MDPL archival postcard of Miami Beach Dog Track circa 1930’s-1940’s. Located at the southern tip of South Beach on 1st and Ocean Drive, it brought an exciting cosmopolitan spark to Miami Beach and a seedy element as well. From 1926 until its final demise in 1980, the Dog Track was a favorite among many locale gamblers and visitors alike. Currently in that space, is one of the beach’s most luxurious condominiums, The Portofino.
Located at the southern tip of South Beach on 1st and Ocean Drive, the Miami Beach Dog Track brought an exciting cosmopolitan spark as well as a seedy element to the area. Owen P. Smith introduced greyhound racing to Florida in 1921. He invented the mechanical rabbit to overcome the concerns of animal rights people over using live rabbits. The track was built in 1928 south of Smith’s Casino, in the South Beach Park Subdivision, and became a local landmark. The grandstand and Mediterranean Revival clubhouse were designed by Robert Law Weed early in his career. The two-story, tile-roofed clubhouse was described as “an architectural masterpiece after an old Spanish mission”. Until its final demise in 1980, the Dog Track was a favorite among many locale gamblers and visitors alike. Currently in that space, is one of the beach’s most luxurious condominiums, The Portofino Tower at 300 South Point Drive. The Portofino, which opened in 1997, is 484 ft tall and contains 44 floors.
Shown are a MDPL archival postcard of Miami Beach Dog Track circa 1930’s-1940’s and a 1940’s aerial view photograph of the location.
