Interesting News

[TrackManSam]

I heard from a pretty good source in Michigan that a deal has been reached to have a thoroughbred meet at Hazel Park Raceway near Detroit, MI in 2008. I know this is the last year for Great Lakes Downs and Magna just scrapped the license for their new "shrine" that was supposed to be built. I remember them running t-breds in the early 80's and they used to get huge crowds and handle very well. 5/8ths thoroughbred racing just don't get it tho, especially if its just going to be the same 5 and 6 horse fields from GLD.

[Zman179]

5/8ths thoroughbred racing is great. It provides an intimate setting to watch the races with no binoculars required.

Besides, 5/8ths racing never does too badly business wise at Fairplex. I'm assuming that if Hazel Park Raceway does indeed hold a flat meet that Northville Downs will run year-round trotters.

[Marlin]

Here is the rumor I've heard. GLD will be leased by t-bred owner Henry Mast for a 2008 season.

[WeirdWilly]

I heard from a pretty good source in Michigan that a deal has been reached to have a thoroughbred meet at Hazel Park Raceway near Detroit, MI in 2008. I know this is the last year for Great Lakes Downs and Magna just scrapped the license for their new "shrine" that was supposed to be built. I remember them running t-breds in the early 80's and they used to get huge crowds and handle very well. 5/8ths thoroughbred racing just don't get it tho, especially if its just going to be the same 5 and 6 horse fields from GLD.

Could SE Michigan handle losing a harness track to the T'Breds? All that would be left is Northville Downs, Jackson, Sports Creek, Windsor, Raceway Park, and the one in Sarnia whose name escapes me!

:lol:

Seriously, if Michigan Downs is dead in the water, fire up the bullring at H.P. and let Northville run year round!

[boomman]

Here is the rumor I've heard. GLD will be leased by t-bred owner Henry Mast for a 2008 season.

Although I haven't heard this particular rumor, I do know for a fact that Magna is willing to lease or sell the track for the tidy sum of $1 to anyone that wants to run a meet there in 2008. In the event they don't run, the Hazel Park option does seem likely......

Boomer

[Zman179]

Could SE Michigan handle losing a harness track to the T'Breds? All that would be left is Northville Downs, Jackson, Sports Creek, Windsor, Raceway Park, and the one in Sarnia whose name escapes me!


Don't worry. The track at Sarnia (Hiawatha) escaped Michigan as well. :lol:

[Good4Now]

5/8ths thoroughbred racing is great. It provides an intimate setting to watch the races with no binoculars required.

Binoculars???

I used to go to Sportsmans when it was 5/8 th's what you really needed was a shoehorn!

[WeirdWilly]

Binoculars???

I used to go to Sportsmans when it was 5/8 th's what you really needed was a shoehorn!

Hopefully, Hazel Park will need to borrow that shoehorn as well!

With Michigan Downs dead in the water, I'm not holding my breath for T'bred racing in Michigan, at least not in S.E. Michigan. HP makes sense, but it has some negatives working against it.

First off, the cost of converting the track. Granted, it's a small track, but with California's example, can anyone build a non-synthetic track nowadays? And, the raceway is landlocked, no reasonable way at all for a bigger track.

Then there are the horsemen (and women). Not that much of harness can be said to be lucrative, but it is the best paying track in the area. Would year-round Northville satisfy them?

I love the live sport. To me, it's about a lot more than numbers, and watching on TV or a computer monitor. It's the speed and power, cotested, of those magnificent animals. It's a day, away from the house, sipping a cold beer and eating a hot sandwich, which I would do at the bar anyhow. Yeah...big cliche...the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat!

[SMOO]

Only if they bring back Jack Riggs to announce.

[ArlJim78]

Only if they bring back Jack Riggs to announce.
haha, I grew up in Hazel Park in the 70's, and remember t-bred racing AND Jack Riggs very well. he was so predictable and monotonous. and with the lousy speaker system that they had at Hazel you couldn't understand anything anyway.

[BIG49010]

When DRC closed, didn't some group want to put the T-breds at the fairgrounds in Detroit?

[Cangamble]

I just dug up my Hazel Park mug. I went there once. I used to like the track because many horses used to come to Woodbine with really slow times and pay nice prices, because Hazel Park was a deeper track, and this was pre-Beyers, when the handicapper still had a shot against a big takeout.

[ArlJim78]

When DRC closed, didn't some group want to put the T-breds at the fairgrounds in Detroit?
yes, I had forgotten about it but now that you mention it I remember this absurd proposal. can you imagine what an attractive venue that would have been at 8 mile and woodward?

[Tom]

8 Mile and Woodward......:eek:

[BIG49010]

I've been saying it for a long time, when the tracks can't make money at Slots, prostitution is next! :lol:

[SMOO]

I've been saying it for a long time, when the tracks can't make money at Slots, prostitution is next! :lol:

to quote a place in Vegas, "loosest slots in town"...

[Maji]

to quote a place in Vegas, "loosest slots in town"...

Was that typo?... maybe should have been "loosest sluts in town"? :lol:

[WeirdWilly]

8 Mile and Woodward......:eek:

8 Mile and Woodward ain't nothing! Try going a bit further down to Highland Park! :faint:

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