Railbird 2004–2019

Suffolk Downs Archive

A Drive Down Memory Lane

Suffolk Downs track superintendent Steve Pini reminisces:

“I remember a time when the starting gate in a route race on the turf course was in front of the grandstand,” laughed Pini. “The driver of the tractor, which would pull the gate away when the horses exited for the start, left the keys in the ignition.

“All of a sudden, a fan ran across the track and tried to steal the starting gate. But he didn’t understand the gears and put the tractor in reverse. He went through part of the hedge on the front side. I remember running into the crowd trying to find the guy. But he disappeared real quick.”

Wonder how far the guy thought he was going to get?

Posted in Suffolk Downs on July 4, 2010

Unsaddling

Southoftheborder after the Rise Jim Stakes at Suffolk Downs. Sent off at 22-1, Southoftheborder finished eleventh in the race, which was won by 10-year-old Mr. Meso. Favored Same Day Pleasure ran fourth. Chart (PDF).

Posted in Suffolk Downs on July 3, 2010

A Midsummer Party

Happy 75th, Suffolk Downs. The last remaining thoroughbred racetrack in New England revealed plans today to celebrate its anniversary on July 10 with giveaways, stakes races, and special guests. No MassCap this year, but jockey Jerry Bailey, who won the track’s signature race four times, twice on Cigar, will be on hand to celebrate, along with fellow Hall of Fame rider Chris McCarron.

Posted in Suffolk Downs on June 29, 2010

Suffolk Stakes Noms Out

Nominations are now out for Suffolk Downs’ 75th anniversary celebration stakes races on July 10. The $75K James B. Moseley Sprint Stakes attracted 37, including Desert Party, pointing to the G1 Forego at Saratoga following his Don LeVine Memorial win at Philadelphia Park, Ancient Title winner Gayego, and Elusive Warning, fifth in the True North Handicap earlier this month. The five-furlong turf Seabiscuit Stakes drew 43, including seven from the barn of trainer Linda Rice, who nominated Mother Russia, a stakes winner at Saratoga last summer, and Canadian Ballet, fifth in the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

Posted in Suffolk Downs on June 29, 2010

Thanks, Suffolk

Suffolk Downs takes a zero-tolerance stand on slaughter:

Sam Elliott, the track’s vice president for racing, has informed the leadership of the New England Horseman’s Benevolent and Protective Association that any trainer found to have sold a horse for slaughter will have his stalls revoked and be denied stalls in the future.

Horsemen are in support of the new policy: “There’s no reason why that should happen nowadays,” said New England HBPA president Al Balestra. “There shouldn’t be any horses going to killers” (ThoroTimes).

Related: Eliminating slaughter won’t solve the problem of the unwanted horses. Fran reports from a recent American Horse Council forum on the issue, which doesn’t get the attention of the emotionally-charged anti-slaughter movement, but is even more important.

6/28 additions: Here’s a story that illustrates too well the problem with unwanted horses. Fortunately, Getaway Hall — a harness racer with career earnings of more than $700,000 — was found by good people. And over on Blood-Horse, Alex Brown answers questions about horse rescue and welfare.

Posted in Horse Rescue/Slaughter, Suffolk Downs on June 27, 2008