Archives » Suffolk Downs
Thanks, Suffolk
Suffolk Downs takes a zero-tolerance stand on slaughter:
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 by JC, Jun 27, 2008 05:00 PM
Congratulations ...
To T.D. Thornton, winner of the Castleton Lyons- Thoroughbred Times Book Award for "Not By a Long Shot," (now available in paperback). Complete coverage of the Monograph Mile from Quinella Queen, who rightfully urges all to pick up this winner.
Posted by JC, Apr 8, 2008 12:00 PM
Recommended Reading
The small mess of a mail pile that awaited me on my return home this week contained a delightful surprise: An envelope from PublicAffairs, containing a copy of T. D. Thornton's marvelous "Not by a Longshot." Coming out in paperback this April, the book is outfitted with a new cover that captures the dark uncertainties and workaday thrills of racing at a working-class track that Thornton writes about so well. If you haven't yet read this story of a season at Suffolk Downs, be sure to pick up a copy this spring. By which I mean, buy it -- although Thornton told John he supports the subversives who liberated "Not by a Longshot" from Boston bookstores, I'm guessing he wouldn't mind an occasional royalty check.
Posted by JC, Mar 14, 2008 05:45 PM
Moments of the Year
The best of 2007: Invasor winning the Dubai World Cup; Rags to Riches winning the Belmont; and MassCap day at Suffolk Downs.
Happy new year to all, and thanks so much for reading. Best wishes and good racing luck in 2008!
Posted by JC, Jan 1, 2008 08:45 PM
Suffolk Closes Up
- Good news from a resurgent Suffolk Downs: The track closed out its 100-day meet on Saturday, the first under owner Richard Fields, reporting big gains for the first time in several years. Average daily attendance was up 22 percent, on-track handle up 14 percent. "By every standard, it's been a spectacular year for Suffolk Downs," said Fields (Boston Herald). One of the meet's high points was the MassCap, brought back after two-year hiatus and won by Brass Hat in front of a cheering crowd of more than 19,000. Meet titles went to perennial leading trainer John Rigattieri and rider Tammi Piermarini, who won the first Suffolk riding title of her career, although she's often been near the top of the jockey standings in her 20 years riding at the track.
- Todd Pletcher's Big A mini-slump ended Sunday when 1-2 favorite Spanky Fischbein caught Piquante Cat in the final yards of the New York Stallion Great White Way, winning by half a length. The trainer had been 0-for-15 at the meet.
Posted by JC, Nov 12, 2007 08:30 AM
Brass Hat Wins MassCap
"It's been too long," track announcer Larry Collmus told the festive crowd of 19,191 at Suffolk Downs this afternoon as the field for the first Massachusetts Handicap run since 2004 was loaded in the gate for the 1 1/8 mile race. The bell rang: 3-5 favorite Fairbanks bobbled at the break and longshot Fire Striker went to the front, setting slow fractions of :24.45 and :49.37 through the first half. Stalking Fairbanks took the lead at the 3/4 mark; Brass Hat, never far behind, moved on the frontrunner at the top of the stretch and ground Fairbanks down, eventually drawing away to a 3/4 length win ($10.20). "I love this game!" cried Brass Hat's groom as he ran towards the track to collect his charge. Final time for the race was 1:49.72, good for a Beyer speed figure of 98. Dr. Pleasure was third, Evening Attire fourth. "The horse ran a hell of a race," said beaming owner Fred Bradley after. "We'll be back next year, if the horse is sound."
Brass Hat takes the lead from Fairbanks in the stretch.
Brass Hat and connections in the Suffolk winner's circle.
Brass Hat heads to the test barn after winning the MassCap.
More: "Brass Hat shines in MassCap" (BRIS), "There's no quit in Brass Hat" (Boston Herald).
Posted by JC, Sep 22, 2007 09:00 PM
MassCap Day Notes
Jockey Richard Migliore talks with TVG's Christina Olivares.
Asked after winning the Moseley Handicap aboard Afrashad ($2.40) if he'd learned anything about the track that would help him ride Fairbanks in the MassCap, jockey Richard Migliore replied, "The track's very honest. Today, it seems like you can come in from any path, any position." Fairbanks, starting from post position four, is the 6-5 favorite 25 minutes to post. There was a minus show pool of $40,386 on Afrashad and entry-mate Council Member, who ran second.
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Bridgejumpers are out in force on the Godolphin entry of Afrashad and Council Member for race nine, the Moseley Handicap, which is also returning to Suffolk after a two-year hiatus today. Approximately three minutes to post and the show pool on #1 is $89,036, dwarfing every other on the board. The win pool is $19,459; the place $8978. [The show pool on the entry attracted $153,929 in wagers from a total pool of $163,630 (Boston Herald).]
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Talk about an upset: 55-1 Massachusetts-bred Reprized Strike, scoreless since June 2006 when he won the Rise Jim Stakes over a muddy Suffolk track, jumped up to win race eight, the Waquoit Stakes, by approximately three lengths [3 1/2 lengths, officially], paying $112.60. The exacta with favored De Roode paid $716. It was the second win of the day for rider Clifford Dooley, who brought home longshot Shell Creek ($43) in race three.
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The all stakes pick four kicked off in race seven, the Collegian Stakes, which was won by 8-5 favorite On the Vineyard ($5.20). Southern Rainbow was second, Bootleggin Gent third. "He was the best horse today," said jockey Willie Martinez of On the Vineyard. "My grandmother could have ridden him ... on the turn it was only a question of how far I thought I could win by." Martinez rides Brass Hat in the MassCap.
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Who What Win is a late scratch from the MassCap, bringing the field down to seven.
Posted by JC, Sep 22, 2007 04:00 PM
MassCap Day at Suffolk
It's MassCap day at Suffolk Downs and there's a buzz in the air, an excitement around the grandstand unlike anything since the last running of the Massachusetts Handicap in 2004. I arrived a few minutes before the track opened at 11:00 and found a restive gang of fans pressing against the doors. Someone called, "Two more minutes!" and another, "Open the doors or we'll knock them down!" That started to seem possible when someone shouted that it was 11:00 and people began rattling the doors and pounding on the glass as a chant went up: "Open the doors! Open the doors! Open the doors!" Security heeded and the crowd surged in, then politely sorted itself into neat lines to pay the $2 admission into the freshened facility. There's new paint, a grandstand gift shop, a playground and picnic area on the apron, a spiffy new stakes barn, and the best thing of all: A positive vibe on the frontside and the backstretch.
Photos from around the track this morning:
Brass Hat naps in the stakes barn on Saturday morning.
TVG sets up in the paddock to broadcast from Suffolk.
View of the field for Saturday's first race from the catwalk.
All-Star Trumpeters call the field to post.
They're off at Suffolk Downs.
Big stakes, big hat.
More Railbird coverage and photos from MassCap day: Brass Hat wins MassCap, MassCap Day Notes.
Posted by JC, Sep 22, 2007 01:30 PM
MassCap Entries
A field of eight was drawn today for Saturday's Massachusetts Handicap at Suffolk Downs:
| PP | Horse | Jockey | ML |
| 1 | Dr. Pleasure | Velasquez | 6-1 |
| 2 | Palladio | Do Ramos | 12-1 |
| 3 | Who What Win | Bridgmohan | 15-1 |
| 4 | Fairbanks | Migliore | 7-5 |
| 5 | Shuffling Maddnes | Rojas | 12-1 |
| 6 | Fire Striker | Krigger | 30-1 |
| 7 | Evening Attire | Espinosa | 5-1 |
| 8 | Brass Hat | Martinez | 5-2 |
Fairbanks, making his first start since setting the pace and finishing fourth behind Lawyer Ron in the Woodward, looks like a legitimate favorite with his early speed and triple-digit Beyers, one scored winning the Tokyo City Handicap at Santa Anita last March, but morning line second favorite Brass Hat brings back class, veteran Evening Attire can't be overlooked in his third attempt to take the MassCap, and Palladio -- shipping in from Woodbine and with three wins at the 1 1/8 mile distance -- is an intriguing upset proposition.
TVG will broadcast live from Suffolk Downs beginning at 1:00 p.m.; post-time for the MassCap is 5:23 p.m. There's an all stakes pick four on the card, starting with race seven, the Collegian Stakes. I'll be at Suffolk all Saturday, and if all goes as planned, posting throughout the afternoon.
Free PPs are available from DRF.
Posted by JC, Sep 19, 2007 09:30 PM
34 Nominated to MassCap
Leading Horse of the Year candidate Lawyer Ron tops the list of 34 nominations to the Massachusetts Handicap (PDF), which will be run for the first time since 2004 on September 22. Also nominated: Grasshopper (second to Street Sense in the Travers), King's Bishop winner Hard Spun, Magna Graduate, Brass Hat, and Evening Attire. Teuflesberg is also in the mix for the nine furlong race, even though he seems better suited to the six furlong James B. Moseley Handicap, which drew 31 nominees (PDF), including Commentator, High Finance, and Weigelia. Unfortunately for Suffolk Downs, Lawyer Ron is more likely to start in the September 30 Jockey Club Gold Cup, Hard Spun to run at Turfway, and Grasshopper might go in the Super Derby (Shreveport Times). Until entries are taken next Wednesday, though, it's okay to dream.
Related: Steven Crist visited my old home track this week and found reason for cautious optimism.
Posted by JC, Sep 12, 2007 09:30 PM
Mayor Invites Suffolk Casino
Sensing an opportunity in the dispute between the newly-recognized Mashpee Wampanoags of Cape Code and the town of Middleborough over demands that the tribe pay for millions of dollars in infrastructure costs if it wants to build a casino, Boston mayor Tom Menino "gamely invited the tribe today to build its gambling complex at the Suffolk Downs racetrack in East Boston" (Boston Globe). The tribe would have to overcome some hurdles to make that happen, including getting around a Department of Interior rule requiring Indian-owned casinos be located within a 50-mile radius of tribal land.
Menino may get his wish for a casino at Suffolk anyway, regardless of whether or not it's run by the Wampanoags. According to a report in the Boston Herald:
That could be good news for Suffolk -- and it would certainly be good news for new owner Richard Fields, casino developer -- but bad for Massachusetts dog and harness track owners, long-time proponents of racino-style slots. [Thanks to SS for the Globe link.]
Posted by JC, Jul 12, 2007 08:55 PM
MassCap Monkey
T.D. Thornton, author of the excellent new book "Not by a Longshot," said many good and interesting things about slots, racing, and great horses in today's Blood-Horse chat, but this exchange just might be the highlight:
The MassCap will be run this year on September 22 after a two year hiatus. New track owner Richard Fields is offering substantial bonuses to attract a strong field; there's been no mention of a monkey.
Posted by JC, Jun 28, 2007 09:30 PM
MassCap Coming Back
Reports the Boston Herald today:
The Massachusetts Handicap dates back to Suffolk Downs' opening in 1935 and was a G2 race until this year; it lost its graded status after being cancelled two years running. Its last renewal was in 2004, when Offlee Wild, Funny Cide, and The Lady's Groom treated a packed grandstand to a thrilling three-way stretch duel in which Offlee Wild prevailed by a nose.
Posted by JC, May 23, 2007 08:45 AM
On This Day ...
- "On this day in 1936, Tom Smith, an experienced horse trainer, spied an unlikely looking three-year-old Thoroughbred on the track at East Boston's Suffolk Downs." [Thanks to our friend Bill for the link.]
- Trainer John Rigattieri "is on a winning streak not seen at Suffolk Downs since John F. Kennedy was known only as a Harvard student." The trainer kept the streak alive on Saturday with one win, on Monday with two, on Tuesday with another two, and on Wednesday with an impressive four wins out of the day's nine races.
Posted by JC, Jun 29, 2006 06:00 PM
Opening Day at Suffolk
A cartoon by Sage Stossel. Click the image to see it in full.
Posted by JC, May 24, 2006 06:10 PM
Suffolk Draws a Crowd
It was the best opening day since 1998: More than 14,500 people turned out at Suffolk Downs on Saturday to catch the first day of live racing at the track in nearly six months.
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Trainer John Rigattieri returned to his winning ways at Suffolk, with three wins on opening day (four, actually, but Tri Like the Devil was disqualified in the ninth). Favorites dominated, winning seven out 10, as did early speed -- seven races were won wire-to-wire and two more by horses near the pace.
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Our good friend Bill at RacingFigures.com is posting Suffolk Downs ratings again this year -- mostly for Monday cards, but occasionally for Tuesday (this calendar displays specific dates). The speed ratings Bill did last year were a great supplement to past performances, often identifying horses that ran very well at the track, and the sheets are free to download. Be sure to check out the site: Ratings for several other US tracks, such as Philadelphia and Hollywood, are available as well.
Posted by JC, May 7, 2006 06:30 PM
Suffolk Opens Saturday
Suffolk Downs opens this Saturday for the 2006 meet, and the opening day card actually boasts several full fields, even though only 600 horses are on the grounds so far. Racing secretary Jim Pambianchi hopes to have 1,000 on the backstretch after Tampa closes this weekend. Good news for this year's meet: After being cancelled last year, the MassCap will return this year, on September 30. "With the race scheduled five weeks before the Breeders' Cup, it will be a logical spot for some of the Classic Division contenders to make their final prep," said Suffolk COO Robert O'Malley. Doors opens at 10 a.m. and a season pass will be given out with all paid admissions.
Posted by JC, May 4, 2006 08:50 PM
MassCap Revival Possible?
Here's something for New England racing fans to look forward to (although, I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much): Suffolk Downs COO Robert O'Malley said the track is trying to revive the Grade II Massachusetts Handicap for this year's meet. ''We're hoping we can do it," said O'Malley. "We still have a few things to do, but right now we're looking at Sept. 30 for the MassCap." Suffolk Downs opens for live racing this Saturday. The weather forecast isn't encouraging (clouds, light rain), but I'll be there for every race of the afternoon (and the Kentucky Derby, of course) ...
Posted by JC, May 1, 2006 04:00 PM
Unforeseen Consequences
If Suffolk Downs were to close permanently, the losses would go beyond jobs and open space:
Posted by JC, Apr 26, 2006 09:00 PM
Piermarini Wins 1,500th
Tammi Piermarini's first season at Tampa Bay is shaping up as a memorable one for the rider, who was third in the Suffolk Downs jockey standings at the close of last year's meet. Piermarini won her 1,500th race aboard Carson Unleashed in the second at Tampa Bay last Sunday and was named the track's "Jockey of the Month" on Thursday.
Posted by JC, Mar 4, 2006 05:00 PM
Northampton Ends Racing
It's the end of an era: The Massachusetts fair circuit is gone. Citing competition from casinos and declining handle, Three County Fair president Alan Jacque said on Tuesday that racing is being eliminated from the fair's program after 150 years. The Northampton fair was the last of six Massachusetts fairs to offer any sort of horseracing.
I came along too late to enjoy the fairs' larcenous heyday, but Bill Finley remembers well the days when races were fixed and horses stiffed:
You can read more about Massachusetts fair shenanigans in Andrew Beyer's "My $50,000 Year at the Races." Lured by the promise of grinding out $1,000 a day just by following the "smart money," Beyer takes a break from playing the New York circuit to visit Great Barrington, where he ends up losing about $1,500 and "the last vestiges of my innocence."
Posted by JC, Dec 21, 2005 10:30 PM
What the Future Holds
"If slots haven't made it to the track by this time next fall, said Christian Teja, spokesman for Suffolk Downs, it will likely close the doors on its 70-year history."
Related: "[Suffolk Downs] has been here since the 1930s, and I would hate to see it go. I hope it's not turned into more airport parking."
Posted by JC, Dec 4, 2005 08:00 AM
Another Year Passes
Suffolk Downs' 2005 meet ended on Wednesday before a small crowd and in cold, wet weather. Numbers on attendance and handle haven't been released yet, but it's a safe prediction that both will be down from last year's modest increases, owing to the spring drizzle and chill that afflicted the meet's opening weeks and the cancellation of the major stakes schedule. This year was certainly not the track's best, what with the absence of the Massachusetts Handicap in June, the failed bid for slots, and the sad death of jockey Michel Lapensee in an accident in October. Despite the gloom that opened and closed the season, there were plenty of good moments during the past six months -- I think of Stylish Sultana winning the African Prince Stakes in June by a neck on the outside after a strong late move mid-stretch, for instance, which was also the same day that jockey Winston Thompson won six races in an afternoon for the first time. The two-year-old races this July were also a high point. New York trainers Christophe Clement and Reynaldo Abreu shipped in several classy contenders, who were surprisingly well-matched by Suffolk's own. Watching the baby races here was a nice prelude to watching them in Saratoga.
The meet title for leading jockey went to Thompson, who ended the season with 158 wins, and John Rigattieri, with 93 wins, was the leading trainer. Michael Gill was the leading owner, with 54 wins. Live racing is scheduled to return in May 2006.
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The meet may be over, but Suffolk horses retiring from racing still need help finding new homes.
Posted by JC, Nov 25, 2005 11:00 AM
Suffolk Saturday
Another Suffolk Downs racing season is coming to an end. Originally scheduled to close next Saturday, November 19, Suffolk's last day will be Wednesday, November 23, to make up for three racing days cancelled earlier this fall. Despite the short fields and tiny pools that particularly plague the track this time of year, there were several good plays on Saturday's card and even a couple of long-priced winners. In the ninth, Dan's Soldier, a three-year-old gelding by the same sire as Lost in the Fog, was sent off at 9-1 despite his improving form and a switch from route to sprint. Dan's Soldier paid $20.60 to win. In the seventh, a three-year-filly named Starship Elaine paid $17.40 to win. I didn't have Starship Elaine, but my friend Sage, making her very first trip to the track and her very first wager, did. Sage bet the filly because it shared her late grandmother's name; I should have known not to play against beginner's luck.
Posted by JC, Nov 12, 2005 10:00 PM
Michel Lapensee, 1947-2005
Talk to a jockey about the dangers of riding and they'll often point out that they're the only athletes followed by an ambulance. The statement is both fatalistic joke and stark acknowledgment of fact. No jockey gets through a career without injuries; an unfortunate few are permanently disabled or killed riding. Such was the fate of Michel Lapensee, who died last Friday from injuries he suffered in an accident at Suffolk Downs on October 24.
Hundreds of mourners gathered in a Providence church this morning to remember and honor the 58-year-old rider as a husband, father, colleague, and friend. The ceremony was simple and emotional, a burial mass followed by two eulogists. Lapensee's niece read from a piece she wrote while her uncle lay in intensive care, in which she touched on the question that must have crossed the minds of many others when they heard the news of Lapensee's death -- "Was feeling at one with an animal ... worth this?" She was followed by an old friend of Lapensee, who recalled his humor and graciousness, his love of fishing, and his passion for racing. "I can still hear his voice, from when he broke his maiden at Green Mountain. He was in front of me, yelling, 'I'm going to win, I'm going to win!'" It was that thrill and joy that kept Lapensee at the track long after most jockeys have retired. Walking away from the sport was "never an option," Lapensee's son, Michel Jr., told the Boston Globe.
In his 38-year career, Lapensee won 2,678 races from more than 20,000 starts. "When my dad was working," said Michel Jr., "he was one with the horse." Lapensee is best known for riding Playing Politics, who in 1998, at the age of 16, became the oldest horse to ever win a race at Suffolk Downs. "He was the oldest racehorse of his generation and would not have achieved the honor without the help and companionship of one Michel Lapensee," writes Paul Daley in his remembrance of the jockey.
"Mike got on the horse and gave his best," said trainer Mario DeStefano. On October 24, Lapensee climbed aboard Mecke's Money for that afternoon's ninth race. On the far turn, the six-year-old gelding broke his left front cannon bone and fell, throwing Lapensee. It was a $4,000 claiming race. There was no glory to be had but that inherent in riding a thoroughbred at top speed, in doing his best on the racetrack. Lapensee's dedication to riding kept him coming back, doing the only work he knew and loved, and in the end, it killed him. Was feeling at one with an animal worth a man's death? That's impossible to answer. But the presence of so many this morning testified that a life spent riding was not a life spent in vain.
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From the Boston Globe: "It was the last race on a cold, forgettable day at Suffolk Downs, the 70-year-old racetrack just off Route 1A in East Boston. The grandstand was empty. Three long days of rain and wind had driven fans away, and now even employees were leaving. Tom Schwigen, the starter at the track, ran for the parking lot immediately after launching the ninth and final race. The day, mercifully, was over for him. But not for a journeyman rider named Michel 'Mike' Lapensee and the flawed but beautiful horse beneath him. This was their time. This was their moment. Mecke's Money was about to make his move."
Posted by JC, Nov 3, 2005 07:00 PM
Lapensee Dies From Injuries
Jockey Michel Lapensee died at Massachusetts General Hospital late Friday night from injuries he sustained in an accident during last Monday's ninth race at Suffolk Downs, in which the six-year-old gelding Mecke's Money broke down on the far turn, throwing the rider. The 58-year-old Lapensee was a regular on the New England circuit for 30 years, winning 2,678 races out of more than 20,000 starts. He was honored with a moment of silence at the beginning of Suffolk's Saturday card. In response to the accident, the racetrack has upgraded the track ambulance crew to include a paramedic, a move that won praise from Jockeys' Guild representative Darrell Haire: "Suffolk Downs is doing the right thing."
A funeral mass for Lapensee will be held at St. Edward's Church in Providence on November 3 at 11 a.m. More information can be found on the Suffolk Downs news page.
Posted by JC, Oct 30, 2005 11:55 AM
Lapensee in Critical Condition
Suffolk Downs jockey Michel Lapensee is in a coma. The 58-year-old rider sustained serious injuries when his mount in Monday's ninth race, Mecke's Money, broke down on the far turn. He was immediately transported to Massachusetts General Hospital for surgery and is listed in critical condition with head and spinal cord injuries. Mecke's Money, a six-year-old gelding, suffered a compound fracture of his left cannon bone and was euthanized. This is the second time this meet Lapensee has had the misfortune of an accident. In a similar incident in May, Lapensee's mount Explorationist also broke down on the far turn, throwing the rider, who escaped injury then.
Posted by JC, Oct 25, 2005 09:30 PM
Wednesday Notes
Suffolk Downs has added four stakes races to the schedule for the remainder of the meet. The Louise Kimball will be run on October 8, followed by the John Kirby on October 22, and the Amelia Peabody on November 5. The Norman Hall is scheduled for the meet's final Saturday, November 19. The added races will each have a $40,000 purse and are restricted to Massachusetts-bred thoroughbreds.
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NYRA president Charles Hayward told a state oversight committee that the organization would "go bust" in November unless it was allowed to sell property near Aqueduct (Newsday).
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No surprise here: "Rep. Ed Whitfield of Kentucky, whose subcommittee is investigating the Jockeys' Guild, said on Monday night that he doubts the guild has fully complied with a subpoena issued two weeks ago that asks the guild to provide financial documents by Oct. 3" (Daily Racing Form).
Posted by JC, Oct 5, 2005 01:35 PM
Suffolk Cancels Wednesday
Suffolk Downs has cancelled Wednesday's card so that horsemen and track employees can attend a hearing on legislation that could significantly affect racing in the state. In an all-or-nothing move, slots supporters have asked legislators to include language approving slot machines in a simulcasting bill that must be passed this year for the state's racetracks to remain open, daring governor Mitt Romney to follow through on his threat to veto any legislation that expands gaming and kill off an entire industry.
The hearing is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. in the Gardner Auditorium at the State House.
"The future of thoroughbred racing in New England and specifically at Suffolk Downs is at stake," said Mario DeStefano, New England HBPA president. "This legislation is so important to us that we really feel the need to be significantly represented at the State House for Wednesday's hearing." In addition to the horsemen planning to attend, the union representing mutuel tellers and other track employees will bus hundreds of workers to the hearing to show support.
Desperation? Calculation? I'm not entirely sure which is driving this longshot push for slots. I'll be at the hearing tomorrow, though, trying to sort it out.
Posted by JC, Sep 27, 2005 12:30 PM
Suffolk Saturday
Trainer Reynaldo Abreu brought his career record to six wins on Saturday when Bird Charm easily overwhelmed his competition in race one, a maiden special weight. Since the former Nick Zito assistant took charge of Marylou Whitney's stable in June, he's earned five wins at Suffolk Downs. The stable is based in Saratoga. "It's just as easy to go to Suffolk as Belmont," Abreu explained last week after winning his fourth race at the Downs with another maiden, Bird Harbor. And the races are easier too (Daily Racing Form).
Posted by JC, Sep 25, 2005 06:00 PM
Monday at Suffolk
Janine Savoie earned her first win as a licensed trainer in race seven, with longshot Freda Z. In race nine, Cahill Mango, formerly of Jeff Mullins' Santa Anita stable and shipping in from Belmont for Bruce Levine, ran the fastest six furlongs at Suffolk Downs so far this year, winning in 1:09.9.
Posted by JC, Jul 12, 2005 12:50 PM
Suffolk Notes
It was a good day at the Downs, with fine weather and two stakes races on the card. I had the great pleasure of hanging out with Bud from Thoroughbred Racing Fans of New England for the second half of the afternoon. Bud's the photographer for the group, which meets at Suffolk occasionally and takes trips to Saratoga and such events as the Breeders' Cup. He told me that he didn't handicap, but proved he knew horses -- especially New England horses -- when he spotted Spectacular Orage in the African Prince, a stakes race for state-breds, and struck up a conversation with the owner about Spectacular Orage's grandsire, 1994 New England turf champion, Eternal Orage. Photos from today are already up -- check out the nice shot of Winston Thompson winning the Old Ironsides on Miesque's Approval.
In the African Prince, Reprized Strike was the even money favorite for obvious reasons. The three-year-old colt won the Norman Hall Stakes last fall and came back this year with a fourth in the Rise Jim. I picked 5-1 Stylish Sultana, who finished a respectable fourth against tough competition in the Isadorable Stakes last month. She made a late move in the stretch, coming from sixth to win by a neck on the outside. Reprized Strike finished third, Spectacular Orage second.
I didn't do as well in the Old Ironsides, picking One Nice Cat, who finished fifth. Miesque's Approval, a New York shipper trained by Bill Mott, won easily. Canyon's Way ran second and Tom the River Rat third. This race was the high point of the day for me, for the simple reason that Bud and I stood at the rail on the turf course and watched the horses come by at the first turn and again at the finish. It was a beautiful sight -- the horses so near, the turf so lush.
The Old Ironsides was a high point for jockey Winston Thompson as well: The race was his sixth win of the afternoon. It was Thompson's first career six-win day; he is the seventh rider to accomplish the feat at Suffolk.
Posted by JC, Jun 18, 2005 07:55 PM
NETWA Elects Inaugural HOF Class
The New England Turf Writers Association will honor the inaugural class of the New England Racing Hall of Fame at their awards dinner this July 7. The inductees are jockey Rudy Baez, who won 24 riding titles at Suffolk Downs and Rockingham Park; thoroughbred owner and breeder Peter Fuller; the late James Moseley, who was chairman of Suffolk Downs and instrumental in the track's 1992 reopening; the late Sam McCracken, a noted Boston Globe turf writer for 30 years; and Waquoit, the 1987 Massachusetts Handicap winner. A plaque bearing the inductees' names will be hung in the Sports Museum of New England. Tickets to the dinner, which will be held at the Danversport Yacht Club, are $55 apiece. Call 617-568-3220 for more information.
Posted by JC, Jun 17, 2005 04:10 PM
Suffolk Notes
Trainer LeRoy Jolley pops up at Suffolk Tuesday, with a horse named Louie Na'ssal in the ninth race, a six furlong allowance event that's attracted a pretty good field for a weekday card. Ten are entered, including Lucky Sherman, who ran third at Churchill Downs on May 1 in a claiming $30,000 race, and Symbolic Times, a former California runner who's returning from a layoff of more than year.
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Sunday's Hot Dog Safari was a success for the Joey Fund, an organization founded to fund cystic fibrosis research. More than 30,000 people braved the chilly weather to eat more than 150,000 hot dogs, meet local sports stars and politicians, and watch nine live races specially carded for the day. (Boston Herald)
Posted by JC, May 23, 2005 12:05 PM
Winning Bets I Didn't Make
Sometimes I think that the winning bets I don't make hurt worse than the losing bets I do.
I went to Suffolk on Saturday planning to make one wager in race seven and another on the Preakness, and arrived in time to watch the fifth race horses leave the paddock for the track. Horse #6 caught my eye, as he was sans pony in the post parade and had a bouncy jog. "That horse will win," I thought, and looked at the tote board expecting to see that he was favorite. He wasn't; his odds were 5-1. I agonized -- should I make the bet? I decided not to, because I was all about discipline on Saturday. A review of my wagers since the meet opened on April 30 had revealed that I was doing well, but frittering away my profit with $2 flyers like the one I was contemplating.
Horse #6 won and paid $12.20.
Race six came up and horse #7 intrigued. He was making his first start at Suffolk since racing at Laurel, a profitable angle during the meet's first couple of weeks (although one that's become rarer now that most of the horses entered in races have started at Suffolk at least once this spring). But he was stretching out to a mile for the first time, and the favorite looked legitimate, so I passed, even though his odds were 8-1. "Discipline," I told myself.
Horse #7 won and paid $18.40.
Finally, it was time for the race I came to bet. Horse #6, odds 5-1. I put my money down.
Horse #6 finished sixth.
Posted by JC, May 22, 2005 11:15 AM
Suffolk Notes
Jockey Michel Lapensee was thrown from his mount, Explorationist, in the eighth race today when the six-year-old gelding broke down on the far turn. Lapensee was uninjured and will ride on Tuesday; Explorationist was euthanized on the track ... Rider Joe Hampshire returns to Suffolk Downs on Wednesday ... This Sunday, May 22, is Eddie Andelman's 16th annual Hot Dog Safari. A fundraiser for the Joey Fund, tickets are $10 in advance/$15 at the door. Last year, more than 40,000 people (or, about 20 times the average weekday crowd) showed up for all the hot dogs they could eat and nine live races.
Posted by JC, May 16, 2005 09:20 PM
Funny, Not So Funny
Suffolk COO Robert O'Malley on the state of Massachusetts racing, past and present:
"I always remember the line from Dave Wilson, who was the racing writer with the old Record in Boston: 'Suffolk Downs is the only place where a Ph.D. from M.I.T. would chase a tattered bum across the apron asking, "What do you know?"'"
*
"There isn't the interest in the local product from day to day. There's more interest in out-of-town races."
Posted by JC, May 7, 2005 09:30 AM
Modest Revival for Suffolk Stakes
The Massachusetts Handicap and the James B. Moseley Breeders' Cup may not be on Suffolk Downs' 2005 schedule, but the rest of Suffolk's 2005 open stakes schedule will be revived.
The track cancelled 10 $40,000 open stakes races in early April to help conserve the overnight purse account. In a meeting with the New England HBPA last Wednesday, Suffolk agreed to replace those races with an equal number of $25,000 stakes. Officials from the Breeders' Cup offered to match the purses on four of those races, which means that Suffolk this year will run six $25,000 named races and four $50,000 stakes races, in addition to the 12 state-bred stakes already scheduled.
"The people at the Breeders Cup saw that we were forced to cut our stakes program to stabilize the overnight purse structure for the local horsemen and stepped up made us the offer," said Suffolk COO Robert O'Malley. "This will give both the horsemen and the track the opportunity to still offer a respectable stakes program without heavily impacting our overnight purse structure. In addition, it will give our racing fans some nice races to look forward to."
Racing secretary Jim Pambianchi is meeting with HBPA officials this week and is expected to publish the revised stakes schedule soon. [Many thanks to reader and fellow Suffolk fan Doug Beaton for the HBPA news link.]
Suffolk notes: Apprentice jockey Anne Sanguinetti earned her first win at Suffolk in race one on Monday, aboard Judith's Trifle.
Posted by JC, May 3, 2005 09:05 AM
Opening Day Notes
The weather was grim -- rainy and foggy -- but the mood at Suffolk Downs was anything but for opening day, despite all the recent glum news about the track's future. More than 6,200 people filled the grandstand, wagering more than $331,000 on the day's 10 races. The scene was noisy and happy, with crowds gathering at the rail for each race and raucous cheers going up from all over when horses neared the finish line. Fans stood at the paddock fence shouting, "Good job" and "Great ride" and "Welcome back" to jockeys and trainers, who smiled and said, "Thank you" and "Glad to be home."
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I arrived two minutes too late for the first race and missed the second attending to the bureaucratic rigmarole of getting my backstretch badge renewed. I made it to the paddock in time to catch the horses entered in the third race walking, and picked number one to win. (Not for any sound handicapping reason; I decided on Friday that handicapping Suffolk on Saturday was a largely useless exercise, given the weather forecast, the number of horses coming off long layoffs and the rest coming in from tracks all over the east.) Horse one tossed his head playfully and danced on his toes as he and his groom walked the paddock. He looked confident and ready to run, unlike some of the others -- horse four was so nervous he had to be saddled walking, horse six was washy, and horse five was ill-behaved, rearing up in his stall and refusing to let the jockey mount. His groom brought him out to walk again, and as the two circled around, the rider, with a lift from the trainer, caught the horse and leapt up into the saddle. Horse five bucked and tried to shake the jockey off. A woman next to me laughed and said affectionately, "He's wild, isn't he?"
I watched the race standing at the fence near the finish line. As the horses came down the stretch, number four was in front. My horse was chasing and looking like a solid second when, in the last half furlong, he switched leads and tore down the final yards, winning by a nose.
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My racing companion joined me for race five. In the car of the train he'd been on, he told me, a group had been talking excitedly about Afleet Alex. On the train I was on, a man across from me had the Herald folded open to the racing page and was studying a simulcasting program; to my right, two young guys talked about the Derby. "Everyone says Bellamy Road will win," said one, "But I like Bandini." Opening day: All the racing fans are out.
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Standing in the rain, watching the horses from race three jog back to be unsaddled, I thought: If I had to choose right now between being at Churchill Downs all next week or at Suffolk today, I'd choose Suffolk.
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Jockey Dyn Panell had a great opening day, winning four races, three for trainer John Rigattieri. Joe Hampshire, one of Suffolk's top riders in previous years, isn't returning to Boston this year. He's decided to stay at Philadelphia Park, where he leads the jockey standings.
Horses who raced at Laurel this winter won five of yesterday's races; two from Tampa won, as did one from Mountaineer, another from Aqueduct, and one who hadn't raced since last fall at Suffolk. Horses shipping in from Gulfstream didn't win any races, but did manage five seconds and thirds.
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Elsewhere: "Suffolk Downs back in saddle" (Boston Herald) and "Suffolk opens under clouds" (Boston Globe)
Posted by JC, May 1, 2005 12:20 PM
Suffolk Opens Today
Suffolk Downs opens today! First post time is 12:45, season passes will be given out with all paid admissions, and there's a new $1 Pick 4 wager on the day's last four races. I'll be out there all afternoon, taking in the races, catching up with friends, and generally just having a very good time. More tomorrow....
Posted by JC, Apr 30, 2005 10:45 AM
Virtual Racing Postponed
No mention of this in the Boston Globe or the Boston Herald, but a Derby lister reports that Massachusetts state treasurer Tim Cahill and Suffolk Downs COO Robert O'Malley were on the local TV news show "Greater Boston" Thursday night, discussing the state lottery's plan to introduce a virtual horseracing Keno game this fall. The most interesting point: That Cahill said the lottery commission will postpone the game's introduction until further notice, apparently because of the fuss kicked up by state legislators in a public hearing on April 14.
Posted by JC, Apr 23, 2005 10:35 AM
Legislators May Challenge Lottery
Posted by JC, Apr 15, 2005 10:55 AM
Competing With the Lottery
"Bob O'Malley, chief operating officer at Suffolk Downs, said he didn't know whether horse-racing fans would find virtual contests as exciting as the real thing. But he said there's no doubt the lottery wants to grab every gambling dollar it can. 'The lottery has become a devastating competitor,' he said. 'They're involved in a different product every month. As they push $5 billion to $6 billion a year in sales, there's not much left for anyone else.'" (Boston Globe)
Posted by JC, Apr 9, 2005 01:30 PM
"It's Dying"
I went to Suffolk Downs Thursday afternoon to see a horse and place a Derby future wager. There was a small clubhouse crowd of little old men in hats marking up the Form and mean-eyed young guys in team jerseys trading complaints about bum jockeys and the horses they almost had. In the grandstand, the TVs were turned on, but the first floor concourse was empty and I watched a race alone before heading out the far doors and toward the backstretch. I called my trainer friend to ask in which barn I'd find the horse, and while I had him on the phone, asked what he thought of Suffolk's decision to cancel its open stakes program this year. "It's dying," he said. "It's the clearest sign yet that the track is dying."
That's pessimism. And my friend's not the only one who feels that way. Another trainer told John Connolly of the Boston Herald that, "We're looking at the beginning of the end here," and connected the track's decision to the state lottery's announcement the day before that a new Keno-style horseracing game would be unveiled this fall. Suffolk COO Robert O'Malley insists the call was made for strictly financial reasons. "We had a terrible first quarter," said O'Malley. "I'm a half-million behind in money for purses. And the [purse account], from which we got $1.2 million in 2003, and $800,000 last year, will give us only $200,000 this year. The account is practically empty. I'm just about $1 million short, and this will give us $1 million in savings" (Boston Globe).
So, canceling the MassCap and the rest of the open stakes saves a million this year. And the year after that? "The handwriting is on the wall for racing around here," O'Malley said. "We were forced to give up the frills this year with the elimination of the MassCap, and if we don't get slots this year, or are adversely affected by a virtual racing game, next year we would probably be forced to cut daily purses to survive" (Daily Item of Lynn). Of course, if Suffolk does that, it will be even more difficult to attract horsemen to Massachusetts for the short meet. A new racing bill must be passed by the end of 2005; perhaps hope for Suffolk can be found in the state legislature, either by the passage of an equitable racing bill that props up purse money, or by slots legislation.
But slots or state subsidies are only short-term solutions. I confess: I'm a reluctant slots supporter. I'm desperate to see Suffolk survive, and if slots can buy the track a few more years, I say bring them in. Yet slots won't solve New England's long-term racing woes, and slots won't change the reality that the land Suffolk sits on is more valuable as development than it is as a track. Suffolk has two train stops, it's minutes from downtown Boston and edges the harbor, and it's one of the largest (if not the largest) parcels of open land in a densely built metro area with an overheated real estate market. It would take more than slots to change that equation.
Thoroughbred racing will leave New England. It's inevitable. Stan Bergstein, in an excellent Daily Racing Form column on the intersection of racing, globalization, and technology, quotes a lecture given by Bill Shanklin at the recent Thoroughbred Racing Associations and Harness Tracks of America joint conference:
Not many, I'd answer. The major circuits -- New York, California, Florida, Kentucky -- will find ways to survive, as will tracks such as Oaklawn that host boutique meets enticing to tourists and trainers with quality horses. Tracks like Suffolk, without enough purse money to draw the really good horses, and thus schedule the type of races attractive to big simulcasting handle, will close.
I think that's the saddest thing I've written on this blog.
Related: State Senator Michael Morrissey (D-Quincy) has scheduled a public meeting on the proposed state lottery racing game for Thursday, April 14, at 10 a.m. in room A2 of the State House.
Posted by JC, Apr 8, 2005 09:20 AM
Suffolk Cancels MassCap
And the rest of its 2005 open stakes program:
Read: Pursue slots legislation. This development is most disappointing. More Thursday.
Posted by JC, Apr 5, 2005 09:40 PM
Suffolk Condition Book Up
The first Suffolk Downs condition book of the 2005 meet is up. Opening day is April 30 -- just 37 days away.
Posted by JC, Mar 24, 2005 10:45 AM
Thin Hope
Former Massachusetts governor Paul Cellucci recently resigned as ambassador to Canada after nearly four years of service to join Magna as the vice president of corporate development (Thoroughbred Times). The Boston Herald reports that this development has some Suffolk Downs owners and trainers hoping that Cellucci will rescue the endangered track by convincing Magna to buy it:
I don't remember Cellucci as much of a friend to racing during his brief governership. That he suddenly looks like a savior can be taken as a sign of how desperate Suffolk's situation has become.
Posted by JC, Mar 20, 2005 09:00 AM
MassCap Set for June 18
Yesterday brought welcome news, a reminder that spring is coming and Massachusetts' long horseless season is coming to an end: Suffolk Downs announced its 2005 stakes schedule. The $500,000 Massachusetts Handicap (Gr. II) will be run on June 18, along with the $200,000 James B. Moseley Breeders' Cup. Last year's MassCap was won by Offlee Wild, who's running this weekend for the first time since that race in the Campbell at Laurel Park. No stakes are scheduled for the meet's final two months, which has been the situation for the past couple of years, although in both 2004 and 2003, some money was found late in the meet to run a couple of stakes races for state-breds. Perhaps the same will happen this year. Suffolk's barns open on March 16, and live racing begins on April 30. I can hardly wait.
Posted by JC, Feb 19, 2005 10:10 AM
Another Proposal
The CEO of Harrah's Entertainment urged business leaders and politicians to bring casinos to Massachusetts in a speech made on Thursday. Gary Loveman said that "Harrah's would like to build casinos in the state, possibly on the Suffolk Downs racetrack campus, which he said has enough space for a hotel and entertainment facility." Casinos in Massachusetts aren't too likely -- the state is "desperately dependent" on the $800 million the state lottery brings in and legislators don't want any competition for the revenue, but this article is about yet another proposal for developing the Suffolk Downs land. The Celtics are talking about the site, and real estate development groups, and now this guy, all of which says to me that the feeling of area business leaders is that Suffolk's days are numbered. With all this talk flying about, how much longer will Boston have a racetrack? Woe to the New England racing fan! (Boston Globe)
Posted by JC, Jan 21, 2005 08:15 AM
Developing Suffolk
There have been ominous rumblings about the future of Suffolk Downs in the local press recently -- an article hinting at the possibility of more commercial development on land owned by the track appeared in the Boston Globe two weeks ago and a couple of stories in the Herald have mentioned the Celtics are considering Suffolk as a site for their new arena -- but nothing so alarming as what the Globe reported this morning:
"Steven Roth, the tough, entrepreneurial chief executive of giant Vornado Realty Trust, has his sights set on Boston's Suffolk Downs. And it is a better bet than any you could place at the struggling track that the opportunity he sees is not in a bunch of old men shouting at a TV screen and betting two bucks on a race at Aqueduct.
"Suffolk Downs is a dying business, and has been for years. But make no mistake: There is value there, and the smart money is lining up.
Live racing is scheduled to begin in April, and as a New England racing fan, I hope it's not the last year. If Suffolk Downs is sold for development, it effectively means the end of the sport not just in Boston, but in the region.
Posted by JC, Jan 14, 2005 11:45 AM
One Race
Call Me Mr. Vain was the winningest horse in North America in 2003 with 11 wins; he spent most of 2004 in his stall, recovering from a tendon injury. His owner/trainer called me this afternoon to let me know that Mr. Vain was running in the third at Charles Town tonight and that he was going to "run big." I was skeptical -- it's a rare trainer who doesn't think his horse will win every time it goes out -- but a look at the third race, which was one of those messy cheap claiming affairs in which a lot of horses don't make much sense, showed that Mr. Vain was easily one of the contenders, and so my racing companion and I ventured out to East Boston, arriving in time for the second race at Charles Town.
Continue reading »Posted by JC, Jan 13, 2005 11:00 PM
Struggling Suffolk
May "be forced" to develop more land. This is just the sort of article that stirs up a New England racing fan's anxiety, even if it's no more than a reminder of Suffolk Downs' precarious situation and reports little new information. (Boston Globe)
Posted by JC, Jan 4, 2005 09:22 AM
Suffolk Handle, Attendance Up
"Suffolk Downs posted increases in daily average handles and attendance in 2004, the first season the track operated as the lone Thoroughbred track in New England," reports the Daily Racing Form. The average daily handle was more than $1.1 million from all sources, an increase of 5.3% over 2003, while average daily attendance rose 5.5% to 3421.
Posted by JC, Dec 4, 2004 10:30 AM
'Til Next Spring
That's all for Ascot Doll and Suffolk Downs until 2005
The season ended at Suffolk Downs today, and my racing companion and I snuck away from work to catch a little action. We arrived barely in time for the third race; the horses were being loaded in the gate as we entered the grandstand. No matter, the race we really wanted to see was the fourth, in which our mutual favorite, Ascot Doll, was running. This afternoon was the first time Ascot Doll had raced since late June owing to an ankle injury, and he didn't run as well as his trainer would have liked (he was, alas, last by several lengths), but he returned to the barn sound and peppy and all was forgiven. The Doll is going to a farm for the winter and will be back at Suffolk next spring, just as I'm sure I will.
Posted by JC, Nov 29, 2004 05:45 PM
At the Downs Today
Jockey Winston Thompson extended his winning streak to 13 days with three wins this afternoon and clinched the meet's jockey title, beating out eight-time title champ Joe Hampshire. With one day of racing left at Suffolk Downs, Thompson leads Hampshire 154-143.
Posted by JC, Nov 27, 2004 07:45 PM
Wacky Wednesday at Suffolk
"It wasn't a full moon, but something celestial seemingly made it a wacky Wednesday at Suffolk. The battery for one of the starting gates died just before the first race. In the third race, a horse flipped in the starting gate, causing a five-minute delay. The stewards disqualified the winner of the fourth race for what they saw as two distinct fouls in the same race. They then declared Nieges Que Te Amo a non-starter in the fifth race, after he reared up in the gate and unseated jockey Edwin Molinari seconds before the starter opened the gates. The horse ran loose during the race and bothered some of the other horses, but was covered up so well in the pack, the track announcer and fans couldn't tell what had happened until the far turn." (Daily Racing Form)
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The November issue of Boston Magazine has an article on Suffolk Downs' backstretch workers. The photos by Joshua Dalsimer are striking; the text by John Wolfson is offensive. "Most of the hundreds of men and women here never had a single glory day. They probably never will," he writes of those that work on the backstretch, focusing his story on a couple of broken-down, hard-luck souls and one scrappy immigrant. So bleak. So colorful! What a nice little trip for Mr. Wolfson into a world of hard knocks and hard work. Too bad that the story he writes isn't the story of most of those who make their living with the horses.
Posted by JC, Nov 11, 2004 08:35 PM
Ladies' Night
Or rather, ladies' late afternoon. Suffolk Downs' Jill Jellison and Tammi Piermarini are among 12 female jockeys taking part in the fourth annual Female Jockey Challenge at Hoosier Park on November 6.
Posted by JC, Nov 2, 2004 11:00 PM
News from Suffolk Downs
With another win this afternoon, jockey Joe Hampshire extended his winning streak to 10 days. I must ask: When will there be a Hampshire bobblehead?
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Not too long ago, it looked as though the meet would go stakesless in its final weeks. But a little money appears to have been found somewhere: Track officials announced this afternoon that one $40,000 Massachusetts-bred stakes race would be held each Saturday in November.
More: "Four more statebred stakes" (Daily Racing Form)
Posted by JC, Oct 20, 2004 05:10 PM
Eight Days and Counting
Suffolk Downs' leading jockey Joe Hampshire extended his winning streak to eight days with three wins this afternoon.
Posted by JC, Oct 18, 2004 06:15 PM
In An Ideal World
Suffolk Downs and Rockingham Park would make up a New England Thoroughbred racing circuit once more. If only reality didn't intrude. (Boston Globe)
Posted by JC, Oct 15, 2004 08:30 AM
Tough Year Ahead
"Suffolk Downs officials want to reduce the number of races they run to maximize their limited purse funds, but the responsibility of supporting the region's horsemen means there won't be much change in the schedule in 2005." (Daily Racing Form)
Posted by JC, Oct 8, 2004 08:15 AM
Suffolk Schedule May Shrink
Suffolk Downs must apply to the state racing commission for 2005 dates by October 1, and it looks as though the track will ask for 900-1000 races, a slight reduction from this year's 1100. (Boston Globe)
Posted by JC, Sep 26, 2004 08:40 AM
Stakesless Weeks Ahead
"There are nine weeks remaining until the meet ends at Suffolk, but no more stakes are scheduled." The track is penny-pinching in anticipation of the second straight winter without racing. (Daily Racing Form)
Posted by JC, Sep 24, 2004 08:25 PM
Missed Opportunity
There's a point in Andrew Beyer's marvelous memoir, "My $50,000 Year at the Races," in which the author realizes why the handicappers he admires so much are able to remain calm regardless of what they lose: It's because they know there will always be another betting opportunity. I had to remind myself of that when I saw the official chart for the fifth race at Suffolk Downs today.
Continue reading »Posted by JC, Aug 31, 2004 05:00 PM
A Hot One at Suffolk
What a hellishly hot day at Suffolk Downs. The heat in the barns was brutal; stepping outside offered no respite. The horses were the most ill-tempered I've seen them this summer. Nine of Cups, usually so timid she startles at a strong breeze, was baring her teeth, stamping her feet impatiently whenever we stopped during her walk, and swishing her tail furiously. Miami Mike, usually unperturbed by any commotion on the shedrow, startled at open doors, pigeons, and the sound of bags being torn open. He was also in a mood to bite everything -- the sponge during his bath, the shank during his walk -- but people, for once. That was left to the usually sweet-tempered Ascot Doll, who was reaching out to nip all who passed his stall. I left the barn at noon, feeling unbelievably sweaty and banged up. I don't think the horses felt much better.
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The barn was busy this morning with more than heat-addled horses, as several people stopped by to congratulate Mario, newly elected president of the New England HBPA.
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Joanne McDaid, an apprentice rider at Suffolk this year, has moved on to Philadelphia Park.
Posted by JC, Aug 28, 2004 03:45 PM
"Cat Lady" Denied License
Boston resident Heidi Erickson, who gained local notoriety as the "Cat Lady" following her arrest last year on charges of animal cruelty after several sick and dead cats were discovered in her Beacon Hill apartment, was before the Massachusetts Racing Commission Wednesday appealing Suffolk Downs' decision to deny her a grooming license. The commission upheld the track's decision to reject her application because Erickson lied about her criminal record and gave a false social security number.
Posted by JC, Aug 12, 2004 11:10 AM
Suffolk, August 3
After more than a week away, it was a pleasure to return to Suffolk Downs today. Still a hot topic on the backside, as it was in mid-July: The Rockingham turf races scheduled for September 5. (Daily Racing Form)
Posted by JC, Aug 3, 2004 04:15 PM
Suffolk, July 14
Found while wandering the web this morning, a treasure trove of photographs from Suffolk Downs. Big crowds, movie stars, winning horses, cute kids petting Thoroughbreds, a pigeon placing sixth -- they're all represented in this extensive collection of images from the 1930s-70s (Boston Public Library).
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I'm a cautious bettor lately. On Wednesday, that meant I missed out on a prime opportunity in race four, a $4000 claiming event. Horse #7, Rescue One, was at odds of 11-1, despite a record that suggested he was a strong bet on yesterday's off-track. He'd run in the money three times out of six starts on off-tracks, and just three races ago he'd placed third on a muddy track in a claiming $5000nw4/l. He looked like a winner, but I couldn't convince myself to risk the money. Rescue One won, paying $25.20. Lesson learned.
Posted by JC, Jul 15, 2004 09:00 AM
Suffolk, July 13
The New England Turf Writers annual dinner was held Monday night and a slew of awards was given out to horses and jockeys. Megan's Halo, winner of five straight races in 2003, was named the James B. Moseley Horse of the Year. Top rider Josiah Hampshire received the Eli Chiat jockey award (for the second? or third? time) and apprentice jockey Mark Phillips was honored for special achievement, along with the horses Amazing Thunder, Boston Fox, Call Me Mr. Vain, Diplomatical, Island Melody, and Jill's Layup. It was reported to me this morning by an attendee that the prime rib at dinner was "not bad" and that the evening was "pleasant." I'll be sure to get tickets next year.
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In today's races: Jockey Jill Jellison, who recently returned to riding after recovering from injuries sustained in an accident last winter, was dumped from her mount, Sugar Shaker, in race four when the horse stumbled coming out of the gate. Free of 123 lbs., the horse unofficially ran second. A personal thrill: Miami Mike, trained by Mario DeStefano, whose barn I've been working in, won race seven (final odds 5.80, paid $13.60), which meant I went to the winner's circle for the first time ever. The bite Miami Mike gave me during his bath this morning was forgiven in all the excitement of watching him run and win this afternoon. Nip away, Miami Mike! I'm looking forward to my next trip to the circle.
Posted by JC, Jul 13, 2004 08:30 PM
Suffolk, July 7
A mysterious, or misheard, page made before today's third race: "Will Marylou Whitney please call ext. 7---. Marylou Whitney, please call 7---." Marylou Whitney at Suffolk Downs? Could it be?
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This afternoon was the first this week I stayed to watch the races. Tuesday I was at the track and gone by 10 a.m., and Monday I lingered just long enough to watch one of my favorites, Mighty Mouse (as he's known in the barn), run in race two. No bet on him, though, not when his trainer said Monday morning after heavy rain forced officials to move the race from the turf to the main track, "He has no chance on the dirt." He didn't. The racing was a bit predictable today (six races won by favorites); the biggest surprise was Miss Whitney in race three, winning at odds of 37-1. My one bet was on race two, where I thought I spotted a great opportunity when Harmony Light was still at 7-2 five minutes before the race. By post time, her odds had collapsed to 7-5. She won, and paid $4.80.
Posted by JC, Jul 7, 2004 05:00 PM
