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#1
12-17-2014, 10:30 AM
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Senator L... that was a fantastic story! So glad you posted and thanks, Aly-Sheba, for your special HP memory. 
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#2
12-17-2014, 10:52 AM
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I get a little misty eyed when I drive by the Home Depot on Westshore Drive as I recall $0.25 beer nights at the Tampa Jai Alai Fronton.
I'm sure the players HATED those nights as the heckling was fueled by whatever flat, warm swill was being poured into the Solo cups.
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#3
12-17-2014, 01:43 PM
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My old man had a modest string of cheap standardbreds in New England back in the late 60s early 70s, usually at Rockingham Park. He was no stranger to the windows too, both for the trotters and the TBs.
We lived just over the border in Massachusetts, and oftentimes as a young one he'd take me along for the 5(?) mile ride north along Route 28. If I was lucky, we'd stop at Granite State potato chip factory and get a bucket of chips right outta the vat. If it was summer time we'd detour to one of the truck farms near the track and pick up a couple dozen ears of sweet corn for dinner. And if I was really lucky we'd go in the barn gate right off route 28 (and not the gen'l admission gate...that meant he was just getting a bet in) because that meant we were going to his barn and I could be with his horses. The mere smell of molasses is enough to bring it all back to me. A few times he'd hoist me up on his lap in the jog cart and take a few lazy loops around the oval with one of his horses and man...that was better than anything to a 6 or 7 year old kid. Dad was better than Carl Yasztremski at that point. Well...up until the one time one of my feet slipped and got jammed in the wheel and tore the skin off my ankle. Didn't want to be dad explaining to mom that night.
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#4
12-17-2014, 03:57 PM
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Roosevelt Raceway though for reasons besides the racing. Oct 1982 I was a soph in high school. The brother of my girlfriend at the time scored 2 tickets to see The Who at Shea Stadium, their original farewell tour.
 A few problems: 1. The show was a mid week school night. 2. Long drive from the Albany area on a school nite and 3. I was on crutches recovering from knee surgery. Since The Who was/is one of my favorite bands and this seemed like a once in a life opportunity (note, I have seen them at least a half dozen times since), we worked out a deal with my dad. He would drive us down and back same day/nite but I had to agree to go to school the next day. Ah, Deal How does Roosevelt work into this story? Well, while we were at the show, my dad and one of my HS teachers who joined us on the trip, headed over to Roosevelt. Had Roosevelt not been running live that nite I probably would have missed out on seeing a great show. Thanks dad!!! 
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#5
12-18-2014, 06:09 PM
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#6
12-18-2014, 08:38 PM
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MMSC you must have been to the old Del Mar track! Remember all the nooks and crannies that were in the Clubhouse and that carpet (and the smell) oh my...it sure had character.
__________________
We've Gone Delirious
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#7
12-19-2014, 12:03 AM
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MMSC
Great thread. Sure I'm missing some. Here are the tracks I've been to that are now gone. The one's in CAPS are where I called a race. Two of which was the final race ever run. AK-SAR-BEN, BLUE RIBBON DOWNS, Birmingham Race Course, Bowie, CALIENTE, DETROIT RACE COURSE, FAIRPLEX, GARDEN STATE PARK, HOLLYWOOD PARK, Longacres, Playfair, Sportsman's Park, Suffolk Downs, Rockingham Park, THE WOODLANDS, VALLEJO, YAKIMA MEADOWS, Yavapai (Prescott then). HOLLYWOOD PARK: Obviously tugs the most heartstrings. Not a day goes by I don't think of HP. Heart remains and perhaps will always be broken. Cannot believe a place like Hollywood actually closed. Rapidly closing in on the anniversary of the final race and my final race call. Dec. 22nd.  AK-SAR-BEN: Much different than Hollywood. Called final race there too. Didn't know at the time that was it. Great memories of racing at AK. A major attraction in it's heyday. Busses from many cities would roll in. Kansas City, Grand Island, Des Moines. Much like Oaklawn to this day the town really embraced the track. Walk into anyplace with 5 miles of the track and everyone was talking horses. CALIENTE: Called my first live race there. Filled in for Ernie Meyers. As a San Diego kid, along with Del Mar in the summers, where I fell in love with our great sport. Used to go with the great Don Alexander aka The Golden Throat. We'd sit in the back row of the grandstand and practice. Caliente and Ak-Sar-Ben stories are separate threads on their own. DETROIT RACE COURSE: First full time job. Was fired after 3 years for being young, stupid and arrogant. At least I'm no longer young. Called 3 running's of the Michigan Mile. Badwagon Harry, De Jeau and Waquoit. DRC stories may be 2 threads. GARDEN STATE PARK: The back-up to main announcer Ralph Siraco for 6 weeks in 1985. That was the year when Spend A Buck skipped the Preakness for a shot at a $2 million bonus by winning the Jersey Derby. I came within a few seconds of calling that race live on ESPN. New facility, wires crossed. Thank God they fixed it as the field entered the gate and we heard the great Dave Johnson. Laffit Pincay Jr. rode Spend A Buck not Cordero who was aboard in the Derby. Laffit's winning ride still ranks as the greatest I've ever seen. BLUE RIBBON DOWNS: End of the earth town called Salisaw OK. Didn't stay long. Took over for a fill in guy they didn't think was ready. When I left they brought the fill in back and gave him the permanent job. That young announcer? LUKE K.!! (rip). He WAS ready. YAKIMA MEADOWS: Went for a full season that ended up only being one weekend. Hialeah called. Worked for a great gentleman named Billy Aliment. Excellent golfer. Played for a while on the PGA Senior Tour. THE WOODLANDS: Came in a couple weeks after the opening. They started meet with the Director of Marketing trying to also call the races. Proved too much so in I came. That marketing man? Former President of Hollywood Park and current Executive Director of the CHRB Rick Baedeker. That racetrack proved to be a fertile breeding ground for people that would go on to do great things in our industry. Along with Baedeker. Martin Panza, Lonny Powell, Bruce Rimbo, Rick Henson, Nancy Ury. Track was founded by R D Hubbard. FAIRPLEX: Was known as Pomona back then. Never called a TB race there. Ralph Siraco was calling a harness meet there and let me try a couple. VALLEJO: Called many seasons there as part of the Northern California Fair circuit. Happy Holiday's to all DT'ers. Cheers. Goof Last edited by v j stauffer : 12-19-2014 at 12:26 AM.
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#8
12-19-2014, 01:46 AM
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That was an extraordinary post, Vic... thanks so much for always being so giving with your memories.
... and thanks for calling my very first time at the races. The 2004 Hollywood Derby will always be special and you're a big part of that. I started this thread cause I was thinking of HP and how there are times when I still can't believe it's gone. Cannot imagine how you feel. I hope you and your family have beautiful holidays and that we will be hearing you once again next year . Quote:
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#9
12-19-2014, 09:24 AM
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__________________
We've Gone Delirious
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#10
12-19-2014, 10:29 AM
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#11
01-10-2015, 09:18 AM
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Add to this list of closed racetracks Tioga Park (www.tiogapark.net) from 1976-1978 long before Jeff Gural purchased the property to open his harness racino. Tioga for those who did not know raced quarter horses and the tribute web site is certainly worth the visit.
Also, as I posted this morning on the site, Atlantic City Race Course will permanently close on Friday, January 16th, 2015 closing the door on that storied facility.
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