Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com - Horse Racing Message Board

Go Back   Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com - Horse Racing Message Board > Thoroughbred Horse Racing Discussion > General Racing Discussion


Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread
Old 08-01-2021, 04:22 PM   #46
jefftune
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 263
In my neck of the woods there was Commodore Downs. Occasionally we would travel to Waterford Park (now Mountaineer) and then afterwards go to harness racing at Wheeling Downs (now a dog track I believe).
jefftune is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-01-2021, 04:29 PM   #47
classhandicapper
Registered User
 
classhandicapper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Queens, NY
Posts: 20,527
Quote:
Originally Posted by alhattab View Post
"Where it all began, where it is today".
If Roosevelt was still around, I'd probably still be splitting my time between harness and flats.
__________________
"Unlearning is the highest form of learning"
classhandicapper is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-01-2021, 04:41 PM   #48
PhantomOnTour
C'est Tout
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Cajunland
Posts: 13,253
Jefferson Downs

On the shores of Lake Pontchartrain just outside New Orleans, where the great John Henry broke his maiden.

Spent many summer nights there with my father. He would make small bets for me...hit my first "big score" there...an exacta and win bet that paid a juicy $52. Man, I thought I was rich.


I still remember the horse...My Mercedes
__________________
How do I work this?
-David Byrne
PhantomOnTour is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-01-2021, 05:02 PM   #49
Zman179
Registered Wacko
 
Zman179's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Belmont-ish
Posts: 2,242
The closed track I miss the most without question is Roosevelt Raceway. I do a lot of shopping in that area and to this day, I reminisce about being there with the most unique tote board ever made. Second mention would be Atlantic City. I remember when Trevor Denman would call the races there at night between the California meets.

Other closed tracks I’ve been to:

(Flats/QH)
Rockingham
Suffolk
Northampton
Great Barrington
Suffolk Meadows
Garden State
Atlantic City
Sportsman’s
Calder
Bay Meadows
Hollywood
Fairplex (I missed the last ever race by five minutes after getting stuck in traffic from Dodger Stadium.)

(Trots)
Roosevelt
Blue Bonnets
Québec City
Connaught Park/Aylmer
Maywood (made my biggest ever score here)

(Dogs)
Wonderland
Raynham-Taunton
Plainfield
Shoreline Star
Derby Lane
Palm Beach
Zman179 is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-01-2021, 05:06 PM   #50
illinoisbred
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,072
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hedevar View Post
Didn't Blum wind up as the Chief Steward at AP? Hartack was not a friendly man.
I don't recall. I thought he returned to New Jersey. Hartack was a steward here for a while.
illinoisbred is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-01-2021, 05:25 PM   #51
alhattab
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Jersey Shore
Posts: 1,187
Quote:
Originally Posted by classhandicapper View Post
If Roosevelt was still around, I'd probably still be splitting my time between harness and flats.
I play almost exclusively flats now but tarted playing at The Meadowlands harness races when in junior high. We used to hit Yonkers all the time- not too tough a ride from North Jersey. But only went to Roosevelt once! Watched the channel 9 show religiously
alhattab is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-01-2021, 05:32 PM   #52
Mick
Registered User
 
Mick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2021
Location: Chicago in summer, New Orleans in Winter.
Posts: 56
Quote:
Originally Posted by illinoisbred View Post
Things I remember as a kid going to "old" Arlington in the early 60's. Bill Hartack,would never acknowledge my "hellos" and I usually got a cold stare. Funny the things you remember from way back.
I have two stories about Bill Hartack both second hand information but from good sources.

My father told me he always got a good ride from Bill Hartack. He said that he bet a horse to WS at Arlington Park and on the turn, he could see the horse backing up and wanting to quit. He crumbled his tickets in hand but kept watching. He said that Hartack never eased up, kept encouraging the horse with hands, feet and occasional whip, and along the rail he managed to get back up for third and my father had to scramble to find his show ticket.

Just earlier this year, I was at Fair Grounds along the rail and a man who once was a jockey and I started chatting. We spoke about Cajun jockeys and how they once ruled New Orleans, though he thought it was overdone, he did mention one jockey that got tossed by those Cajun boys. I told him my story about Hartack and he related his story.

He said that Hartack was shunned by other jockeys and I asked why. He said there was a rumor that Hartack was gay, and he wasn't allowed to be around the rest of the jockeys.

I trust my fathers story implicitly and read a book where a section was devoted to Hartack. The other story had a ring of truth to it, though who knows if it is true? Not me.
Mick is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-01-2021, 06:57 PM   #53
biggestal99
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 4,520
1.Was staying near San Jose during the Christmas holiday.

Took the train to bay meadows. Had a great time.

2. Loved the meadowlands during the late 70s made it out to Roosevelt but once.

Got off the train in westbury and bused to the track. Those were the days.

Allan
biggestal99 is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-01-2021, 06:59 PM   #54
Inner Dirt
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Beaverdam Virginia
Posts: 12,396
Quote:
Originally Posted by jefftune View Post
In my neck of the woods there was Commodore Downs. Occasionally we would travel to Waterford Park (now Mountaineer) and then afterwards go to harness racing at Wheeling Downs (now a dog track I believe).

Is this the Wheeling Downs you speak of? One of the non west coast places I have been.


https://www.wheelingisland.com/
Inner Dirt is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-01-2021, 08:15 PM   #55
Copyroomjim
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 54
A few I went to and don't miss

Miles Park, Louisville, KY

Cahokia Downs, Collinsville, IL

Bluegrass Downs, Paducah, KY

Audubon Raceway, Henderson, KY
Copyroomjim is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-01-2021, 08:29 PM   #56
titans1127
Harness racing Fan
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Long Island, New York
Posts: 396
I'm fortunate that the 4 tracks local to me that I've been to are still racing but the one that I wish I got to visit before it closed was Roosevelt Raceway. I was only 9 months old when they closed for good. Ironically, my in-laws live at the senior community that was built on the grounds. All of the buildings are named after Thoroughbred and Harness tracks and the clubhouse building has a bunch of Roosevelt memorabilia in it from the tracks heyday.
titans1127 is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-01-2021, 09:22 PM   #57
v j stauffer
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 4,284
Quote:
Originally Posted by illinoisbred View Post
I don't recall. I thought he returned to New Jersey. Hartack was a steward here for a while.
Walter Blum was a Steward when I was at GP. Along with Charlie Camac and Tommy Trotter. Jeff Noe and Kevin Scheen also worked the stand when I was there.
__________________
"Just because she's a hitter and a thief doesn't mean she's not a good woman in all the other places" Mayrose Prizzi
v j stauffer is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-01-2021, 10:47 PM   #58
Inner Dirt
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Beaverdam Virginia
Posts: 12,396
Some impressively long lists here, or maybe depressingly long should be the word.
Inner Dirt is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-01-2021, 11:09 PM   #59
Elkchester Road
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Near Lexington, KY
Posts: 3,246
Quote:
Originally Posted by Inner Dirt View Post
Some impressively long lists here, or maybe depressingly long should be the word.
Good point, Inner Dirt.
__________________
Just when you least expect it...just what you least expect-The Pet Shop Boys.
Elkchester Road is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-02-2021, 01:02 PM   #60
Henry Gondorff
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 10
Greenwood racetrack in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood was memorable for me as the track where I was first introduced to the sport.
The thing that impressed me was how I felt like everything was within my grasp. Once inside the gates I could quickly get my hands on a newspaper and racing form. There was a barbershop, a shoeshine stand, and a gift shop where they sold the Bloodhorse magazine. There was food and coffee and even a raucous tavern that reaked of spilled beer. There was also the lure of free money at the tote windows. The paddock was only a short walk outside giving relief from the smoke filled grandstand. You were close enough to whiff the horse lineament and hear and see the horse’s wet nostrils while snorting. The track had tight turns and from the first row of the grandstand you felt like you were on top of the horses. You could hear whips cracking and hear jockeys voices of encouragement from the top of the stretch. It was a great introduction to the sport and gambling. Good times.

It closed a few years before the internet came along and changed everything.
Henry Gondorff is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Reply




Thread Tools
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

» Advertisement
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:17 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 1999 - 2023 -- PaceAdvantage.Com -- All Rights Reserved
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program
designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.