 |
|
08-27-2007, 12:09 AM
|
#1
|
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,988
|
Live horse racing in las Vegas
I was reading this article the other day about a 15 year old horse racing in Elko, Nevada. I never knew there was any live racing in Nevada until i read that article.
My question is this. Why isnt' there a live thoroughbred racetrack in Vegas? They can race in the winter when the temps are bearable, they can have HUGE purses from slot machine money, They can host breeders cups too.
I'm sure So Cal trainers won't have a problem shipping the 250 miles to Vegas to run for monster money.
Has anyone ever considered a live track in Vegas? Any thoughts on this?
|
|
|
|
08-27-2007, 12:23 AM
|
#2
|
|
PA Steward
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Del Boca Vista
Posts: 88,651
|
I believe there was a track in Vegas at one time, but it didn't do all that well....too much competition for the gambling dollar I suppose....
|
|
|
|
|
08-27-2007, 12:30 AM
|
#3
|
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: bullhead city, az
Posts: 1,157
|
only few months in winter when it's not too hot to board horses..
most casinos in town carry races from all over...why would anyone go to a track?
in the 80's somone made a horseplayers dream otb in vegas...it went bust..not enough people would leave the regular casinos..
__________________
"Marines - Providing Enemies of America an Opportunity To Die For their
Country Since 1775"
|
|
|
|
|
08-27-2007, 12:38 AM
|
#4
|
|
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,128
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by prospector
only few months in winter when it's not too hot to board horses..
most casinos in town carry races from all over...why would anyone go to a track?
in the 80's somone made a horseplayers dream otb in vegas...it went bust..not enough people would leave the regular casinos..
|
Sport of Kings? That went bust because they declared that no one could beat the races, they booked their own bets, and got clobbered...
|
|
|
|
|
08-27-2007, 01:25 AM
|
#5
|
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: bullhead city, az
Posts: 1,157
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by GameTheory
Sport of Kings? That went bust because they declared that no one could beat the races, they booked their own bets, and got clobbered...
|
could be the name..
i remember all the runners and pro's flocked there for ez money..they didn't know how to stop steam horses...that was the days of someone betting a few bucks at a small track to change the odds on the winners...remember, the house q's paid 1/2 of the place horse times the winner..casinos were always looking for steam horses and passed the word along to other casinos..
i heard from a few of the old timers that they also had help from employees on losing money...
__________________
"Marines - Providing Enemies of America an Opportunity To Die For their
Country Since 1775"
Last edited by prospector; 08-27-2007 at 01:27 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
08-27-2007, 08:22 AM
|
#6
|
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 338
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Imriledup
My question is this. Why isnt' there a live thoroughbred racetrack in Vegas? They can race in the winter when the temps are bearable, they can have HUGE purses from slot machine money, They can host breeders cups too.
Has anyone ever considered a live track in Vegas? Any thoughts on this?
|
My guess is there is LOTS more money in slots than there is in horse racing. Why do you think horse and dogs tracks are begging to get slots in their building, but I have yet to see a casino asking for a horse/dog track.
|
|
|
|
|
08-27-2007, 10:08 AM
|
#7
|
|
Easy Goer
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Tampa,Florida
Posts: 3,440
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by GameTheory
Sport of Kings? That went bust because they declared that no one could beat the races, they booked their own bets, and got clobbered...
|
File this under “rumor mill”…
This is pure 2nd hand info, but I lived there at the time and was told by several people that wasn’t the reason they went under for what its worth.
The “word” was their book management was riddled with…” destructive habits” shall we say. I don’t want to get into detail because it is speculation and I’ll leave it at that.
__________________
Dan G
=======================
“We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” ~ George Bernard Shaw
|
|
|
|
|
08-27-2007, 11:37 AM
|
#8
|
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Norman, OK, US
Posts: 612
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage
I believe there was a track in Vegas at one time, but it didn't do all that well....too much competition for the gambling dollar I suppose....
|
The only references I've heard to a Vegas horse track were from the early 50's. Named Las Vegas Park, by 1954 they were holding automobile races there. It was located on Paradise Road, where the Hilton is now.
__________________
"Ils Sont Partis"
|
|
|
|
|
08-27-2007, 12:09 PM
|
#9
|
|
Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 11,435
|
I think a first-class harness track would be great. 
|
|
|
|
|
08-27-2007, 01:41 PM
|
#10
|
|
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Henderson, NV
Posts: 867
|
A long time ago, there was a short-lived thoroughbred track in the land of Nevada. The other place, "Sport of Kings" was too good to be true. The owner of this Racebook thought all horseplayers would die broke so he gave fixed odds. Within hours, sharpies from all over the land were packing their bags.
__________________
kitts
Kitts Anderson
Chairman, Oldguys Oasis
|
|
|
|
|
08-27-2007, 02:25 PM
|
#11
|
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: bullhead city, az
Posts: 1,157
|
vegas was full of runners back then...all bookies across the states laid off a few big bets everyday..sports and horses
__________________
"Marines - Providing Enemies of America an Opportunity To Die For their
Country Since 1775"
|
|
|
|
|
08-27-2007, 02:51 PM
|
#12
|
|
Registered User
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Santa Fe, N.M.
Posts: 892
|
So true Kitts. Fixed odds is what did Sport of Kings in. I remember being in Vegas when it was in its infancy. Placed an early bet on a horse that was 20-1. The odds later fell to about 8-1. The horse ended up running third, but there were plenty of similar scenarios where the casino was burned badly by the fixed odds.
|
|
|
|
|
08-27-2007, 02:57 PM
|
#13
|
|
Registered User
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 2,394
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by socantra
The only references I've heard to a Vegas horse track were from the early 50's. Named Las Vegas Park, by 1954 they were holding automobile races there. It was located on Paradise Road, where the Hilton is now.
|
You are correct. If my memory serves correct there was a track called Las Vegas Downs and Thunderbird Downs ( which I may be wrong about being in vegas). Also in Henderson on Boulder Highway there was a proposed combination track in the works. It was going to be used for horse racing during the day and then at night there was going to be a "roll-away" dog track. That was sometime around the early 80's i believe. If I can find some of my older stuff I will try be more accurate.
|
|
|
|
|
08-27-2007, 06:00 PM
|
#14
|
|
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 253
|
I remember reading about Thunderbird Downs in Las Vegas. Did a quick search and came up with this from the Las Vegas Review Journal, full URL = http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_ho.../12136150.html
Quote:
Also in that area for a time was a thoroughbred racetrack, variously called Thunderbird Downs and Joe W. Brown Racetrack, Wright says.
"When it was first built in the '50s, it was a pretty elaborate, modern facility," he continues. "They tried thoroughbred racing periodically for a few years. It was never very successful."
Eventually, though, the whole area got caught up with the development of the Las Vegas Convention Center and Joe W. Brown Drive, Wright says. "Part of that land was given over to building of the Convention Center a little further south."
|
For a real hoot, you can actually see the track off in the distance on one of the photos here:
http://www.earlyvegas.com/mgm.html
Scroll a little less than half way down, look for a black and white photo with a small oval in the upper right corner - Thunderbird Downs, circa 1965. Actually, it looks to be on the exact spot of the defunct Sport of Kings race and sports book, referred to by other posters.
Ron Tiller
HDW
|
|
|
|
|
08-27-2007, 06:17 PM
|
#15
|
|
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Van Nuys, CA
Posts: 390
|
I don't think it would be too far fetched now a days to have a short 6 week meet in Las Vegas around October/Nov
They would have to work with Oak Tree and Hollywood but it would be a nice treat to have the Breeders Cup in Las Vegas once in awhile.
__________________
Chris
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
|
