Tracks visited....that no longer exist

[thespaah]

Yes a spin on another similar thread.
I'd like to hear from some real veterans.
What tracks have you been to that are no longer in business. And please feel free to post any info/memories.
I'll start....Short list..
Roosevelt Raceway... A most unusual tote board. Instead of displaying total dollars wagered on each entry, an amount to the nearest 20 cents on the win price and a range low to high on place and show prices.
Brandywine Raceway.....This was one of the most well kept and attractive racing facilities I have been to.

[Dave Schwartz]

Short list - Hialeah and Tropical Park. Been to Sportsman's but it was not running at the time.


Dave Schwartz

[wisconsin]

Washington Park and Aurora Downs (was when I was a kid and my dad owned pacers) and of course Sportsman's Park.

[fiveouttasix]

Liberty Bell...made the trek from NJ every Sunday night, only action we could find at the time.
Garden State Park
I know it's still open...but Atlantic City in it's hey day.
also been to Los Al & Hollywood when they ran Harness.

[HandyKapper]

Lincoln Downs (Rhode Island)
Narragansett Park (Massachusetts)
Rockingham Park (New Hampshire)

[Spiderman]

Lincoln Downs and Rockingham Park were an easy drive from my Army base, Ft. Devens, MA (which also no longer exists). Won my first P4 bet at Lincoln.

Garden State - drove from NYC to bet one race, Knightly Dawn. Bet 150W and mutuel paid $14. Remember calling for 15, $10 tickets and they flew out of teller's machine - liked the omen. Got speeding ticket on return home - maybe the omen was a daily double.

Roosevelt Raceway, though never much of a sulky fan. It was a good place to take a date.

[GaryG]

Tanforan
AkSarBen
Caliente
Longacres
Randall Park

[Canarsie]

Tropical Park home of the Tartan track

Shenandoah Downs

Miami Beach Kennel Club

[Ocala Mike]

Just off the top of my head; at least, I think they don't exist as TB venues:

Jamaica (NY) - egg-shaped track layout.
Green Mountain (VT)
Columbus (NE)
Ak-Sar-Ben (NE)

Plus several of the ones that have already been mentioned.


Ocala Mike

[GameTheory]

Downs at Sante Fe
Detroit Race Course

[cj]

Just off the top of my head; at least, I think they don't exist as TB venues:

Jamaica (NY) - egg-shaped track layout.
Green Mountain (VT)
Columbus (NE)
Ak-Sar-Ben (NE)

Plus several of the ones that have already been mentioned.


Ocala Mike

Columbus is still around.

[cj's dad]

Garden State

[elhelmete]

Rockingham TB and harness
Lincoln
Foxboro
Detroit Race Course
Northampton

[Tom]

Detroit
Greenwood
Pocono
Liberty Bell

[Valuist]

Sportsman's
Detroit
Is Hialeah still around? They running quarter horses there?

[alytim]

Blue Ribbon Downs

[showbet]

Bay Meadows, which I visited only once. On a 2- or 3-day trip to the Bay Area I went to Golden Gate one day, and that night I went to Bay Meadows, which was running Quarter Horses at that time of year.

[BlueShoe]

Tanforan: San Bruno, California. Last raced 1964. George Taniguchi was leading rider the only year I attended.
Aqua Caliente: Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. Originator of many things now standard in the racing world, including the Pick 6, Sunday racing, and the jockey safety helmet. Fine article at the link about the historical Caliente.
http://horseracing.about.com/library/blcaliente.htm
Bay Meadows: San Mateo, California. Last raced August 2008.

[dnlgfnk]

Cahokia Downs. Along with Fairmount Park (still racing), home of the most underrated and unmentioned jockey ever..in the top ten wins all time... Dave Gall.

Also there one night when Tom Durkin was given a trial at the mike. The murmurs went something like, "Who is this guy"?

[RaceBookJoe]

Green Mountain...was both dogs and horses
Great Barrington..not sure if they still run the fair there or not rbj

[Millpond68]

Cumberland
Marlboro
Hagerstown
Havre de Grace
Belair

[rubicon55]

Longacres, closing in 1992. A lot of folks were upset due to the fact that Boeing bought the property with no immediate replacement. Emerald Downs opened in 1996 - I can tell you that was a long 4 years of waiting!

[ranchwest]

Trinity Meadows
Evangeline Downs (moved)

[skate]

Brandywine/trots, now a shopping center.

[thespaah]

Liberty Bell...made the trek from NJ every Sunday night, only action we could find at the time.
Garden State Park
I know it's still open...but Atlantic City in it's hey day.
also been to Los Al & Hollywood when they ran Harness.
Shoot....I forgot about Garden State. In fact I was at the first GSP right before the fire. I of course went to the second GSP.

[thespaah]

Short list - Hialeah and Tropical Park. Been to Sportsman's but it was not running at the time.


Dave SchwartzWhere was Tropical Park? And....Was the main track "tartan"?

[Bettowin]

Sportsmans Park
Blue Ribbon Downs
Eureka Downs
Anthony Downs

[InTheRiver68]

Cumberland
Marlboro
Hagerstown
Havre de Grace
Belair
But not Bowie?

-InTheRiver68

[alydar]

Longacres
Sportsmans
Roosevelt
Nuevo Laredo
Bowie

[dav4463]

Trinity Meadows....miss those muddy parking lots and country atmosphere!

[Canarsie]

Where was Tropical Park? And....Was the main track "tartan"?

Miami and the Tartan track was inside the main oval. There were huge arguments about it all the time trainers were up in arms.

[Robert Goren]

Longacres, closing in 1992. A lot of folks were upset due to the fact that Boeing bought the property with no immediate replacement. Emerald Downs opened in 1996 - I can tell you that was a long 4 years of waiting!
What happened to Yakima? It seemed to be going good for a while and then disappeared.

[vikingrob]

Great Lakes Downs (Muskegon, MI)
Hippodrome de Montreal
Woodlands (Kansas City, MO: visited greyhound facility, horse facility only used during live horse racing, entire facility is now closed)
St. Croix Meadows (greyhounds, Hudson, WI, near St. Paul, MN)
Dairyland Greyhound Park (Kenosha, WI)

[Shemp Howard]

Bowie
Marlboro
Dover Downs flats
Liberty Bell Park
Brandywine (Vern Crank in the last race and Roy Schudt)
Penn NAtional (it's still open, but why I'll never understand)
Atlantic City trotters (fog and Sonny Dancer bet downs)
Pocono Downs flats
Pitt PArk
Waterford Park

[levinmpa]

Attended Races Live
Bay Meadows
Sportsman's Park
Garden State Park
Solano (Vallejo, CA, Solano County Fair did not race in 2011)
Rockingham Park (Still exists, but no thoroughbred racing for several years)


Did not attend races, but have seen facility in person
Ak-sar-ben
Bowie

[Ocala Mike]

Revisiting this thread. How could I leave out my favorite(s), where I got my start working as a NY State Pari-Mutuel Examiner:

Parr Meadows (1977)/Suffolk Meadows (its 1986 reincarnation).


Ocala Mike

[thespaah]

Forgot another one...Birmingham Turf Club.....Was there Preakness Day 1991.
At the time, the closest track to Hilton Head Is., SC where I was living at the time, that one could wager on the Preakness.
Simulcasting was not as prevalent as it is now.

[cj]

Forgot another one...Birmingham Turf Club.....Was there Preakness Day 1991.
At the time, the closest track to Hilton Head Is., SC where I was living at the time, that one could wager on the Preakness.
Simulcasting was not as prevalent as it is now.

I went there for the first or second week, saw Lost Code win his Alabama Derby at 7 to 1 no less!

[thespaah]

Revisiting this thread. How could I leave out my favorite(s), where I got my start working as a NY State Pari-Mutuel Examiner:

Parr Meadows (1977)/Suffolk Meadows (its 1986 reincarnation).


Ocala Mike
CLick on this link then zoom in on "A"....This is what is left of Parr/Suffolk Meadows...
http://maps.google.com/maps?rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS450US450&q=40.844901,-72.903074&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x89e844cbc7080983:0x99a586bf7f854f83,%2B40% C2%B0+50'+57.34%22,+-72%C2%B0+54'+11.84%22&gl=us&ei=9niHTtjrL6P40gGV3jE&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBoQ8gEwAA.

[Track Collector]

What happened to Yakima? It seemed to be going good for a while and then disappeared.

The owners of the fairgrounds did not want them racing, so they did not want to work with them when Yakima was having financial problems.

[Track Collector]

My list reflects horse tracks that did not race in 2011 or earlier, so a number of them have the potential to race again:

Duncan
Safford
Douglas*
Flagstaff*
St. John*
Yavapai*
Solano
Bay Meadows
Anthony Fair
Bowie
Marlboro
Northampton
Brockton
Great Barrington --> No racing since 1998. No fair after that too I think.
Great Lakes Downs
Western Montana Fair*
Great Falls*
Rockingham
Garden State
North Dakota Horse Park (Fargo)*
Blue Ribbon Downs
Manor Downs
Walla Walla*
Waitsburg*
Dayton*
Stampede Park
Eureka

*Designates tracks which have a decent probably of running at some future date.

I also did not include Hialeah and Meadowlands, as they are currently running meets, although non-Thoroughbred.

[Track Collector]

Forgot another one...Birmingham Turf Club.....Was there Preakness Day 1991.
At the time, the closest track to Hilton Head Is., SC where I was living at the time, that one could wager on the Preakness.
Simulcasting was not as prevalent as it is now.

Odds are 50/50 or better that Birmingham will again race thoroughbreds in the late fall of 2012.

[pondman]

Bay meadows
Yakima

[mistergee]

probably will forget some but:

hialeah---only quarter horses now
latonia---I think it is open under a different name
green mountain--one of my favorites because of the area
rockingham--no more thoroughbreds
marshfield, great barrington, northhampton--all fairs, all gone, loved em
meadowlands--only harness now

[overthehill]

nope nothing happening in or near great barrington for at least a decade maybe more.

[witchdoctor]

Blue Ribbon Downs
Bandera Downs
Manor Downs

[highnote]

Waterford Park. It is called Mountaineer Park now, but the addition of slots to Mountaineer made them very different places.

A relative of mine used to work as a security guard there back in the '70s. He told me some interesting stories about jockeys fixing races so that they could buy birthday and Christmas presents for their families.

Back then the purses were probably only about $1,000 per race.

[vikingrob]

probably will forget some but:

hialeah---only quarter horses now
latonia---I think it is open under a different name
green mountain--one of my favorites because of the area
rockingham--no more thoroughbreds
marshfield, great barrington, northhampton--all fairs, all gone, loved em
meadowlands--only harness now

Latonia: If you are referring to the one in Florence< KY, it has been known as Turfway Park for over 20 years.

[Buckeye]

Keystone

[Ocala Mike]

Liberty Bell...or did that become Keystone or Philadelphia or Parx?


Ocala Mike

[Longshot]

Jefferson Park, New Orleans and all of their 4 1/2 F races

[porchy44]

Beulah Park was called" Darby Downs" at one time

Pinnacle race Course closed 2011

[KidCapper]

Ak-Sar-Ben
Woodlands
Park Jefferson
Detroit Race Course

[thespaah]

Latonia: If you are referring to the one in Florence< KY, it has been known as Turfway Park for over 20 years.
That would be correct.

[thespaah]

Keystone
Which became Philadelphia Park and is now known as Parx.

[thespaah]

Liberty Bell...or did that become Keystone or Philadelphia or Parx?


Ocala MikeLiberty Bell was a 5/8ths mile harness track in Philadelphia. I think it closed in the late 70's or early 80's.

[theiman]

Liberty Bell was a 5/8ths mile harness track in Philadelphia. I think it closed in the late 70's or early 80's.

Liberty Bell opened in 1963 and closed in 1986.
It was also a one mile T-Bred track that shared the stretch with the harness racings 5/8 mile oval. They didnt run at the same time. Keystone/Philadelphia Park/Parx opened in 1974 and thus there were no more T-Breds at Liberty Bell. The Bell and Keystone were less than 5 miles apart.

I used to drive down there for Sunday Night action and on the way back to Queens would stop at Coney Island for Nathans Hot Dogs and Fries. The good old days.

I will add a track I was at in Canada called Orangeville. It was a 1/2 mile harness track that I think only ran 6 across the track. Suburb of Toronto, but not sure where it was exactly.

[Edward DeVere]

Ascot.

[speldedo]

Prescott Downs
Yavapai Downs

[JimG]

Shenandoah Downs
Bowie
Birmingham Turf Club

and a bunch of greyhound tracks.

Jim

[offtrack]

Commodore Downs, Erie PA

[BlueShoe]

Think that we have pretty well covered every track closure in the modern era that I can think of, with one exception. That exception is Centennial, it was located in Littleton, Colorado. Always part of the minor circuit, about on a par with Turf Paradise, it closed in 1983. Never was there myself, but since it has not been mentioned yet, just curious if anyone else on this board has?

[exactatom]

Dave Johnson also started his career at Cahokia Downs.

How is Dave Gall never even mentioned for the Hall of Fame?

[witchdoctor]

I was planning to go to Brady Texas the day G. Rollie White Downs closed.

http://www.breederscup.com/blog.aspx?id=2&postId=171

[cosmo96]

Hamilton Raceway in Ohio.

[wisconsin]

How is Dave Gall never even mentioned for the Hall of Fame?


The racing Hall of Fame is a joke. Never care if I ever visit. Appalling to leave David Gall out.....

[Dr Jersey Jim]

Roosevelt Raceway. Met Rodney Dangerfield there. Heck of a nice guy.

"I told my doctor that I think my wife gave me VD. He gave himself a shot of penicillin."

Man, I miss that guy.

JJ

[rubicon55]

What happened to Yakima? It seemed to be going good for a while and then disappeared.

Robert you are correct that was Yakima Meadows closed in 1998. There also was a bullring in the Spokane area called Playfair that also closed recently but that was too far for me to go. Emerald Downs is the only remaining track in Washington.

[thespaah]

Roosevelt Raceway. Met Rodney Dangerfield there. Heck of a nice guy.

"I told my doctor that I think my wife gave me VD. He gave himself a shot of penicillin."

Man, I miss that guy.

JJ
remember the tote board?....And RR used it's own set or colors for their saddle cloths.

[BlinkersOn]

Yakima Meadows was one of our favorites. It closed in 1998 after 37 years. It hosted Emerald racing for awhile, I believe after Longacres closed. So sad to see them both go. Yakima seemed to be doing very well.

[Dr Jersey Jim]

remember the tote board?....And RR used it's own set or colors for their saddle cloths.

And the bathrooms were huge. Like 50 stalls and 50 urinals. Used to go to the flea market in the parking lot some weekends when they weren't racing.

I never heard why they closed. Figured it was just worth more to the city planners to make it all retail. Definitely prime real estate.

JJ

[Hoofless_Wonder]

Wow, what a thread. Looks like Track Collector has us all beat.

Sportsmens (loved it when it was 5/8)
Cahokia (agree with comments about Davey Gall, man among boys. If Track Collector is a retired school teacher, I think I met him at the Fargo OTB in 1993 or so and he agreed that Davey was something special. Got back to AL from that trip and there was an article about Track Collector (or someone just like 'em in the Form or Horseplayer Magazine.)
Bay Meadows
Hialeah (TB anyway - was there once in '87 - heaven on earth)
Balmoral (TB anyway - super long stretch on the outer track, something like 1357 feet)
Birmingham Turf Club - know some of the "good" guys trying to reopen it, hope it works out. Was there on closing night (10/31) in 1987 when track management showed up in costumes dressed as "faulty projections", thinking that was funny.
Blue Ribbon Downs
Woodlands
Yavapai

Not sure if these have been mentioned:
Riverside Downs - near Cincy, used to race harness anyway
Bluegrass Downs - very smokey track in Paducah - used to have short TB meet in the fall during Kee I think, also had Q-horses

Dog Tracks: Yuma, Waterloo, Dairyland, St. Croix Meadows

[Ocala Mike]

For Roosevelt Raceway devotees only:

http://www.angelfire.com/ny2/sgtjeff/rr.html


Ocala Mike

[Scanman]

Robert you are correct that was Yakima Meadows closed in 1998. There also was a bullring in the Spokane area called Playfair that also closed recently but that was too far for me to go. Emerald Downs is the only remaining track in Washington.
Not true. Sun Downs in Kennewick ran this year.

[Rookies]

Garden City Racetrack , St.Catharines, ON
Vernon Downs, Vernon, NY

[Cardus]

Not true. Sun Downs in Kennewick ran this year.

Incredible!

As I scanned this thread -- which I saw for the first time tonight -- I had already written in my head, "I will call on Scanman for his list."

My list:

Parr Meadows
Roosevelt Raceway
Shoreline Star (greyhounds)
Plainfield
Lincoln Downs (greyhounds)
Foxboro
Plainedge (harness, still open?)
Wonderland (greyhounds)
Raynham-Taunton (greyhounds, still open?)
Rockingham (Thoroughbreds)
Belmont (New Hampshire, greyhounds, I saw a 47-pound dog run there)
Hinsdale (greyhounds)
Green Mountain (greyhounds)
Melbourne (greyhounds)

[Scanman]

I'll follow Track Collector's lead on this.

Closed that will NEVER re-open:
Exmouth (Australia)
Groenendaal (Belgium)
Oostende (Belgium)
Steerebeek (Belgium)
Tralee (Ireland)
Caliente (Mexico)
Ak-Sar-Ben
Bay Meadows
Belmont Plantation (US-Steeplechase)
Garden State
Great Lakes Downs
Jefferson Downs
Longacres

Closed that will Most Likely Not re-open:
Anthony Downs
Eureka Downs
Solano

Closed but Might run again:
Birmingham
Dayton
Douglas
Flagstaff
Hialeah
Kingman
Little Everglades (US-Steeplechase)
Meadowlands
Palm Beach (US-Steeplechase)
Pinnacle
Yavapai Downs

[Cardus]

I can add Yavapai Downs and Meadowlands Thoroughbred to my list.

The ride up to Yavapai from Phoenix, and the area around Yavapai, are fantastic.

[gm10]

I'll follow Track Collector's lead on this.

Closed that will NEVER re-open:
Exmouth (Australia)
Groenendaal (Belgium)
Oostende (Belgium)
Steerebeek (Belgium)
Tralee (Ireland)
Caliente (Mexico)
Ak-Sar-Ben
Bay Meadows
Belmont Plantation (US-Steeplechase)
Garden State
Great Lakes Downs
Jefferson Downs
Longacres

Closed that will Most Likely Not re-open:
Anthony Downs
Eureka Downs
Solano

Closed but Might run again:
Birmingham
Dayton
Douglas
Flagstaff
Hialeah
Kingman
Little Everglades (US-Steeplechase)
Meadowlands
Palm Beach (US-Steeplechase)
Pinnacle
Yavapai Downs

Actually Oostende will reopen next year. Probably only for a few summer days.

There has been talk of revitalizing Groenendaal but that isn't looking so good. People want to see shopping malls and apartment blocks being built, not sport venues.

[Scanman]

Actually Oostende will reopen next year. Probably only for a few summer days.

There has been talk of revitalizing Groenendaal but that isn't looking so good. People want to see shopping malls and apartment blocks being built, not sport venues.
Good to hear about Oostende. Great seaside location and had a really modern (for Belgium) grandstand. The track itself is an interesting configuration.

Groenendaal will be a more difficult start-up. Great old-fashioned racing venue, but the location south of Brussels is prime real estate begging to be developed into commercial or residential property.

[alydar]

Longacres
Sportsmans
Roosevelt
Nuevo Laredo
Bowie
Add
Parr Meadows
Bay Meadows

[Track Collector]

Wow, what a thread. Looks like Track Collector has us all beat.

Sportsmens (loved it when it was 5/8)
Cahokia (agree with comments about Davey Gall, man among boys. If Track Collector is a retired school teacher, I think I met him at the Fargo OTB in 1993 or so and he agreed that Davey was something special. Got back to AL from that trip and there was an article about Track Collector (or someone just like 'em in the Form or Horseplayer Magazine.)
Bay Meadows
Hialeah (TB anyway - was there once in '87 - heaven on earth)
Balmoral (TB anyway - super long stretch on the outer track, something like 1357 feet)
Birmingham Turf Club - know some of the "good" guys trying to reopen it, hope it works out. Was there on closing night (10/31) in 1987 when track management showed up in costumes dressed as "faulty projections", thinking that was funny.
Blue Ribbon Downs
Woodlands
Yavapai

Not sure if these have been mentioned:
Riverside Downs - near Cincy, used to race harness anyway
Bluegrass Downs - very smokey track in Paducah - used to have short TB meet in the fall during Kee I think, also had Q-horses

Dog Tracks: Yuma, Waterloo, Dairyland, St. Croix Meadows

Thanks for the call-out, but I knew Scanman, with all his world-wide visits, would have a sizable list too. I am currently at 112 different thoughbred/quarter horse tracks, which would likely put one in select company. Let their be no doubt.....Scanman is the KING of Track Collectors! :ThmbUp:

Sorry too the I am not the retired school teacher whom you met. I believe his name is Bob Beck, and according to the latest info I have on him, he can still be found as a frequent visitor in the Laurel Clubhouse. I recall his list at around 210+, many of course which are no longer around. I need to make it a priority to meet Mr. Beck some day soon while the opportunity still exists.

[Scanman]

Thanks for the call-out, but I knew Scanman, with all his world-wide visits, would have a sizable list too. I am currently at 112 different thoughbred/quarter horse tracks, which would likely put one in select company. Let their be no doubt.....Scanman is the KING of Track Collectors! :ThmbUp:

Sorry too the I am not the retired school teacher whom you met. I believe his name is Bob Beck, and according to the latest info I have on him, he can still be found as a frequent visitor in the Laurel Clubhouse. I recall his list at around 210+, many of course which are no longer around. I need to make it a priority to meet Mr. Beck some day soon while the opportunity still exists.
Very kind of you Track Collector. Some day I hope we can get together to compare notes.

I'm currently in the Czech Republic and attended #300 today at Pardubice. Incredible racing experience today and will tour/walk the racecourse this Wednesday. What a ride!!!!!!! Will do my best to see that it ends when they put me in the ground. Now on to the next 100.

[Capper Al]

Detroit Race Course
Pinnacle
Jackson Harness Raceway
Great Lakes Downs (it was a harness track and called something else.)
Sportsman's Park