History
The track opened on March 3, 1987, as the Birmingham Turf Club, an $85-million thoroughbred facility that drew more than 13,000 fans on opening night. It went bankrupt and closed after a year. It reopened under Delaware North as Birmingham Race Course in 1989, then closed again. Milton McGregor bought it in 1992, greyhound racing was added after a referendum that year, and live horse racing was dropped in 1995.
The last live greyhound race took place on March 18, 2020, before the COVID-19 shutdown, and management then announced that live racing was over. Simulcast wagering and historical racing machines continued.
Why it matters: It was the first pari-mutuel venue to end live racing during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Thoroughbred Daily News.
Timeline
- March 3, 1987Opening night[2]
The track opened as the Birmingham Turf Club, a thoroughbred facility, drawing more than 13,000 fans.
- 1989Reopened as Birmingham Race Course[2]
After the original operation went bankrupt, the track was sold to Delaware North and reopened as Birmingham Race Course.
- 1992
Greyhound racing was added after a 1992 referendum; horses and dogs ran in alternating races for three years.
- 1995
Live horse racing ended and the track ran only greyhounds.
- March 18, 2020
The track held its last live greyhound race before a statewide COVID-19 stay-at-home order; management later announced the end of live racing.
The site today
| Physical status | Standing, repurposed |
|---|---|
| Current use | Casino with historical racing machines and simulcast wagering[2] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Venue facts
| Other names | Birmingham Turf Club (1987); Birmingham Race Course Casino |
|---|---|
| Location | 1000 John Rogers Drive, Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama[4] |
| Venue type | Racetrack |
| Sports | Greyhound racing, Horse racing |
| Level | Greyhound, Thoroughbred |
| Opened | March 3, 1987[2,3] |
| Last used for sports | March 18, 2020[1,3] |
| Physical status | Standing, repurposed |
| Construction cost | $85 million[3] |
| Closure | Live racing stopped during the COVID-19 shutdown in March 2020, and management then announced it would not resume. |
Documented details
- Opened as an $85-million thoroughbred track, Birmingham Turf Club was described by the Thoroughbred Daily News as the first modern horse track in the Deep South.[3]
- Steve Asmussen won his first stakes race at the track, and announcer Larry Collmus called races there in his first full-time job.[3]
- Milton McGregor bought the track in 1992 and lobbied to allow greyhound racing.[2]
- When live racing ended, about 550 greyhounds not moving to other tracks were to be put up for adoption.[3]
Sources
- Alabama, GREY2K USA Worldwide. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed
- Dogs Gone: Live Greyhound Racing Ends at Birmingham Race Course, BirminghamWatch. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: current land use, events, opened, owner operator
- Birmingham First Pari-Mutuel Venue to End Live Racing During Pandemic, Thoroughbred Daily News. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, construction cost, events, opened
- Birmingham Race Course Casino (Mapcarta), Mapcarta / OpenStreetMap. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, coordinates
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.