Suffolk's 4th Final Weekend

[soupman2]

I keep buying $2 win tickets for every horse in the last race of the alleged "last weekend of racing" at Suffolk Downs. For sure this is the end of it though.


SUFFOLK DOWNS TO ADD ADDITIONAL WEEKEND OF LIVE RACING IN SEPTEMBER

East Boston, MA — Suffolk Downs was granted approval from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission today to add a fourth weekend of live racing to the schedule with the funding to come from the Racehorse Development Fund. The track will host the final live racing and food truck festival weekend of the year on Saturday and Sunday, September 15-16.

“These festival weekends have proven to be successful in attracting fans and wagering and for giving local horsemen a chance to compete for purse money,” said Chip Tuttle, the Chief Operating Officer at Suffolk Downs. “We’re looking forward to 2019 and to continuing to work with the MGC and the Legislature on a longer-term commitment to racing that will provide more certainty and, in turn, investment in the state.”
The track has hosted three weekends of live racing this year that have been met with an average of over 6,800 fans in attendance per day as well as a field size averaging 11 horses per race. There was in excess of $1 million in purses and awards each weekend. The same purse and awards structure is scheduled for the final weekend.

The track remains open year-round for simulcasting.

[georgetkingiv]

Thanks for the heads up soupman2.

[Suff]

Part of the slots deal is $$ to promote Thoroughbred racing. Rather significant, $14 Million I think. So its , Use it or Lose it. So they're racing. They'll keep going until the Developer puts a shovel in the ground.

[Afleet]

why doesnt racing work in New England? Taxes eating up their discretionary income?

[Suff]

Originally Posted by Afleet

why doesnt racing work in New England? Taxes eating up their discretionary income?

Aside from general overall sport decline, the major body blows were:

Foxwoods 1992. Boston Built Foxwoods. Now the largest casino in the world.

Then Slots at small feeder tracks.

That created a HUGE sucking sound of horses and trainers leaving. I saw trainers pack-it-all up , put 30 horses on 2 trailers and went to places I had barely heard of. Delta Downs....Slot infused purses.

Suffolk was great, a really great place, and nothing to be ashamed about. After NYRA, Florida ( when gulf and hialeah were running), and then Maryland, *when pimlico actually ran a full meet. The Suffolk Downs-Rockingham park circuit was 4th. Better than PA, NJ, Delaware imho,

Suffolk was like Saratoga, in that an entire town wrapped itself around the racetrack. The Track is jammed into an Urban environment. Not like aqueduct or belmont that are way out near Long Island, Suffolk is beside a bunch of gang banger housing projects in East Boston! A mile from Logan Airport. Its own subway stop named Suffolk Downs. It was a Quality Track. A real stop. But now its Ghetto and sketchy.