The most famous of the group was John B. Kelly Sr., who created the race course together with Fred C. Scholler, Glendon Robertson and James "Sonny" Fraser.

Shareholders included show business personalities Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Harry James, Sammy Kaye and Xavier Cugat.

[2] Kelso, considered to be among the best racehorses of the twentieth century, made his two-year-old debut on September 4, 1959, at ACRC, at that time one of the country's premier tracks.

The overwhelming turn out was an unexpected and controversial state of affairs, as local government agencies and police departments strained to respond to the harbinger of the Woodstock Festival in upstate New York just a few weeks later.

Roads approaching the race course were clogged with young people who spontaneously arrived to attend, forming an ad hoc "hippy hollow" in the surrounding forest areas in the vicinity.

Track owner Bob Levy announced the facility would hold a final abbreviated race meet in 1998, then close, presumably at the end of that year.

Plans called for the renovation of the grandstand and construction of an adjacent 20-story hotel and conference center, along with an office and research park occupied by NextGen Aviations.