Archives > Suffolk Downs

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 April 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...; [Posted March 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 January 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...; [Posted November 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...; [Posted September 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. --- Bridgejumpers are out in force on the Godolphin entry of Afrashad and Council...; [Posted September 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...; [Posted September 22, 2007 01:30 PM]; ---

MassCap Entries: A field of eight was drawn today for Saturday's Massachusetts Handicap at Suffolk Downs: PPHorseJockeyML1Dr. PleasureVelasquez6-12PalladioDo Ramos12-13Who What WinBridgmohan15-14FairbanksMigliore7-55Shuffling MaddnesRojas12-16Fire StrikerKrigger30-17Evening AttireEspinosa5-18Brass HatMartinez5-2 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...; [Posted September 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...; [Posted September 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...; [Posted July 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: Peabody, MA: When I went to the MassCap when Cigar ran there was a MassCap monkey. He was not there when Offlee Wild won the race. Can you tell management to bring back the monkey? Thornton: If you ever see one of these Blood-Horse chats and wonder if acquaintances of the guest ever try to sneak through an inside joke or two, this is...; [Posted June 28, 2007 09:30 PM]; ---

MassCap Coming Back: Reports the Boston Herald today: In a move that is already generating buzz in racing circles, Fields and his fellow track owners are weighing plans to spend well over $1 million on the event ... "Bringing back the historic MassCap is just one component of our extensive plan to return racing to greatness at Suffolk Downs," [lead owner Richard Fields] said in a statement. He and fellow owners, who include Hub concessionnaire Joseph O’Donnell, are now busy hammering out the details of their plan to bring back the MassCap, most likely in September. The Massachusetts Handicap dates back to Suffolk...; [Posted 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 June 29, 2006 06:00 PM]; ---

Opening Day at Suffolk: A cartoon by Sage Stossel. Click the image to see it in full....; [Posted 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. --- 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. --- Our good friend Bill at RacingFigures.com is posting Suffolk Downs ratings again...; [Posted 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...; [Posted 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,...; [Posted May 1, 2006 04:00 PM]; ---

Unforeseen Consequences: If Suffolk Downs were to close permanently, the losses would go beyond jobs and open space: Suffolk's open tradition is not limited to jockeys. There are more women trainers at Suffolk Downs than at any other track -- about 40 according to an informal count done last summer. Many of the grooms are women. The track vet is a woman. The board chair is a woman -- Patricia Moseley. There are only two women stewards in the country and one, Susan Walsh, is at Suffolk Downs. Beyond these are women who work as pony riders, walkers, tellers and in many...; [Posted April 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 March 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: In 1983, I was on hand to witness how shamelessly crooked racing at the fairs could be. Right out...; [Posted December 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 December 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...; [Posted November 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...; [Posted November 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...; [Posted November 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...; [Posted October 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,...; [Posted October 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. --- 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). --- No surprise here: "Rep....; [Posted October 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...; [Posted September 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 September 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 July 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...; [Posted June 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...; [Posted June 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. --- 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...; [Posted 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 --...; [Posted 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...; [Posted 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 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...; [Posted 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...; [Posted 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 April 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 April 23, 2005 10:35 AM]; ---

Legislators May Challenge Lottery: "Key state lawmakers signaled yesterday that they intend to rein in the Massachusetts State Lottery's plans to launch a virtual horse-racing game on Keno-style monitors later this year." (Boston Globe)...; [Posted April 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 April 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...; [Posted April 8, 2005 09:20 AM]; ---

Suffolk Cancels MassCap: And the rest of its 2005 open stakes program: "Based on the impact that the harsh winter had on simulcast wagering and our current projections, we feel it's more prudent to maintain a healthy purse level for our daily schedule than to run these major races this season," said Suffolk Downs Chief Operating Officer Bob O'Malley. "Our attitude this year is to do everything we can to ensure that we will be able to race next year, when we would anticipate restoring the stakes program, including the MassCap. An important goal for this year is to pursue legislation that will...; [Posted April 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 March 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 am looking at Mr. Cellucci as being someone who could be the right person, at the right place, at the right time to bring a fresh breath of air to thoroughbred racing,'' said Anthony Spadea Jr., who owns a stable of horses...; [Posted March 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,...; [Posted February 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...; [Posted January 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...; [Posted January 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...; [Posted January 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 January 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 December 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...; [Posted November 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 November 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...; [Posted November 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 November 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? --- 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 October 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 October 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 October 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 October 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 September 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 September 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....; [Posted August 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,...; [Posted August 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 August 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 August 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). --- 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...; [Posted July 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...; [Posted July 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? --- 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...; [Posted July 7, 2004 05:00 PM]; ---

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