RIP Turf Paradise
 

wonder if that will be the end of on line wagering as well...which has only been legal now in az via computer for about a year or two.

I actually was approached about doing the engineering on the new project, signed a NDA, knew about this a year ago. We are not doing it and I am kinda glad. I worked at the track for about 9 months when I was 18.

Arlington park in metro Chicago - closed
Turf paradise in metro phoenix - closed
Ggf in the Bay Area - closing
Aqueduct in the largest city in the country - for some reason closing

Pimlico in Baltimore on its last legs
Gulfstream in metro miami being run into the ground

Horseracing is dying and especially in metro areas where every other sport is thriving

Pass The Kleenex Please
 

When I Formed Irishladstable's in the summer of 1984 my intent was to run at Turf Paradise
I hired trainer Pat Cuccurullo. When the meet began we started to claim horses.
We raced there for a few season's until Canterbury Downs opened. I have fond memories of
my time in Arizona. I have a funny and sad story about my time in Arizona.
I was registered to attend classes at ASU.Truth be told I Spent more time at Turf Paradise
Then I did on the campus of ASU. My grand father lived with us the last 4 years of his life.
He passed away in October of 1975. My mom tried to reach me to come back to NY
For the funeral. She couldn't reach me ( No Cell Phones back then). So she called ASU.
They told her that I hadn't been in school the last few days. That night she reached me.
The conversation started OK but got ugly real fast.She told me she contacted school
To let me know that my grand father passed away. She wanted to know where I was if I
Wasn't in school. I told her I was at Turf Paradise. She said I sent you 2000 miles away
So you can play the ponies,are you out of your fuc#ing mind. Get back to N.Y. ASAP.
She said I left tickets for you at TWA @ Sky Harbor Airport. Bring a few suits and dress shirts & call one of your friends to pick you up at airport. I get back to my mom's house
Change into my suit and head to the funeral parlor. At the funeral parlor I see friends and
Family. I also see my doctor,we start talking he ask what your major before I could
Answer my mother turns around an states he's getting a BA in BS. He has a confused
Look on his face. She tell him I've been going to the race track instead of my classes.
My mother goes to greet my uncle, my doctor says she's going to kill you.
Fast forward to the future when I formed Irishladstable's I told her see it all worked out.

Jimmy

Your ridiculous posting is impressive.

My personal belief is Canterbury Park has entered the death spiral. Maybe have two more years left.

Canterbury didn't have a particularly good season, but the company is still making money per the 2nd quarter 10-Q (about $1.08 per share for the quarter), which covered a large part of the meet. The horse population may not be sufficient to sustain more than about a 55-day season, but keep in mind that the racing is required for them to have the card casino, which is their real source of profit.

Turf Paradise closing will affect racing at Canterbury.

Arlington, Bay Meadows, Golden Gate, and Aqueduct are closing or have closed largely because of the values of the real estate tied up in their racing operations.

I don't have much sentimental attachment to Turf Paradise, though it was a great trainer handicapping track back in the Troy Bainum days. It would be the same as if Parx shut down---I grew up wagering there but it's a tin box in a Philly suburb. Not a lot of feeling to it for most of you, it's more like a conveyor belt than anything that has meaning.

For all of those wanting "contraction" and "having fewer tracks will grow fields, we can be more like Hong Kong" (hahaha), it's been happening for 20 years and it hasn't helped racing. Who knows the next place to go?

These situations never end this quickly or cleanly.

My bet is we haven't heard the last of TuP or their OTB network.

Maybe it will be some legal challenge...or someone will swoop in and make an offer to buy the track...these tracks never die quickly.

Look at Suffolk Downs...how many years did it take them to finally shut their doors?

GG was supposed to end this year and that's not likely to happen now either.

And Colonial made a comeback after being closed for a number of years.
Place seems to be doing very well right now.

Yes because who needs a race track in a huge city when we could sell the land to Michael Dubb so he can put up condos.

Instead we can follow the gulfstream model (going very well judging by their handle) and run a three surface Belmont meet for 10 months. I’m sure it will work out. Because NYRA tells me so.

There is large stable simulcast network all over the state in bars and restaurants. Closing down simulcasting will be a big drain on tax income for the state.

REALLY DUMB

Incorrect

Imagine if your real name ( and you even stole the name of someone else from Twitter ) and identity had to be attached to the endless BS you post here. Imagine if you had to be personally accountable. You have trouble getting ANYTHING right.

You can't even get the basics correct. The financials of running two racetracks less than ten miles apart don't make sense. This shouldn't be too hard to figure out...even for you. We all love Aqueduct, but it doesn't make sense. What does make sense is building a new Belmont, as the current one doesn't work.