The city corporation is known to have given its support to the sport from 1530 and, in 1607, racing is known to have taken place on the frozen River Ouse, between Micklegate Tower and Skeldergate Postern.

[7] A famous yearly race for a golden bell was taking place in the nearby Forest of Galtres in 1590.

Orton's Turf Annals of York and Doncaster, which records the results of races at this time, has them taking place at "Clifton and Rawcliffe Ings" in the period 1709 and 1731[10] which would support the official view.

Drake's Eboracum, another early history, when talking of York's races says, "Clifton-ings was for several years the place of trial; but upon a misunderstanding with the owner of that ground, or great part of it, the race was altered; and Knavesmire, a common pasture belonging to the city, was pitched upon for that purpose.

[16] The Knavesmire course, as the name suggests, was often very swampy, and in 1776, heavy rains meant that horses had to race for about fifty yards up to their knees in water.

At the August meeting in 1804 Alicia Thornton, who as a result has been called the "first female jockey", took part in a horse race at the racecourse at Knavesmire.

[18] At the Peterloo Massacre of 1819, the local military commander General Sir John Byng was absent because he had two horses running at York that day, and delegated command to his deputy, who failed to peacefully disperse the large crowd, resulting in 18 deaths and hundreds of injuries.

Improvements in transportation had reduced the need for rural landowners to keep York townhouses so August race week in the city was no longer the occasion it was.

[19] On 31 May 1982, Pope John Paul II visited York racecourse and drew a reported audience of 190,000.

In recent years, concerts have been arranged after race meetings in June and July and since 2015 it has hosted the Yorfest.

"[4] In 2005 the track was extended from the end of the home straight to make a full round course, this was to host the 2 m 4 f Gold Cup for the Royal meeting which was moved from Ascot to York that year.