End of line for thoroughbred racing in New England [View all]

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/09/24/3397623/end-of-line-for-thoroughbred-racing.html?sp=/99/261/



Trainer/owner Kevin McCarthy, right, hands bridles to groom Andre Rivera in the stable at Suffolk Downs in Boston, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2014. The last thoroughbred horse racing track in New England is closing this year, as the once grand Suffolk Downs yields to growing competition from casinos, lotteries and other forms of gambling. Experts say the local breeding industry could all but vanish.

End of line for thoroughbred racing in New England
By PHILIP MARCELO
Associated Press
September 24, 2014 Updated 13 minutes ago

BOSTON — Suffolk Downs, New England's last thoroughbred racing track which once hosted Seabiscuit and other premier horses of the day, is closing this year, a victim of changes in a gaming industry that now revolves around lotteries and casinos.

The 160-acre track, located just outside downtown Boston, had hoped to revive its sagging fortunes with a $1.1 billion Mohegan Sun casino project. But after the proposal was rejected last week, operators said they had no choice but to close the nearly 80-year-old track.

The live racing season ends Oct. 4. Betting on televised races — or simulcasts — will be offered until about December. It is a blow to the local racing industry and, to some, the end of an era for Boston.

"It was a great, great part of the sports tradition we had here," says Anthony Spadea, who, as president of the New England Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, remains optimistic that state leaders will find a way to preserve thoroughbred racing in the state, perhaps on a smaller scale. "Now, there's so much competition for the entertainment dollar."