suffolk downs closed???

[mini's mom]

there was a posting on the sd web site that the track is closed until the legislature passes new simulcasing legislation - anyone know anything about that?

how come that they are taking stall applications if there is no racing this summer? Are they just waiting until wed until the legislature votes on theslots and then there will be some new legislation written -

thoughts or comments

[andy]

There are two issues - simulcasting and slots.

Simulcasting rights expired at the end of March - that's why the track is closed right now. One chamber wanted to extend simulcasting thirty days, the other chamber until the end of the year. No compromise was made, so there isn't any simulcasting right now. It seems that simulcasting rights will be restored very soon, however.

The slots vote goes before the Massachussetts House on Wednesday. The bill passed the Senate, but needs 2/3 in the House to override the Governor's promised veto. The 2/3 majority looks very unlikely at this point. The thought is that if the slots bill does not pass, Suffolk will race this year for the last time.

The best way to keep up with this is to visit Google, click News, and use Suffolk Downs as your search criteria. The Boston papers have decent coverage.

[mini's mom]

andy

that is what I had heard also - last summer there was talk about the indians buying the land and putting in a casino but mrs mosely said no - I guess that they wanted to split 51/49 - I did also hear that one of the local sports teams wanted to build an areana on the land - the usps wants the land for a freight terminal as it is close to the airport - and yes I do know that the slots are the turning point and I don't thinkt hat they will go in either as the governor does not want them - to many people will be out of work - I guess that the stall applications are just in case they race - thanks for the reply

susan

[madelyn]

Stall applications should continue regardless... most racetracks are run as training facilities when there is no meet. Are there no trainers near Suffolk Downs that want to train on its track when there is no racing going on?

[Lucy]

Stall applications should continue regardless... most racetracks are run as training facilities when there is no meet. Are there no trainers near Suffolk Downs that want to train on its track when there is no racing going on?

As far as I know, the track is completely closed over the winter. No training, no nothin'.

When they used to race through the winter, they'd have to switch the track over to a 'winter surface' for it to be even remotely usable....they're not about to do that when there's no live racing. Plus, most larger NE stables either migrate south where there IS racing, or winter their horses out.....it'd be a pretty sparse crowd.

I believe the barn area is opening soon for this summer's meet. ....which hopefully won't be the last. We'll see.

[louis finochio]

When the gates open and the fans are coming in for a days racing, it would be good PR to have the jockeys greet the fans and thank them for coming.

This is what the TB industry needs to bring back those fans, more PR and marketing.

[Shammy Davis]

I'm relatively sure that in the case of Suffolk Downs, during non-racing periods, the barns were/are closed. No training at all. I know for a fact that the race course was used for other events such as concerts and conventions during non-meet times. The shame is that Suffolk Downs just continues to struggle. The track is well kept and easy to get to using public transportation. One of my favorite books is THIRTY TONS A DAY by Bill Veeck which his story about his ownership and general management of this historic NE race course. He also owned the Chicago White Sox baseball team. In recent years as Suffolk Downs has struggled many of its trainers have traveled to new venues like Penn National, Philly Park, Mountaineer, and Charles Town. The year around money is very tempting especially with PA and WV having slots to help the handles. It's gotta be the money that attracts them because PA and WV are certainly well known for the same bad/frigid weather that Boston gets.

[mini's mom]

on channel 7 news
BOSTON -- There'll be no slot machines at Massachusetts' four racetracks -- at least for now.

House lawmakers on Wednesday dealt a losing hand to a bill designed to allow each of the state's ailing dog and horse tracks to install up to 2,000 slot machines.

Backers of the bill warned the 100-55 vote could sound the death knell for some of the tracks, struggling with a steady decline in the number of people attending races.

The House also voted 141-13 to extend out-of-state race simulcasting at the tracks through the end of the year. The Senate has already approved the extension. The bill still needs final approval and the governor's signature.

Simulcasting rights ended last week at the tracks when lawmakers failed to reach an agreement. Three of the state's four tracks closed, putting thousands of people out of work.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

maybe they should take a trip to pa or west va to see how much crime has escalated or how many hookers there are since the slots went in - I am sure that the same argument willhappen in new hamsphire this year as the old foggies will come out of coos county for their annual trip toconcord - they live in 1606 rather than 2006 - I hope all of those people who lost their jobs signed up for unemployment and make the state pay - this is so stupid - how much is it going to take to keep the government out of telling us how we can spend our money and our leisure time - isn't that a liberty and freedom issue - we all just might as well have little micro chips installed in our heads so that the government can keep track of us and tell us what to do in other things like eat and sleep!

mini's mom

[madelyn]

Interesting future for its residents... as I recall it is a very expensive place to live. So perhaps the government doesn't want its citizens frittering their money away on things other than housing, food, clothing and health care.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/05/us/05 ... ref=slogin

That New England frugality....

[Louise]

My first worry is for the many good people who work at these tracks. Racing is a way of life, like no other. I'm sure that there are some there whose leaving will cause no sorrow, but I am sad for the many good people who will face a far different world, for them.

My next fear is for the animals. Suffolk Downs has CanterNE, one of the best of the Canter organizations, to aid in rehoming the horses at that track. Where will these horses go, and who will do the same thing for them where they end up?

[andy]

My next fear is for the animals. Suffolk Downs has CanterNE, one of the best of the Canter organizations, to aid in rehoming the horses at that track. Where will these horses go, and who will do the same thing for them where they end up?

The permanent closing of Suffolk Downs would be the best thing that can happen for the animals.

It's true that many excellent horse(wo)men own and train at Suffolk. Unfortunately, it's also true that a number of the owners/trainers could not care less about what may ultimately happen to those animals. It's a low level track, which means less than ideal bloodstock and running every 10th day.

Should Suffolk close, the demand for average bloodstock will fall, and some of the foolish breeding will fall as well.

Think of it this way. Let's say 20 Suffolk horses go to slaughter every year. If the track closing sent 40 to slaughter, wouldn't that be a price you'd be willing to pay?

[Louise]

No, it won't, andy, because, many of those horses will move on to other equally low level tracks, that don't have a Canter to help them. The closing of one low level track will not make any difference in the number of low level animals being bred.

It is my understanding that some of the tracks in the surrounding states will not let a Canter type organization in at all. While the fate of the horses at Suffolk is often not rosey, it can only be worse at a track that has no organized placement operation, especially one of the calibre of Canter NE. So, you'll end up with a rise in the number of horses from Suffolk going to slaughter as the track closes, plus an additional rise in the number as they are, gradually, sent to slaughter from tracks that have no placement services.

And, yes, I know that many of the trainers at all of these tracks do their best to place their horses themselves, but having national exposure for horses that are ready to move to another career is a huge benefit.

[Keith]

Slow horses do not usually break down. The average person can not afford to breed higher level horses with foolish $100,000 and $200,000 stud fees for stallions who have potential to be great stallions but yet have a foal to race or $16 million for a two year old who has never raced. People who can not afford to keep horses is a different story and that is why some horses are neglected or fall into a dealers hands. Where would horses go if they did not have lower level tracks to race at? Some people who do not have lots of money have more love for there horses than some people with lots of money. On the other hand there are lots of people with lots of money who truly love their horses and make sure they have the best of care. Some people with lots of money sell their Kentucky Derby winners overseas. It is ashamed what may have happened to Ferdinand. A horse that wins you the Derby should get the best of retirement and not shipped overseas because he happens to be a failure at stud. Not all Derby winners go overseas and have success like Sunday Silence. In other sports great athletes try to retire on top. We need to try to promote our sport and why not retire Kentucky Derby winners who are not successful at stud to a place where people can come and visit them like a Kentucky Horse Park. It is great that we have classic winners being promoted overseas but what I disagree with is selling a great running horse overseas because he is a failure at stud. There are people at cheap tracks who should not be in the business but that does not mean it is best to close down lower level tracks. Horse racing does have too many break downs and the main reason is that we push horses to mature earlier and race hard as two year olds. Many people are in the business to make a quick buck and it is the horses who pay dearly. People who breed lower levels have the right to dream like a person who pays way too much for a horse who is unproven. Don't blame the breeder but blame those people who break down too many horses.

Keith

[Lucy]

Interesting future for its residents... as I recall it is a very expensive place to live. So perhaps the government doesn't want its citizens frittering their money away on things other than housing, food, clothing and health care.

....and car insurance. That comes before food and clothing, at least in my budget!

Yes, it is very expensive to live here....at least in and around the city. Some of the further-out suburbs aren't too bad, one can find a nice apartment for $500 a month. I'm ten minutes south of Boston, and count myself lucky to only pay $800/mo. for the converted attic I live in. But that's a whole 'nother topic.

In any case, I don't think it has as much to do with new england frugality as it does with conservatism in the upper levels of our government....even if the bill had passed, our anti-gambling Mormon governor wanted to veto it.

[andy]

The closing of one low level track will not make any difference in the number of low level animals being bred.

Why not?