A day at the races – the Thorncliffe Riot of 1937

by TED DEWELLES, Leaside Heritage Preservation Society

Leaside prides itself on its peaceful reputation. But it’s experienced its share of violence – including a major industrial strike in the late 1940s, several notorious crimes, and at least one bona fide riot that took place at the Thorncliffe racetrack on June 5, 1937.

The Cause

The problem began when some of the horses had not fully entered the starting stall just before the launch of the second race. As the animals took off, track officials immediately declared a false start. Ignoring the callback, many of the jockeys rode the full length of the course –leading 15,000 Thorncliffe spectators to believe the race was valid. It wasn’t. The horses were ordered to reassemble, and the race was rerun with victory going to a mediocre but fresh horse – Lassie’s Mary – that had stayed behind during the false start. Confused and angry, the crowd started booing. Many had placed winning bets on horses in the false start, only to be told by officials those bets would not be honoured.

Consequence

That’s when it got ugly. As many as 350 incensed fans jumped over the barriers and flooded onto the field,