At a major track

[Actor]

What are the top five tracks in the U.S.?

What are the top five tracks in the East?

What are the top five tracks in the West?

Consider the Mississippi to be the dividing line.

[bob60566]

Will leave this up to the database guys

Mac:confused:

[Jay Trotter]

Not to throw a wrench into your little survey, but..............Woodbine!

[Midnight Cruiser]

Off the top of my slowly balding head. And I wasnt that good in geography...

West Santa Anita, Hollywood, Del Mar, Golden Gate, Churchill

East Aqua, Belmont, Saratoga, Gulfy, Tampa Bay

US Santa Anita, Aqua, Gulfstream, Del Mar, Churchill

[Red Knave]

Off the top of my slowly balding head. And I wasnt that good in geography...

West Santa Anita, Hollywood, Del Mar, Golden Gate, Churchill

East Aqua, Belmont, Saratoga, Gulfy, Tampa Bay

US Santa Anita, Aqua, Gulfstream, Del Mar, Churchill
Ummm,
Churchill is pretty East. I would add replace it with Oaklawn on your list and replace TAM with CD and WO

[garyscpa]

Ummm,
Churchill is pretty East. I would add replace it with Oaklawn on your list and replace TAM with CD and WO

No way Oaklawn beats Fairgrounds.

[davew]

I think you should rephrase the question to 'circuits' rather then tracks because most people would consider the SoCal circuit to cover 3 tracks as well as the NYRA circuit to cover 3 tracks - and if you divided out the different meets at some tracks, there would not be much left to your top 5.

And you might want to consider whether ranking tracks by purses, quality of horses, or real estate and visual appeal (the last one I decided to start another thread on).

[BIG49010]

Keeneland, Arlington are up there also.

I don't think Tampa with there 22,000 MSW is in the top 20

[Tom]

Is purse money the only criteria?

[rastajenk]

Better yet, what is the criteria? Tops in what?

[Robert Goren]

Both Churchill and the Fairgrounds are east of the Mississippi. Oaklawn is west of it.
The 3 So Cal track are big league tracks
NYRA and GP are big league tracks
The criteria I use is shippers. Horse who ship from these tracks to smaller tracks do really well. Shippers from smaller tracks to these track don't fair as well.
Woodbine, Churchill, Keenland and Arlington are the next level.
After that, things get kind of murky.

[lamboguy]

BELMONT PARK

BELMONT PARK

BELMONT PARK

BELMONT PARK

BELMONT PARK

there is no other place close to BELMONT that puts the horses and racing first. when you first get into the parking lot you see how big the place is and how intimidating it looks. but when you go to the backside and see how all the facilities are kept up and everything there is so conducive to horses you will understand how great that place is. BELMONT PARK is in a league of its own.
my main dream is life is to win the BELMONT STAKES some day.

[BIG49010]

Is purse money the only criteria?

What did you have in mind?

Cheapest hot dog and beer?
Cheapest claiming races?
Most fans over 80?
Least number of teeth in the grandstand?

[BELMONT 6-6-09]

The best tracks: purse money, field size, ambience, betting menu, fan friendly,
take out rates, ...there are a lot of factors in making a decision.

[Ocala Mike]

Too subjective.

Belmont, yes. Seasonal meets like Keeneland, Del Mar, and Saratoga are first class for sure but have relatively short meetings. You might as well ask what one's favorite ice cream flavor is. 28 (or 31) different answers.

Ocala Mike

[pondman]

Although I'm a fan and still make heavy bets in Calfornia (both North and South), it all rolls downhill from N.Y.

1. N.Y. Circuit
2. S. Cal Circuit
3. Churchill
4. Gulfstream
5. ?

[mistergee]

how bout make #5 the NE circuit

great barrington
marshfield
northampton
rockingham
green mountain



oops

[Track Collector]

how bout make #5 the NE circuit

great barrington --> Chances of racing again approach zero. (Track still there though.). Last I heard, fairgrounds price reduced to $ 1.9 MD. Any very wealthy racing fans want to make a bunch of other racing fans real happy?
marshfield --> Gone
northampton --> Gone (buildings now on backside of track).
Rockingham --> May actually race again due to possible expanded gambling (i.e. slots/casino) in New Hampshire.
green mountain --> Gone



oops


I'm sure there are about 5-10 people on this forum that even care about the above, but I listed some comments anyway. In reality, the best option for return of MA fair-circuit racing is at Brockton. Chances there are slim at best, but I think the folks there (Mr. Carey and son) still seem like they are kicking the idea around. Maybe the Suffolk folks will cut Brockton a break and eliminate the 3% handle surcharge IF Suffolk gets one of the casino licenses.

[NJ Stinks]

I'll tell you what. Nobody mentioned Monmouth but if a horse ships from Monmouth to many of the tracks listed, that horse is bound to get bet pretty hard.

Does that make Monmouth a major track or just a major influence? :)

[lamboguy]

I'm sure there are about 5-10 people on this forum that even care about the above, but I listed some comments anyway. In reality, the best option for return of MA fair-circuit racing is at Brockton. Chances there are slim at best, but I think the folks there (Mr. Carey and son) still seem like they are kicking the idea around. Maybe the Suffolk folks will cut Brockton a break and eliminate the 3% handle surcharge IF Suffolk gets one of the casino licenses.
GEORGE CARNEY is the father and CHRIS is the son. they are currently using the BROCKTON FAIR as a training center for their own horses

[mistergee]

GEORGE CARNEY is the father and CHRIS is the son. they are currently using the BROCKTON FAIR as a training center for their own horses
are these the same Carneys that own or owned RKM?

[mistergee]

I'm sure there are about 5-10 people on this forum that even care about the above, but I listed some comments anyway. In reality, the best option for return of MA fair-circuit racing is at Brockton. Chances there are slim at best, but I think the folks there (Mr. Carey and son) still seem like they are kicking the idea around. Maybe the Suffolk folks will cut Brockton a break and eliminate the 3% handle surcharge IF Suffolk gets one of the casino licenses.
Thanks for the info Collector. I have spent time at all those tracks and have always enjoyed my visits there. At least Brockton would bring back some of that

[lamboguy]

are these the same Carneys that own or owned RKM?nope, these guys own RAYNHAM DOG TRACK, which no longer runs dogs, but is open for simulcast. they run their trucking and telephone pole business out of that location.

[mistergee]

http://www.opacity.us/forum/index.php?topic=7061.0


Hate to say it but these pics almost made me cry

[lamboguy]

http://www.opacity.us/forum/index.php?topic=7061.0


Hate to say it but these pics almost made me cry
the last i knew about great barrington was they had simulcast wagering approved and they were going to have a building open year round. i am not sure if HENRY VARRA still owns the place, and if he is indeed alive today. the last i had heard about the place was about 6 years ago. the agricultural part of the fair was pretty good.

[BlueShoe]

Class A Tracks: Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, Del Mar, Aqueduct, Belmont, Saratoga, Churchhill Downs, Keeneland.
Class B Tracks: Gulfstream, Tampa, Woodbine, Monmouth, Arlington, Fairgrounds, Oaklawn.
Class C Tracks: Too many to mention.
Minor Tracks: The rest.

[Track Collector]

the last i knew about great barrington was they had simulcast wagering approved and they were going to have a building open year round. i am not sure if HENRY VARRA still owns the place, and if he is indeed alive today. the last i had heard about the place was about 6 years ago. the agricultural part of the fair was pretty good.

Simulcasting year around? This is news to me. Henry Vara wanted to do that, but the folks in the town were against it. He sold the property a number of years ago to a development company, who is now trying to unload the property because they now know what everyone else does, which is most of the property is on a FLOOD PLAIN.

Too bad the town residents were so narrow-minded about a small on-site OTW. If they had approved it, I believe we would still have live racing there today and the property would not be such an eye sore. For now it looks like they got what they deserved.

[mistergee]

Simulcasting year around? This is news to me. Henry Vara wanted to do that, but the folks in the town were against it. He sold the property a number of years ago to a development company, who is now trying to unload the property because they now know what everyone else does, which is most of the property is on a FLOOD PLAIN.

Too bad the town residents were so narrow-minded about a small on-site OTW. If they had approved it, I believe we would still have live racing there today and the property would not be such an eye sore. For now it looks like they got what they deserved.
Funny you mention the residents, first time I went to Great Barrington I stopped to ask many of the locals where the track was. Oddly enough none of them claimed to know where it was. I found out I was only about 1 block away

[rastajenk]

Sounds like Grove City, Ohio.

[shouldacoulda]

BELMONT PARK

BELMONT PARK

BELMONT PARK

BELMONT PARK

BELMONT PARK

there is no other place close to BELMONT that puts the horses and racing first. when you first get into the parking lot you see how big the place is and how intimidating it looks. but when you go to the backside and see how all the facilities are kept up and everything there is so conducive to horses you will understand how great that place is. BELMONT PARK is in a league of its own.
my main dream is life is to win the BELMONT STAKES some day.
I'm with you. I love Belmont. The only thing that would make it better would be if there was a Hooters there. (I like the wings. Really!)

[lamboguy]

Simulcasting year around? This is news to me. Henry Vara wanted to do that, but the folks in the town were against it. He sold the property a number of years ago to a development company, who is now trying to unload the property because they now know what everyone else does, which is most of the property is on a FLOOD PLAIN.

Too bad the town residents were so narrow-minded about a small on-site OTW. If they had approved it, I believe we would still have live racing there today and the property would not be such an eye sore. For now it looks like they got what they deserved.
its to bad because the place was real nice. it sounds like they can't get a building permit there because of the flood plain. there aren't enough horses around today to open up a fair meet again which would still do well there, and even if there were horses the insurance has to be the killer. one thing for sure, FRANK AMONTE would love to have one last chance to win a race there!