The Effort to Save Hialeah
 

Check this out everybody! Some people are trying to save Hialeah! Thank God she won't go down without a fight.

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/hor...ill&id=2971851

I say email Bill Finley with your support. Even if it's just communication between him and us he needs to know we hear and we're behind it--I bet he'd pass it on if there's a major reaction in support of it. It's time to speak up and especially if you live down there. It's a political issue. If these people are successful I might just bawl. I thought it was a matter of time before all hope was lost and Hialeah was paved over. We've got to save her, people.

I just love that Richard Dreyfus celebration in Let It Ride after he won the big race. That is soooo funny. And filmed at Hialejah.

Without knowing enough details... let me throw a question at you guys. I think I've found a decent compromise to get Hialeah running again. But I don't know the proper info to know if this idea has a chance in hell or not.

In the fall, they have the Tropical meet, at Calder right? Is Tropical owned and run by Churchill Downs? Or is it like the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita where the Oak Tree racing association operates it?

What I'm getting at, is if the Tropical meet is NOT owned and run by Churchill Downs, and there isn't a lengthy agreement between Tropical and Calder to run races at Calder, could the Tropical meet eventually be switched to Hialeah?

Now before you guys blast me for not knowing my facts, please clarify if that's not at all possible in a polite way and say why. Thanks.

Good luck to them. Even in the photos I've seen of everything falling apart it's still obviously a beautiful place.

If Finley's far-fetched but awesome suggestion of one day holding the Breeders' Cup there came true I think I'd have to make the trip over!

Wasn't a scene from the Godfather filmed there as well?

Not 100% sure but I think Tropical is not owned by CD. I have no idea what the length of the agreement is to hold the Tropical Meet at Calder. Some of our So. Fla. guys on the board may know the answer....

Assuming the contract can be worked out to shift the meet to Hialeah, the biggest roadblock here would be who is going to pay the money to upgrade the plant? I read somewhere that several barns were damaged in the hurricanes a couple years ago and torn down. The Grandstand, Clubhouse and Paddock will surely need remodeling, the dirt track will need to be brought in and re-worked and the turf will need a full facelift. We are talking a lot of money here. I don't think Tropical (whoever they are) has any money. I'm not sure if it is still true, but the purses used to go down when the Tropical Meet started.

I know that didn't answer your question Pete....it is a good idea if it is at all possible to pull off.

would love to see the bc there, but i doubt they'd invest that kind of money for two days a year.

tis a shame when you look at some of the tracks that are running, and this treasure is sitting there falling apart.