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View Full Version : Hazel Park going T'Bred?


WeirdWilly
08-17-2007, 04:46 PM
Magna recently pulled the plug on Michigan Downs. On the General Handicapping Discussion board there is talk about Hazel Park getting thoroughbreds, or maybe harness AND t'breds, as I understand they were from the 1950s until the 1980s.

Does anyone have any opinions as to whether that would fly, or perhaps recollections of what it was like in the dual breed days?

wilderness
08-18-2007, 12:49 PM
Magna recently pulled the plug on Michigan Downs. On the General Handicapping Discussion board there is talk about Hazel Park getting thoroughbreds, or maybe harness AND t'breds, as I understand they were from the 1950s until the 1980s.

Does anyone have any opinions as to whether that would fly, or perhaps recollections of what it was like in the dual breed days?

The T-Breds were not exclusive to Hazel.

In those days (pre-1985) Hazel Park and DRC flip-flopped breeds.
One would open the season in late-march or early april with one breed and race Until mid-July.
The other, had the opposite breed.
Then they flipped in July.

There was also a time during these transitions that Northville had a one month summer meet which was superb. At least until the racing commisioner decided the one-month summer meet at Northville was not benefical to the industry.

With the excpetion of the shabbily run Mount Pleasant Meadows (and the fairs) that have never been mixed raced simultaneously in Michigan. At least not during the existence of pari-mutuel wagering.

HP does not have enough property to utilize two tracks thus simulatneous meets are not posssible because the surfaces are different.

wilderness
08-18-2007, 12:51 PM
BTW, in the old T-Bred days at HP they use to have a distance race of over two miles on closing day that was quite unique ;)

TrackManSam
08-18-2007, 01:20 PM
From what I heard, HP will keep their summer harness dates and run a winter flats meet. I guess we'll find out pretty quick. '08 dates should be coming out very soon.

wilderness
08-18-2007, 01:25 PM
Traditionally the ORC has not announced the next season dates till some time in November.