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Quarter racing, or quarter-mile dashes held on Colonial lanes throughout the Tidewater region, were popular with Virginians from the 1600s.
A special breed of sprinters called “quarter horses” emerged from this tradition. Later, the gentry class, emulating British aristocracy, developed a taste for distance racing. The first U.S. stakes race was held in Virginia in 1691.
Informal races were often contested after church on Sundays. By 1737, there was a regular schedule of races at Williamsburg. Bowling Green was another popular, well-attended racing site. Racing was banned by the Continental Congress in 1774; it resumed in 1783.
By 1789, Richmond supported four racetracks.
Although quarter races remained popular, the largest prizes were given for much longer races over
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