JC / Railbird

Suffolk Downs Archive

Suffolk Weekend

A food truck festival, a $100,000 stakes race, and the CANTER Showcase made this past weekend a big one for Suffolk Downs …

The crowd on the Suffolk apron, early Saturday afternoon. That mass of people stretching along the back? In line for the grilled cheese truck.

The biggest race of the year was also the best race of the year, with #2 It’s Me Mom (inside) out-bobbing favored #11 Nicole H at the wire in the six-furlong $100,000 Robert O’Malley Stakes. The final time was a swift 1:09.67 after an opening quarter in :21.17 and a half in :43.63.

It’s Me Mom, Willie Martinez up, entering the winner’s circle.

Leading rider Tammi Piermarini after finishing fourth on #9 D’Wild Ride in the Robert O’Malley Stakes.

Mr. Meso, local favorite, recently retired champion, and new racetrack pony, taking a break after the Saturday feature.

Fall colors and a beautiful sunset at Suffolk Downs on Saturday.

CANTER New England held its sixth annual Showcase on Sunday morning. Dozens of people turned out to see more than 70 horses available for sale. Here’s Krabby Patties, making a great impression with her rider.

After taking his turn through Showcase, O’Malley met a potential buyer.

Kappy charms the Showcase crowd. (He sold.)

Posted in Suffolk Downs on October 24, 2011

Suffolk Showcase

Are you coming to Suffolk Showcase on Sunday?

Looking for a new horse? The sixth annual Suffolk Showcase is this Sunday, October 23, at Suffolk Downs. From 9:00 AM to noon, visitors will have a chance to check out dozens of great thoroughbreds ready for new careers and ask questions of trainers and owners directly. Browse the CANTER New England listings to get a sense of what’s available. It’s no exaggeration to say there’s a horse for every rider — CANTER volunteers (including me) have been busy as the Suffolk meet winds down, cataloging horses athletic and adorable. Racehorses make terrific sporthorses and companions — as the success stories Susan Salk has been publishing on Off-Track Thoroughbreds prove, there’s little these athletes can’t do when they leave the racetrack.

10/18/11 Addendum: Today’s “I want him” CANTER horse. And more!

Posted in Suffolk Downs on October 17, 2011 / Tagged CANTER NE, OTTBs, Retirement, Second Careers, Showcase

The King’s Empty Barn

With fewer than 800 horses stabled on the backstretch, there are many empty stalls at Suffolk Downs these days. But I didn’t notice until yesterday morning that legendary New England trainer Carlos Figueroa’s barn is among the unused. Figueroa, who got his start as a conditioner in 1949, made his name on the defunct, colorful Massachusetts fair circuit, and once endured a possibly record-setting losing streak, hasn’t entered a horse since November 13, closing day of the 2010 meet at Suffolk, according to Equibase.

Posted in Suffolk Downs on July 10, 2011