue Kitten being chosen US Champion Male Turf Horse in 2015. After many years being scheduled close to July 4th weekend,

1045-648: The Gantlet won the event on the soft track and in October also won the Man o' War Stakes and continued on to win the Washington D.C. International by six lengths. Run the Gantlet's 1971 performances earned him American Champion Male Turf Horse honors. In 1973 when The American Graded Stakes Committee was founded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association the event was immediately given

1100-687: The Jack Kelly Award on an individual who represents the ideals that Kelly exemplified, including superior achievement in rowing, service to amateur athletics and success in their chosen profession. United Nations Handicap The United Nations Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and older run over a distance of one and three-eighth miles on the turf held annually in July at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey . The event currently offers

1155-575: The U.S. in 1947 for his accomplishments. He would go on to represent the United States at the 1948 , 1952 , 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games . Jack Jr. won the bronze medal in the single scull at the 1956 Olympics. He continued to be involved in amateur sports, eventually being appointed President of the United States Olympic Committee shortly before his sudden death from a heart attack in 1985. Kelly's daughter Grace

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1210-608: The US. The event attracted eight entries - four were foreign bred, including the English-bred Royal Vale and Stan , Chilean -bred Iceberg II, Irish-bred Olympic View and the others were US Bred. The first running was won in track record time of 1:55 4 ⁄ 5 by Iceberg II, who was trained by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Horatio Luro and ridden by Jorge Contreras . Later Iceberg II would be enthroned as US Champion Male Turf Horse for 1953. Within

1265-506: The event becoming the first two time winner of the event. By early 1960s the event had become as a logical and natural place for international and top US turf runners to prepare for the Washington D.C. International which was considered as the forerunner to the Breeders' Cup Turf and the championship long distance turf race. The event was held in September and with NYRA holding the Man o' War Stakes in late October or early November

1320-579: The event is now part of the Haskell Stakes race day card. In 2024 the event was downgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to Grade II status. Time record : Margins : Most wins by a jockey : Most wins by a trainer : Most wins by an owner: Most wins: Notes: ‡ Ran as a part of a field entry † In the running of the event in 2001, With Anticipation finished first but after taking

1375-651: The event was known as the Caesars International Handicap with sponsorship from Caesars Atlantic City . From 1990 to 1993 the event held a Grade II classification. The 1989 US Champion Male Turf Horse , the English-bred Steinlen set a new track record in 1990 winning in 1:52 flat. The Canadian-bred Sky Classic won the 1992 renewal and which culminated in him winning US Champion Male Turf Horse honors. Duel Breeders' Cup Mile winner Lure proved that he could also win at

1430-406: The first few years the event with its impressive stakes gave turf racing a spotlight. After his victory in 1956, Career Boy 's owner Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney then decided to send his top two runners to run in the prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris , France . Entered with stablemate Fisherman and with Eddie Arcaro riding, Career Boy finished fourth in

1485-645: The following: This rejection led Kelly to seek and gain redemption by going to the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp , Belgium, which he had originally not planned to attend. In 2003, the Princess Grace Challenge Cup was launched by the Henley Royal Regatta as an event for women's quadruple sculls both in recognition of John B. Kelly and in memory of his daughter, Grace. When he first applied to race at Henley, Kelly told

1540-629: The governing board for U.S. rowing as soon as Kelly's entry was processed and that it was not their fault if the information was not passed on. The affair was widely reported, especially in London, New York and Philadelphia. The Stewards of Henley Royal Regatta came in for heavy criticism. One interpretation was that they had excluded Kelly because they did not want an American to win the Diamonds. The publicity made Kelly widely popular and would later help his bricklaying business. The ban on Vesper Boat Club

1595-567: The harbinger of the Woodstock Festival in upstate New York just a few weeks later. Roads approaching the race course were clogged with young people who spontaneously arrived to attend, forming an ad hoc "hippy hollow" in the surrounding forest areas in the vicinity. In the late 1970s, the opening of casinos in Atlantic City affected track attendance as did later competition for quality horses from "racino"-type venues (where

1650-658: The highest classification of Grade I. By the 1980s the event was scheduled to be run in summer usually in late July or August. Through the 1970s and 1980s the event produced notable winners. The 1974 winner Halo went on to become twice the Leading sire in North America in the 1980s. The 1978 winner, the English-bred Noble Dancer II was superbly ridden by U. S. Triple Crown winning jockey Steve Cauthen by six lengths which continues to be

1705-515: The largest margin of victory in the event. Noble Dancer II became the third horse to be a dual winner of the event in 1979. Entering the Breeders' Cup era the event continued to be a notable preparatory event. The 1986 winner as a three-year-old, Manila followed with wins in the Grade I Turf Classic at Belmont Park and Grade I Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita Park and was crowned US Champion Male Turf Horse . From 1990 through 1997,

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1760-536: The mall would be extended into the proposed office park, as well as the construction of several new roads and parking lots on the site. The inside of the track oval would be renovated to include a lake and community greenspace. The project would have been a spin-off of the NextGen research park under construction at Atlantic City International Airport . In 2011, the Atlantic City Race Course was

1815-652: The military. Kelly was Commodore of the Schuylkill Navy from 1935 to 1940 and was president of the NAAO , the then governing board for U.S. rowing, from 1954 through 1955. Kelly is the only rower who is a member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame . He is also a member of the United States Rowing Hall of Fame, having been elected in 1956 at the same time as his son Jack Jr. Kelly died of intestinal cancer at his home in Philadelphia, age 70. He

1870-471: The path to the Washington D.C. International was clear. Although the 1960 winner T.V. Lark did not run in the Washington D.C. International, he did manage to go on as a four-year-old and win that event the following year. The 1962 and 1963 winner Mongo also went on to win the prestigious Washington D.C. International and captured US Champion Male Turf Horse honors. From 1963 to 1971 the event had

1925-505: The press that if his entry were accepted, he would go to Henley and most likely skip the Olympics. On learning of his rejection, Kelly was surprised and angered and stated: "I had made all the arrangements to sail for England ... I'll go to the Olympics now for sure. I want to get a crack at the man who wins the diamond sculls." Kelly soon had his chance, representing the United States at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp , Belgium. In

1980-483: The problem. In 1919, Kelly played professional football for the Holmesburg Athletic Club . The team would win the 1919 and 1920 Philadelphia City Championships. In a 1919 game against a team from Camden, New Jersey , Kelly scored three touchdowns in just the first quarter of the game. Kelly won 126 straight races in the single scull in 1919 and 1920, a six-time U.S. national champion who

2035-662: The regatta's Committee of Management for June 3, 1920, read: "The list of entries ... outside of the United Kingdom under Rule iv was presented ... and received with the exception of Mr J.B. Kelly of the Vesper Boat Club to compete in the Diamond Sculls, which was refused under the resolution passed by the Committee on 7th June, 1906 'viz' 'That no entry from the Vesper Boat Club of Philadelphia, or from any member of their 1905 crew be accepted in future': Mr Kelly

2090-475: The singles final, Kelly teamed with his cousin Paul Costello to win the double scull (2x) race, a feat which has never been repeated at the Olympic games. After his Olympic victory, Kelly purportedly mailed his racing cap to King George V with the note, "Greetings from a bricklayer", for having been snubbed at Henley. In 1924, Kelly and Costello repeated their success, winning the double-scull event at

2145-641: The track to offer 20 days of racing in 2009, but reduced the mandate to six when the track agreed to forego its pursuit of purse subsidy monies from an agreement between the New Jersey horse racing industry and the Atlantic City casinos. In 2010, plans were revealed to redevelop a majority of the race course property and redevelop the race track. Plans called for the renovation of the grandstand and construction of an adjacent 20-story hotel and conference center, along with an office and research park occupied by NextGen Aviations . The office park, which would be called

2200-483: The track was sold to the owners of Philadelphia Park Racetrack and became primarily a simulcast facility. From 1998 to the present, ACRC conducted live race meets of between four and 10 days per year. On November 16, 2006, Hal Handel, CEO of Greenwood Racing, announced that ACRC would increase live racing dates from 4 days per year to up to 20 days per year. In 2008, racing took place on six days; April 23, 24, 25, 30, May 1, and 2. The New Jersey Racing Commission ordered

2255-583: The twentieth century, made his two-year-old debut on September 4, 1959, at ACRC, at that time one of the country's premier tracks. In 1964, the location served the shooting of scenes for Hitchcock's iconic thriller Marnie . On August 1, 2 and 3, 1969 an estimated 100,000 people attended the Atlantic City Pop Festival at the race course. The overwhelming turn out was an unexpected and controversial state of affairs, as local government agencies and police departments strained to respond to

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2310-564: The way some Princes do." Kelly was the model for the character of George Kittredge, Tracy Lord's brash, up-and-coming, man-of-the-people fiancé, in Philip Barry 's 1939 Broadway comedy The Philadelphia Story . Grace Kelly played Tracy Lord in the 1956 Cole Porter movie musical version, High Society . Grace visited her grandfather's cottage, the Kelly homestead , near Newport, County Mayo during her 1961 state visit to Ireland. Kelly

2365-464: Was Lutheran , and she converted to Catholicism before the marriage. They had four children: Margaret "Peggy" Katherine (1925–1991), John "Kell" Brendan Jr. (1927–1985), Grace Patricia (1929–1982) and Elizabeth "Lizanne" Anne (1933–2009). John B. Kelly Jr. won the Diamond Sculls at Henley in 1947 and 1949. Jack Jr., as he was also known, won the James E. Sullivan Award as the best amateur athlete in

2420-586: Was a commissioner and later president of the Fairmount Park Commission , which administered Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, one of the largest municipal parks in the world. In 1941, President Roosevelt named the still-popular Kelly as the National Physical Fitness Director, a post he held throughout World War II . Kelly strongly advocated for physical fitness for all Americans, particularly those brought into

2475-651: Was a gifted athlete and competed in football and basketball in addition to rowing, which he learned on the Schuylkill River . By 1916, Kelly was a national rowing champion and the best sculler in the United States. As part of the World War I callup, Kelly joined the United States Army as a private in October 1917. He rose to the rank of lieutenant by the time he was discharged in April 1919. While in

2530-545: Was actively involved in city politics, ran for mayor of Philadelphia in 1935 and chaired the Philadelphia County Democratic Party in 1937. When he ran for mayor, Philadelphia was a heavily Republican city, but he came close to winning, losing by fewer than 50,000 votes compared with the usual margin of 300,000. From January 1936 until June 1937, Kelly served as Pennsylvania secretary of revenue under Governor George Howard Earle III . He

2585-626: Was also not qualified under Rule I (e) of the General Rules (manual labour)." That 1906 resolution banned members of the Vesper Boat Club from the event because their eight-man team in the Grand Challenge Cup had used a public subscription to raise the money to travel to London, breaching the regatta's rule on amateurism . The regatta committee's minutes also note that they rejected Kelly because he had worked in

2640-514: Was an Academy Award -winning actress who became Princess Consort of Monaco when she married Prince Rainier in 1956. Kelly purportedly gave Prince Rainier a $ 2 million dowry for his daughter's marriage. Kelly is the maternal grandfather of Albert II , the reigning prince of Monaco. When Grace's engagement to Prince Rainier was announced, Kelly quipped: "I told the Prince that royalty didn't mean that much to us, and that I hoped he wouldn't run around

2695-569: Was an American triple Olympic champion, the first in the sport of rowing . The Philadelphia-based Kelly also was a multimillionaire in the bricklaying and construction industry. He also was involved in politics, serving as Pennsylvania secretary of revenue and running unsuccessfully for mayor of Philadelphia in the 1935 Philadelphia mayoral election . Kelly was the father of actress Grace Kelly , Princess of Monaco (thus maternal grandfather of Albert II, Prince of Monaco ), and of Jack Kelly Jr. , an accomplished rower who served as president of

2750-521: Was continued to be well supported stakes reaching $ 750,000 in 2003. In 2004 the conditions of the event were changed from handicap to stakes allowance and the name of the event was modified to the United Nations Stakes . Notable winners in the 2000s include 2004 Breeders' Cup Turf winner Better Talk Now winning the event in 2005. English Channel won the event for the second time in 2007. He continued his excellent form and captured

2805-493: Was crowned US Champion Male Turf Horse . Assagai was also second to 1967 longshot winner Flit-to, and third was Fort Marcy who eventually was voted 1967 US Champion Male Turf Horse. Fort Marcy would run four times in the event finishing third three times before finally winning the event in 1970. However, Fort Marcy was not disgraced in defeat. The 1968 winner Dr. Fager who defeated Advocator and Australian champion Tobin Bronze

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2860-539: Was crowned US Horse of the Year and the 1969 winner, the South African -bred Hawaii was chosen as US Champion Male Turf Horse . In 1970 Fort Marcy won the United Nations Handicap, four weeks later won the Man o' War Stakes at Belmont Park and in early November captured the Washington D.C. International for the second time and was crowned 1970 US Horse of the Year . The 1971 winner Run

2915-472: Was interred at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania . In 1967, Philadelphia erected a prominent statue of Kelly by artist Harry Rosin near the finish line of the Schuylkill River course that Kelly rowed. It is located just off of the scenic Kelly Drive, formerly East River Drive, which is named for Kelly's son, Jack Jr. Every year, USRowing , as the governing board is now known, bestows

2970-621: Was one of the most popular figures in the sport. In 1920 Kelly applied to race in the Diamond Sculls at the Henley Royal Regatta held annually on the River Thames , the most prestigious event in rowing. Despite his American success and winning streak, the event's organizers rejected his application, citing an earlier dispute with his rowing club and the fact that he had worked as a manual laborer: The minutes of

3025-465: Was rescinded soon afterward, and in 1937, the references in the Henley rules, excluding manual laborers, mechanics, artisans, and menial duties, were deleted. Kelly was surprised that his entry was rejected. Kelly always maintained that United States rowing officials had assured him his entry would be accepted. In the 1950s, he wrote to Jack Beresford , the winner of the 1920 Henley Diamond Sculls race,

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