Race Tracks That Have Closed

[castaway01]

Originally Posted by pele polo

Since '94
Sam Houston Race Park
Retama Park
Emerald Downs
Colonial Downs
Lone Star Park
Hoosier Park (discontinued TBs)
Indiana Downs
Pinnacle Race Course (since closed)



Evangeline Downs (rebuilt on new location)
Great Lakes Downs (not a new build; since closed)

Presque Isle Downs

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by pele polo

Since '94
Sam Houston Race Park
Retama Park
Emerald Downs
Colonial Downs
Lone Star Park
Hoosier Park (discontinued TBs)
Indiana Downs
Pinnacle Race Course (since closed)



Evangeline Downs (rebuilt on new location)
Great Lakes Downs (not a new build; since closed)

Will Rogers Downs, Zia Park...etc.

So, where is this track contraction that some people keep talking about? One track closes...and another sprouts up to take its place.

[BlueShoe]

Originally Posted by Valento

I've been following horse racing since 1986 and I wonder how many tracks have closed since then.

Aqua Caliente, Tijuana, closed 1992. Strickly speaking, not a US track, but in a practical way, it was, since most clintele were Americans.

[Rise Over Run]

Originally Posted by Steve 'StatMan'

NE also has/had Fonner, Lincoln and Atokad. I have no idea if some of those run I remember Atokad was brought back, at least temporarily as Horseman's Park-Atokad. Perhaps another one as well. One or more of those may still exist.

Fonner Park (Grand Island, NE) runs in the spring (~April, May, June?) and definitely had live racing this year.

[fmhealth]

Here's an old harness track that closed years ago outside Phx. Fascinating video of what all tracks may eventually look like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGvAYRKz50Y

[ronsmac]

Originally Posted by BlueShoe

Aqua Caliente, Tijuana, closed 1992. Strickly speaking, not a US track, but in a practical way, it was, since most clintele were Americans.

That reminds me of my military days. Horses and dogs at Caliente. Bowie is another track that closed, but that may have been 1985?

[therussmeister]

Originally Posted by Valento

Seeing Suffolk hit the scrap heap got me thinkin'. I've been following horse racing since 1986 and I wonder how many tracks have closed since then.

Here is what comes to mind for me.

Suffolk
Hollywood Park
Woodlands
Manor Downs
Yavapai
Hialeah
Sportsman's Park
Aksarben
Atlantic City
Detroit
Pinnacle
Rockingham Park
Blue Ribbon Downs
Great Lakes Downs

Birmingham Turf Club, our whatever it was called.

[DelMarJay]

Centennial horse track was opened just a few miles west outside of Denver in 1950 and had a checkered history with mismanagement and flooding and all sorts of problems. Like so many old tracks that were built far away from the main population, the land just became too valuable as the builders of "progress" kept encroaching closer and closer. Finally closed in 1983, it was "sort of" replaced a few years later with the gorgeous new Arapahoe Park built a few miles southeast of Denver in unincorporated Aurora county.

Getting Arapahoe opened and running didn't go as hoped. Three different times owners tried and three different utter failures were the results. Two of those times the meet closed within a week. Finally reopened with new ownership in 1992, full card simulcasting from tracks across the country(which the dog tracks already had) was allowed ONLY if live racing ran during the summer(with simulcasting going the rest of the year).

How the heck they're still open is a mystery to me. Every dog track in Colorado has closed down. Management and ownership have had financial turmoil through the years and seemingly care more about keeping the simulcasting going and trying desperately to get a casino on the grounds (sound familiar?) than getting people out to the live racing. It's a beautiful facility and I recommend the rugged racetrack travelers put it on their bucket lists to visit Arapahoe Park. Probably best to do it quick, even if your life expectancy is long, Arapahoe's might not be.

[Ocala Mike]

Don't forget NY State quarter horse tracks:

Tioga Downs - Opemed 1976, Closed 1978 (but reincarnated as Tioga Park, a harness track).

Parr Meadows - Opemed May, 1977 and closed a few months later (but reincarnated as Suffolk Meadows).

Suffolk Meadows - Opemed May, 1986 and closed a few months later for good.

[NJ Stinks]

Originally Posted by therussmeister

Birmingham Turf Club, our whatever it was called.

You beat me to it.

Also, trotter track Lewiston Raceway in Maine and Liberty Bell in Philly that ran both trotters and flats.

[johnhannibalsmith]

The problem with the reality that we do replace defunct tracks is that we aren't replacing them with race tracks, we're replacing them with the cancer that eats at those tracks left standing that do try to run a sensible business (within the scope of what that constitutes in TB racing industry).

[iceknight]

Santa Fe Downs (1971-1975). Bankruptcy.
Then opens as Downs at Santa Fe. (1975-1984)
Again opened for short time in the late 90's.

One of the few (closed) race tracks that I have visited/driven past. The old track sign off the freeway was in really bad shape when I went in 2013. Anyhow.. the random trivia about this track is that GG and Mike Smith scored their first victories here and also Real Quiet (yes, THAT Real Quiet) raced here twice!
Most of these details were from wiki entry which I had memorized last year
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Downs_at_Santa_Fe

[thespaah]

Originally Posted by Stillriledup

Harness Tracks that Closed:

FreeState
Brandywine
"The Bell"
Louisville Harness
Roosevelt Raceway

Any others that come to mind?

Latonia( KY) Wheeling Downs( WV) is now a dog track/casino. Lewiston(ME)now an off track wagering facility
Greenwood( ON)....Hazel Park(MI) closed then reopened
Ben White(FL) Windsor Raceway( ON).
Sportsman's Park (IL) Cahokia Downs( IL)

[thespaah]

Originally Posted by therussmeister

Birmingham Turf Club, our whatever it was called.

That was rthe original name of the track.
I went there once.
I was living in Hilton Head Island.
The closest place I could find that handled wagering on the Preakness( 1990) was Birmingham.
Took me almost 6 hours to cover the 400 mile trek.
I got there half way through the live card.
There was a pretty decent crowd. Looking the tote board, betting was lively on the live racing.
I was a nice place. Clean. Even with a fairly large crowd.
Now it's a dog track.

[Billnewman]

I loved going to greenwood up there in Toronto. Sit in the grandstand looking out onto Lake Ontario.