La Rinconada

La Rinconada in Caracas is Venezuela's national thoroughbred racing venue and, at its peak, one of South America's most celebrated tracks. Built in 1959 under President Marcos Pérez Jiménez as a showcase facility, La Rinconada was designed on a grand scale — the grandstand has a capacity of approximately 50,000 spectators, making it the largest racing venue by grandstand capacity in South America, and the track's turf course, at 2,400 metres circumference, is one of the longest oval courses on the continent. The venue was constructed with an ambition to make Venezuelan racing internationally competitive, and during the 1960s-1980s the track regularly hosted international horses and generated betting pools that rivalled those of Argentina and Brazil. Venezuela's Clásico del Caribe connection — the country was a founding member of the Caribbean championship series — gave La Rinconada a regional international profile that made it one of the most-watched Latin American tracks. The track has faced significant challenges in recent decades due to Venezuela's economic crisis, with prize money, maintenance, and operational regularity all affected.