In the winter of 1891, New England trotting horse owners, who had desired for many years to race in Maine, began working on establishing a track in the state.

[1] After being unable to find a suitable location in Portland, Maine, the focus turned to Old Orchard Beach, which believed a horse track would contribute to its success as a resort town.

[1][2] On December 29, 1891, the directors of the Mile Track Association of Maine held a meeting to discuss the proposed track and the vast majority of members opposed it, believing that the season would be too short and being so close to the ocean would be dangerous to the horses' cooling-off process.

[3] The track had only one turn and its stretches converged at a point, forming a kite-like shape.

[6] In 1900, the New England Agricultural Society moved its annual cattle show and fair to the Kite Track, which resulted in the construction of a new exhibition hall, ticket office, barns, business office, stage, and bandstand.