More Letters on Tracks Gone But Not Forgotten

In Sunday’s TDN, we published Bill Finley’s ode to shuttered racetracks, and asked others to try to beat his number of 28 at which he had attended live racing. The letters continue to pour in from readers sharing their own memories of their favorites. Here is a sampling.

Thanks for the article about all the race tracks that are now gone. I also grew up in Philadelphia and my parents were big horse race fans. I got my first exposure to horse racing at Delaware Park since they let children attend the races. Later I attended both Garden State Park and Atlantic City. When Pennsylvania legalized betting on horse racing I also attended Liberty Bell Park and got my first exposure to seeing winter racing. As noted those winter dates included some really cold days. When I became an adult I introduced my parents to some of the other racetracks around the country and made many trips to Hialeah as well as visiting Suffolk Downs, and the pre-fire-destroyed Arlington Park. I also visited on my own some of the other tracks mentioned such as Bowie, Bay Meadows and Hollywood Park. My job included traveling to other parts of our country and if there was a race track nearby I would always try to attend if live racing or simulcasting if it was offered. I have also visited the major tracks and attended all of the Triple Crown races. But as noted I preferred visiting the older, smaller, working-class tracks like Waterford Park now Mountaineer in West Va. As you can tell from all the old tracks I have visited I am an older fan. So I have seen first-hand how expanded gambling options and more tracks having longer meets have made it harder for any track to survive today. Let’s hope we are not the last generation to enjoy the excitement of attending a live horse race near our hometowns.
-John Chambers

Having spent much of my wayward youth on the Cape in Mass., my recollections of the Marshfield and Weymouth Fairs hold a special place in the horse racing crevices of my heart. Wasn’t there a Brockton Fair that had a one week meet, after Marshfield and Weymouth? Seems to me I recall going.. But it would be in the 60’s, if my memory serves. Anyway, thanks for the memories
—Tom Mina

Bill,
You wrote an entertaining but bittersweet tale.
I’ve been to 116 tracks worldwide (counting harness) but you’re way ahead of me on ones that no longer are running: Suffolk, Atlantic City, Hialeah, Hollywood Park, Bay Meadows, Portland Meadows, Greenwood (Toronto), Calder, Hippodrome de Montreal, Ladbrokes, DRC, Roosevelt. Just 12.

I’m sure if you counted harness that you’d have many more.
–Ed McNamara

Loved your piece that a friend passed on to me.

While my experience at North American tracks is not as extensive as yours, like you and your father, I’ve always tried to find new tracks whenever I traveled. I’ve done that throughout my travels, which fortunately have been extensive. I’ve even gone to a track outside of Paris that was later shut down: Evry.

Like you, I spent my formative tracks years in the U.S. in Massachusetts, when I was a graduate student at Brandeis in the 60s.

Two tracks that I went to then were Narragansett Park and Lincoln Downs. I guess by the time you were in Massachusetts, they’d been gone too. While Lincoln was still lively, Narragansett was on its last legs and was sad. I also went to Timonium once, visiting my parents in DC.

Like you in Philly, a colleague and I would pause our lab work in Waltham, drive the Mass Turnpike and then the tunnel to Suffolk. We arrived after the 6th, when it was free to enter. We’d pick up a program from someone leaving and bet four races. Then back to the lab the same way we came. Weekends were dedicated to Rockingham, easy to get to from Waltham: take 128 north to I-93, which led directly to the track. Lots of people there in those days.

I moved to Toronto in 1967 so my U.S. tracks days have been episodic since then. By the time I arrived here all the original tracks dotted around the city had been shuttered by EP Taylor as he consolidated racing at Woodbine, which then became Old Woodbine, then Greenwood and is now a park and housing. Fort Erie is only held together by political handouts, abandoned by the Ontario Jockey Club. It was a lovely summer track, not as grand as Saratoga, but with the same spirit.

All the best,
–Manuel Buchwald

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From Maine to California, These Tracks Are Gone, But Not Forgotten

Do you remember Bowie? The Marshfield Fair? Or, how about Liberty Bell? I do. I’ve been to them all.

Someone sent me a link the other day to a list of all the defunct racetracks in the country and it got me thinking how sad it was that I had been to so many that have disappeared into the ether. That and whether or not I hold some sort of unofficial record of having attended more former racetracks than anyone else. I have been to 28 North American tracks that no longer operate Thoroughbred racing.

I started compiling the list when I was just a small child and my father would take me to the local tracks near Philadelphia and along on a lot of his business trips so that we could visit a new track in a new town. It grew when I attended college and picked up the Massachusetts fairs, Suffolk Downs and Rockingham, all of them now gone. My early years as a racing writer took me to places like Hialeah and Hollywood Park. One is a casino, the other a football stadium. There are so many that were unable to make it in an era where outside competition for the gambling dollar, real estate values and racing’s struggles to expand its fan base have made staying in business hard to do.

In a few days, I will be able to look back on the 48th anniversary of the first time I saw Secretariat run in person. It was Nov. 18, 1972 and I lived in the Center City section of Philadelphia and, of course, our family was not going to miss the opportunity to see Secretariat run in person in the Garden State Stakes. He was on the verge of superstardom and his appearance at the Cherry Hill, New Jersey, track drew a crowd of 25,175. The great horse did not disappoint, winning by 3 ½ lengths in his final start as a 2-year-old, cementing his first of two Horse of the Year titles.

The track burned to the ground in 1977, but was resurrected in 1985 by Bob Brennan. The new Garden State was supposed to be “the track of the 21st century” but come the early 2000s, its days were numbered. Unable to compete with the Atlantic City casinos and with too many racetracks in the Mid-Atlantic region for horseplayers to choose from, it limped to the finish line and never ran again after a short meet that ended in May of 2001.

Today, over the hallowed ground over which Secretariat, Bold Ruler, Kelso, Dr. Fager, Citation galloped down the stretch you can find a Cheesecake Factory. Very depressing.

Through the seventies and eighties I made many a trip, as well, to Atlantic City Race Course. My brother worked for Philly’s afternoon paper, the Philadelphia Bulletin, and, after his workday was done, we’d make the short trip down the Atlantic City Expressway to catch the last half of the card. Like Suffolk, Atlantic City limped along for years with short meets that allowed them to maintain their license, but ceased racing after 2014. The track still sits there, its owners trying to figure out what to do with the property.

The tracks I really miss are the ones in New England that were such a huge part of my life while I majored in Suffolk Downs and minored in economics while a student at Tufts University. There was a time when there were tracks in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and Maine. They are all gone, leaving an entire region of the country that once embraced racing without a single track.

I made it to the old Rockingham once, early on in my freshman year, before it, too, burned down, in 1980. It was rebuilt and reopened four years later, but the new Rockingham was one of those places where there was no there there. It ran its last Thoroughbred race in 2002.

My favorite track, maybe of all time, was Suffolk Downs. I had an affinity for a hardscrabble, blue-collar, unpretentious track nestled between oil tanks where much of the racing was conducted during the harsh New England winter. For those who prefer Saratoga, Del Mar, Santa Anita, I don’t expect you to understand.

Suffolk Downs held on as long as it could, holding five or six-day meets to keep its license while ownership hoped to be granted a casino license. When Suffolk lost its bid, it was over. The track last raced June 30, 2019, and I was there to say goodbye. The property will soon be developed and include housing, stores, offices, you know, the usual stuff.

The Massachusetts fairs didn’t make it nearly as far. Back in the day, there was nothing like them. With a Ferris wheel, carnival games and 4-H club exhibits as a backdrop, Marshfield, Northampton and Great Barrington were New England institutions. With the legalization of pari-mutuel wagering in Massachusetts in the thirties, a thriving fair circuit got going, a refuge for horses and jockeys that couldn’t win any place else. Everybody who went to the fairs had a story about the fairs, like seeing 17-year-old Golden Arrow win at Great Barrington in 1978 or the time Zippy Chippy finished second at Northampton in his 98th attempt to break his maiden. And who can forget all the races that were fixed? There were hundreds of them over the years.

The fairs were so popular that a crowd of 27,048 once showed up at Great Barrington, which called itself “the Belmont of the Berkshires.” But they were a product of a very different time in racing. Northampton was the last survivor, running its last race in 2005. The fairs at Marshfield and Northampton continue to this day. Great Barrington has completely closed but there was talk before COVID-19 that it would be revived and run some of the dates normally reserved for Suffolk Downs.

I caught Ak-Sar-Ben near the very end. The same racetrack that once regularly drew 25,000 people Saturdays was crippled by competition from casinos in bordering states. It last raced in 1995

and the property has been converted to something called Aksarben Village, a development that includes part of the campus of University Nebraska-Omaha and a Godfather’s Pizza shop. I imagine Ak-Sar-Ben was a great track in its prime.

Bay Meadows is gone. So is Beulah Park, the Woodlands, Bowie, Liberty Bell, Sportsman’s Park, Manor Downs. I have been to them all. Green Mountain, which hadn’t run Thoroughbreds since 1976, burned to the ground in a suspicious fire just this last September. I remember taking the short trip over from Saratoga to catch a card at what was one of the sport’s most remote racetracks.
There was no saving most of these tracks. The exception is Hialeah. When it comes to sheer beauty and class, there was a time when it had no equal. To this day, the track’s website refers to it as “the world’s most beautiful race course.” Losing out on a war for the prime Florida dates, it became less relevant with each passing year until it ran its last Thoroughbred race in 2001. But still it sits there, kept somewhat alive by slot machines and fake quarter horse races. That the sport has never come together and found a way to bring Hialeah back to life is a failure that should have been corrected long ago.

There will be a new member to this list in just a few weeks. Calder/Gulfstream Park West is set to close for good after the Nov. 28 card. That will make my number 29. I’d be fine if it stopped right there.

Editor’s note: Think you can beat Bill’s Finley’s visits for live racing to 28 (soon to be 29) defunct tracks? Email us at suefinley@thetdn.com.

The post From Maine to California, These Tracks Are Gone, But Not Forgotten appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Champions Of Racing: National Museum Of Racing And Hall Of Fame Opens New Exhibit

Coinciding with the 2020 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course, a new interactive exhibit will debut at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame to showcase the history of the Breeders' Cup and the Eclipse Awards — two annual thoroughbred racing events that celebrate the best competitors of the sport.

Museum visitors can explore a searchable race footage archive containing replays of every Breeders' Cup race since the inaugural championship weekend was held at Hollywood Park in 1984 and view a historical listing of Eclipse Award winners by category on two interactive touchscreens in the Museum lobby. The National Museum of Racing acknowledges the support of Breeders' Cup Ltd. and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association in the creation of this interactive exhibit.

Online Children's Programming Series begins Nov. 11

The Museum will launch its new online Children's Programming Series on Wednesday, Nov. 11. This eight-week series, developed for ages 8-9, will explore the life stages of a thoroughbred racehorse.

Each weekly program will use videos and photos to teach about the different developmental stages in a thoroughbred's life, and each will have a related craft or activity to complete. These 15-minute long videos will be uploaded to the Museum's YouTube channel every Wednesday through Dec. 30th. The Museum's YouTube channel can be found here:

https://youtube.com/c/NationalMuseumofRacingandHallofFameSaratogaSprings

For additional information, contact Lindsay Doyle at ldoyle@racingmuseum.net or by phone at (518) 584-0400 ext. 118.

Women in Racing exhibit extension

The Museum will be extending the McBean Gallery special exhibition, Women in Racing, through to Dec. 31, 2021. Featuring art and artifacts from the Museum Collection and on loan, this exhibition celebrates the women involved in every aspect of thoroughbred racing in America. Some exhibition highlights include: a timeline of firsts highlighting the milestone achievements of the pioneers of the sport, Frances Genter's pillbox hat worn during Unbridled's Kentucky Derby victory, items from Hall of Fame jockey Julie Krone's historic Belmont Stakes victory, the inaugural Diana Handicap trophy won by the first licensed female trainer Mary Hirsch, and an interactive exhibit featuring race footage and short films for visitors to explore.

Holiday Membership special

Give the gift of Museum benefits year-round! Gift Memberships at the Museum are 15 percent off for the months of November and December. Call (518) 584-0400 ext. 109 to purchase a gift membership today.

Black Friday Gift Shop Specials

Find the perfect gift at a great price at the Museum Gift Shop on Black Friday Weekend! The general public receives 15 percent off and Museum Members receive 20 percent off in the Museum Gift Shop on Friday, Nov. 27 through Sunday, Nov. 29. You can also call the Museum gift shop to place your order over the phone (518) 584-0400 ext. 123.

#Giving Tuesday

Help us reach our goal! The Museum will participate in #GivingTuesday, a global day of generosity and philanthropy, on Tuesday, Dec. 1. The Museum is seeking 459 gifts (of any amount) on Dec. 1 in honor of each Hall of Fame inductee. Commemorate your favorite horse, jockey, trainer, or Pillar of the Turf and make a difference at the Museum! Funds raised will support the ongoing Hall of Fame Education Experience Campaign.

Current Museum hours

The Museum will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through April 30, 2021. The new signature film, What it Takes: Journey to the Hall of Fame, will be shown at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. daily. The Museum will be closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Tickets can be purchased online at www.racingmuseum.org.

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Gosden Chasing Firmer Ground With Three Breeders’ Cup Entrants

Trainer John Gosden attended the very first Breeders' Cup World Championships, held at Hollywood Park in 1984, and came away victorious by saddling the filly Royal Heroine to defeat nine male rivals in the inaugural Breeders' Cup Mile. Though Gosden has been based in Europe since 1989, the trainer regularly tries to make it back to the United States for the World Championships event.

He has won a total of five Breeders' Cup races, most recently the Turf with the great racemare Enable, recently retired to stud.

“It's such a wonderful international event,” Gosden said on Wednesday's Breeders' Cup teleconference. “I've been a passionate believer in it since we started at Hollywood Park. I remember we ran out of programs and food, but it was a great day. The Breeders' Cup is at the end of our year in Europe, of course, so you have to be careful you have your horse still fresh enough.”

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Gosden will not be making the trip to Keeneland for the 2020 edition. He will, however, send three top horses and staff, along with stable jockey Frankie Dettori.

“Mr. Dettori, he likes to play trainer too, so he can do both jobs,” Gosden quipped.

Gosden plans to start two horses in the Breeders' Cup Turf and one in the Filly & Mare Turf, he explained on Wednesday's call.

Lord North, winner of the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot this June, will head to the Turf, along with stablemate Mehdaayih. The latter, a 4-year-old daughter of Frankel, did not get into the main body of the field for the Filly & Mare Turf, and so is expected to take on males in the 1 1/2-mile Turf instead.

Lord North, a 4-year-old son of Dubawi, was most recently seen finishing 10th over unforgiving ground in the G1 QIPCO Champion Stakes on Oct. 17.

“Well his last race was unfortunately run on a quagmire,” Gosden said. “He was in the same race as (Aidan O'Brien trainee and fellow BC Turf hopeful) Magical, and she also found the track too deep. It was the deepest ground I've ever seen, and it was drying out ground, so it was sticky, and he couldn't handle that.”

Mehdaayih was a Group 2 winner in 2019 but has had just two starts in 2020, most recently finishing fourth in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes, also on Oct. 17.

“She's a high class runner, and very fresh after just two starts this year,” said Gosden. “She's what you might call a wildcard.”

In the Filly & Mare Turf, Gosden will enter G1 Queen Anne Stakes runner-up Terebellum. The 4-year-old filly by Sea the Stars was most recently fifth in the G1 Sun Chariot Stakes on Oct. 3, and will also be seeking firmer ground.

“She likes what we call good, good to firm going,” Gosden explained. “Keeneland's would be like that, usually… she'd be very happy on the surface if it doesn't ride at all loose.”

All three of Gosden's Breeders' Cup hopefuls will fly to the United States on Friday, with staff flying the day ahead of the horses.

“Everyone's gone out of their way to make it feasible for us,” Gosden said. “It's a strange world we're living in now, but we just have to get on with it.”

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