Barrington Fairgrounds

[ldiatone]

from facebook: https://www.paulickreport.com/news/the-biz/suffolk-downs-to-lease-renovate-historic-great-barrington-fairgrounds-for-live-racing/

[Tom]

Oh boy, just what we need - another track.
And run by a place that can't keep its own track open more than a couple of days a year!

I heard they already polished off the sun-dial for race timing.

[dilanesp]

One of the greatest chapters of any of the Andy Beyer books is about the larceny of the horsemen at the Great Barrington Fair.

I think it's in "My $50,000 Year at the Races".

EDIT: I found it:

Barrington Fair: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Crime

https://books.google.com/books?id=3jXCQlsfmn4C&pg=PA106&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false

[P Matties Jr]

recent video of GBF...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHWpaN2uoFo

[dilanesp]

recent video of GBF...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHWpaN2uoFo

Looks like they have a turf course now. :P

[RunForTheRoses]

One of the greatest chapters of any of the Andy Beyer books is about the larceny of the horsemen at the Great Barrington Fair.

I think it's in "My $50,000 Year at the Races".

EDIT: I found it:

Barrington Fair: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Crime

https://books.google.com/books?id=3jXCQlsfmn4C&pg=PA106&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false


Excellent. I read that book years ago in my local public library. It was a different era,look at all the now defunct tracks he mentions-all of the Fair tracks, Green Mountain, Lincoln, Narragansett,etc.



I remember Noel P Hickey from not too long ago, didn't he train out of Kentucky? Was/is that his father?

[zawaaa]

https://i.imgur.com/z0x9ENu.jpg?1

it's very pretty in the summer

i don't see how the track will be fit for running on, tho

[dnlgfnk]

We were never really told what Beyer was "doing wrong" according to Charlie, other than perhaps starting a stampede to the windows by his own actions on a horse that was not "live".

Bill Finley elaborated... "You didn't pick a race by trying to find the best horse but by trying to figure out who the fixers were betting on. When you were right, you got an immense amount of satisfaction, a feeling that you were every bit as smart as the cheats"...

http://www.espn.com/sports/horse/columns/story?columnist=finley_bill&id=2267707

[Tom]

https://i.imgur.com/z0x9ENu.jpg?1

it's very pretty in the summer

i don't see how the track will be fit for running on, tho

They've got to be kidding!
Fix THAT place up?

Looks like Ma and Pa Kettle's farm!

[dilanesp]

We were never really told what Beyer was "doing wrong" according to Charlie, other than perhaps starting a stampede to the windows by his own actions on a horse that was not "live".

Bill Finley elaborated... "You didn't pick a race by trying to find the best horse but by trying to figure out who the fixers were betting on. When you were right, you got an immense amount of satisfaction, a feeling that you were every bit as smart as the cheats"...

http://www.espn.com/sports/horse/columns/story?columnist=finley_bill&id=2267707

That's an excellent article.

Honestly, I could spend hours reading about the larceny on the Massachusetts fair circuit. It really is funny to see the lengths they went to. (Of course, I can say that because I wasn't one of the poor souls betting on those races.)

[Hambletonian]

I guess they did not want to deal with the Brockton folks.

And they plopped a building down on the Northampton backstretch.

[Denny]

It's what Finger Lakes could look like Tom.

[wisconsin]

I heard stories about crooked races at Barrington, and I see the view from the patrol judge tower is obscured by a tree. ;)

[mabred]

Joke Downs

they have to run in between the solar fields!!!!

They are trying to pull the wool over the pols

and the gaming commission's eyes so they can silmulcast

in BOSTON and race at Joke Downs 6 days a year.BTW

take sports betting someday!

[Tom]

It's what Finger Lakes could look like Tom.

I have never been to any track that offers as good a view of the races as FL, bar none. The place is not some hole in the wall. It is quite nice, and it even has a horse-adoption facility right on the grounds.

[Tom]

BTW

take sports betting someday!

Amish Rake Fighting?

[lamboguy]

this place is opening for one reason and one reason only... the owners of Suffolk Downs want to screw the horse players of Mass. and get the source marketing fee.

[Tom]

I'm guessing they could cook a cow or two on those solar panels and have a great beef sandwich.

[Hambletonian]

well the fact that they have little parking and poor access won't be much of a problem anymore.

I will believe this when I see it.

[saevena]

Tom is correct on all points regarding Finger Lakes.

[Thomas Roulston]

Could Green Mountain be next?